Loren and Fernando Poe Jr.
By Antonio J. Montalvan II

THERE are two incidents in recent memory that I distinctly recall of Loren Legarda.

The first took place in 2000 when the National Historical Institute (NHI) decided to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of Makahambus Hill in northern Mindanao. That was a battle that took place on June 4, 1900 between Filipino revolutionaries who had fought under the banner of Emilio Aguinaldo against the Americans. The Filipinos won that battle when the American side exacted heavy casualties and failed to take over the fort which was perched atop a precipitous hill known as Makahambus.

To revere the memory of that battle, the NHI board decided to honor the battle site with a national historical marker. That distinction was conferred in a solemn protocol-laden ceremony replete with military honors and a gun salute. A national official graced the event and addressed the descendants of local heroes.

At that time, Legarda was a popular senator and so was invited to be the special guest of honor in the historic commemoration. Her office promptly relayed her positive response to the invitation. And so the invitations were printed. Hardly had these been sent out, however, when someone in her office staff called to say that the senator had changed her mind and was now declining the invitation. The reason given was simply a change in the senator's schedule.

But there appeared to be something else behind her sudden turnabout. At that time, the abduction of foreign tourists in the Sipadan island of Malaysia by the Abu Sayyaf had just taken place. Legarda's change of heart appeared to be due more to a fear of treading on "dangerous" Mindanao territory than anything else.

It is standard procedure for event organizers to have a Plan B. But a keynote speaker who backs out at the last minute puts event organizers in a real tizzy trying to salvage disrupted plans. Legarda's chickening out was only offset by an alternative who not only turned out to be better but a more appropriate person for the event. This was Jimmy Policarpio who not only was a Cabinet secretary at that time but whose wife Sheila was a great-granddaughter of Apolinar Velez, who led the Makahambus revolutionary forces.

The second incident I recall of Legarda came after the Huluga heritage site was destroyed by Cagayan de Oro Mayor Vicente Emano. Probably noting the national media attention the destruction of the site had attracted, Legarda's staff wrote me by e-mail to say the senator was calling for a Senate inquiry into the matter. To which the mayor of Cagayan de Oro, with his usual braggadocio, retorted that he would never subject himself to a Senate inquiry. But Legarda's staff had disseminated her resolution to the media and this was promptly reported by national dailies.

Nothing however came out of that Legarda initiative. When weeks later the senator tried to craft a bill that would protect heritage sites, Mindanao sites were not even mentioned in the bill. She had not done her homework. The talked-about Huluga heritage site destruction Senate inquiry was just a dud.

The first incident seemed to have been motivated by opportunism and self-preservation. The second was just all show which we have seen is typical of Legarda. All these are trademarks of the wheeling-dealing tribe of traditional politicians.

Now that she has completely obliterated the sublime symbol of her tears during the Estrada impeachment trial, Legarda has moved full circle by moving over to the camp of Joseph Estrada. This sends us only one message, that Legarda will do what it takes to feed her ambition. In that sense, she is no different from Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who is now about to be relegated to political oblivion.

In these politically contentious times, pro-Poe pundits tout him as a non-trapo and therefore the answer to the ancient hold by one trapo after another on the presidency. Look again. Look at all the trapos Poe has allowed himself to be surrounded with, Legarda included, and the certainty stares us starkly in the face that he too, will go the way of the trapo sooner than later.

Those critical of Poe often cite his weak educational background. But look where a brilliant Marcos brought us. Others scoff at his zero experience in political governance. But what experience are they talking about when those who had, Estrada included, were grounded on nothing but wheeling-dealing and self-preserving political traditions?

Behn Cervantes was right. A Fernando Poe Jr. presidency can only bring us to an irreversible trend of choosing candidates who hardly know an iota of what national governance means even as they enjoy widespread popularity. In 2010, it will be Dagul for president.

Pundits miss out on one thing: ideology. Does Poe have one? His choice of Loren Legarda has just provided us the answer.

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