“Sometimes your senses are so trampled that another appalling piece of news is just one more tiresome detail.” — John Le Carree

While “denouement” is usually associated with the final resolution or act in a novel, or opera, or play, it can also be applied to politics, so to speak, when we talk of the final curtain to a political era or administration as it will happen in 2010.

In the province, as in Manila, and in every corner store where local philosophers and self-appointed gurus congregate, political talk takes center stage and only interspersed occasionally by whining about government neglect and financial woes.

Because the political structure remains unchanged, and the electoral process will be the same despite the promise of automation, it seems to the casual observer that governance, or political platforms or the many infrastructure accomplishments of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo are all delegated to the backburner while the corruption issue assumes prominence, and who, among the leading candidates will be different, and can be expected to drastically eradicate the cancer of corruption.

On the one hand, generally, good men, with rare exceptions, do not get elected since, with the same political system, it is the politics of personality, or dynasty, or money that will determine election to government rather than qualifications, or sincerity,
or ideas.

In the course of any conversation, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo does not figure prominently anymore as she is a non-candidate, and there is a tendency to already write her off particularly in view of the travails and schism plaguing the Lakas-Kampi Party.

Moreover, political analysts discount the possibility of former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada running again for the Presidency if the opposition groups cannot get their act together.

The utility of President Estrada will be greater as the endorser or campaign supporter to a candidate of his choice, rather than be a candidate himself.

Indeed, while former President Estrada has the love of the masa, the adoration of his movie fans, and the charisma, his persona and previous conviction, albeit pardoned, will militate against his election.

Thus, the center of attention in urban centers appears to have narrowed down to Sen. Manny Villar and Sen. Mar Roxas who are steaming ahead and on course.

Without doubt, there are still many computations, unholy alliances, and permutations to be forged in the next three months before the air is clear, and the contenders are pruned down to three or four major candidates since nothing has been heard from Vice-President Noli de Castro, or Gilbert Teodoro, or Bro. Mike Velarde, or former President Fidel V. Ramos, or Amb. Eduardo Cojuangco, or Iglesia ni Cristo, or Bro. Eddie Villanueva.

When all is said and done, the next President will be hard put to be a reformist or be uncompromising or aggressive since he will be operating under the same discredited political process and environment.

That is why, without Constitutional reforms, good men don’t get elected under the prevailing system.

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