Sino ang Tatapos: The Pichay-De Venecia Showdown

I suggest that the current fight between Jose De Venecia and Prospero Pichay be placed as an undercard match in the upcoming fight of Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales. It has more controversy than the Vegas prizefight. There are more things at stake other than pride in the speakership struggle – money, political clout, and eternal bragging rights. Maybe not the last one but who knows, you can’t determine the scope of their egos. But what is the skirmish all about? Charter Change. You see there are two versions in the Lower House regarding Plan B or Constitutional Assembly 1) the Jaurala version backed by Big Brother Joe 2) and the Pichay version as proposed by the challenger.

Pichay claims that his proposal has already gathered the necessary number of signatures that could push ConAss. If I’m not mistaken, a few months ago, the other Prospero – Nograles – claims that the De Venecia backed plan needs a few more signatures to start the ‘great Charter Change debate.’ So who really has the backing of the majority of the congressmen? Who was able to provide better deals and promises? Which of the two have more greedy friends in the Lower Chamber?

We can only speculate.

But we don’t need to speculate to realize that there’s a huge friction between the two congressmen. It’s not the first time that Pichay was rumored to be challenging the leadership of the Man from Pangasinan. Whenever there’s a rumored coup in the Lower Congress, the Shadow of Surigao del Sur seems to be skulking in the four corners of the supposed august chamber. Don’t you just love the alliteration?

Of course, Eduardo Ermita has denied all the conjectures floating around. It’s simply the work of the opposition who has been the constant destabilizer of the administration as the Little President from Batangas would explain. I was hoping that he would blame the New People’s Army so that there would be some novelty in his defense. He added that the Palace would never drop a strong and dependable ally like Joe De Venecia.

Wow. All that was missing is Gloria Macapagal Arroyo clenching her fist doing a Scarlett O’ Hara screaming in high heavens, ‘As God as my witness, I will never drop Joe. Ever!’ Who knows, she might do it one of these days.

In my opinion, De Venecia was this close of loosing his job. I do believe the ongoing buzz since he has been fancying himself as a prime minister. First rule: don’t fantasize something that it reserved for Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Do you really think the Fake One would simply fade away in 2010? No. No. No. She would make Dylan Thomas proud and ‘rage against the dying the light.’ Heck, if it actually necessitates to make drastic rules (the martial kind), she would. Hello, PP 1017.

For now, we have to contend ourselves with simple snide remarks in the speakership struggle. Again, don’t you just love the alliteration? I always get a kick whenever I see Taiwanese legislators literally brawling during sessions. The closest we had in recent memory was when one-time San Juan Congressman Jose Mari Gonzales cowardly hit a certain Barbo during the railroading of the Estrada impeachment complaint. What I really want is a down and dirty fracas. Imagine our esteemed lawmakers pulling hair, throwing punches, and kicking assess during sessions. Or Joe De Venecia using the gavel to break Butch Pichay’s nose. That would be a sight to see.