“Will you walk into my parlor?” said the Spider to the Fly. “Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy.” — Mary Howitt

The human rodents will soon have to decide when to jump ship and take a gamble, or go down with the Titanic.

The exodus has began with kingmakers, brokers, relatives, publicists, image makers, financiers, and mindless camp followers looking for the winnable presidentiable or party that they can hitch their wagon to the stars.

Poor selection judgment and premature commitments to tentative candidates could mean oblivion after 2010 for the total of wannabes will likely be whittled down to three or four candidates while the rest will opt for vice president or senatorial positions.

Since the voters, and the nation, will still be laboring under the same political system and electoral process, with or without partial automation, the main election issue will be graft and corruption since it is the only issue that is understood by all whether rich or poor, or young or old.

Corollarily, the same campaign factors, such as, money, coercion, organization and popularity, will spell the difference between winning and losing.

First, what is corruption? Who are deemed corrupt? Which postwar administration has not been alleged or tainted, or to have tolerated graft and corruption?President Ferdinand Marcos, in a foreign televised interview, when his regime was accused of massive corruption, answered the interviewer that the latter must have been referring to another country, and not the Philippines.

It was during the administration of President Corazon Aquino, the icon of democracy and epitome of honesty, that the pejorative epithet “Kamag-anak Inc.” was first coined and popularized.

Even the successful watch of President Fidel V. Ramos was not spared from speculations and innuendoes of corruption.

Recently, President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, speaking before The Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC) flatly denied that he is corrupt, and categorically denies that he ever plundered government coffers to amass wealth.

Last week, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was quoted as saying that “she had never profited from her office.”

Thus, if the leaders deny any wrongdoing and are not culpable, where is the corruption?

We surmise that graft is perpetrated at all levels of the bureaucracy either by tolerance, or temptation, or public perception of misconduct at the top; red tape, sloppy bids and awards processes, and excessive laws and regulations.

Second, the opposition groups are only united in their opposition to President Gloria Arroyo whose term is ending and is a non-candidate in 2010 with the Con-Ass dead in the water for the moment.

For these reasons, popular and charismatic former President Joseph Estrada has threatened to run if the disparate opposition groups cannot get their act together and come up with a single candidate.

The all-star cast of the opposition does not come anywhere near the charisma and popularity of Erap.

In contrast, the Arroyo Lakas-Kampi Party is stymied with poor choices and dismal ratings while Vice-President Noli de Castro sits on the fence.

When all is said and done, we do not see any deliverance in 2010, or any path-breaking leadership from any of the known presidential aspirants since they are the product of the same discredited political system.

Nonetheless, 2010 is a Rubicon and a historic crossroad that will define the future direction of Philippine politics for better or for worse.

In the meantime, place your bets, and abandon ship.

After all, ‘Tis the season of the bitterly sour “balimbing” fruit, or come into my parlor said the spire to the fly.

In the meantime, recruiting has began and political butterflies are flexing their wings.

You be the judge. (For comments and views, please e-mail: chaff_fromthegrain@yahoo.com.ph)