The lead story for today, of course, is the death of Jaime, Cardinal Sin. May he rest in peace. He was the third archbishop and second Cardinal of the Manila archdiocese who was a Filipino. He was the last to rule over an archdiocese close, in terms of territory, to the old Spanish archdiocese of old.
You can read about his apostolic succession and his titles here, which traces it back to 1566. Incidentally, Cardinal Sin was a principal co-consecrator of Bishop Oscar Cruz. Another marvelously efficient site on Cardinals contains his biography, already updated to show he’s dead.
With Cardinal Sin’s passing, Archbishop Gaudencio Borbon Rosales is now slated for a red hat which means he will be one of the first Cardinals to be created (the proper term, as a Cardinal is a prince, and so, like a Duke, “created” by the sovereign) by Pope Benedict XVI.
In politics, Lito Banayo has a fascinating insider’s look on a planned group walkout by the opposition. While obviously he wants to place his candidate (Senator Lacson) in the best possible light, still, it smacks of versimilitude -that is, what he says corresponds with what most people assume to be true about the parties concerned. Lacson was the most strategic-minded; FPJ’s people were the most overconfident (and overconfidence is a serious liability in politics), Bro. Eddie’s were the most noisy; the president’s camp was the most ruthless.
Yesterday, I noticed an article in the Star listing the (large) number of members of Congress away for the Congressional recess. Everyone from the Speaker to Party List representatives (off for their pilgrimage to Ultrecht, the Netherlands). This suggests to me that we won’t see anything major, politically, until the State of the Nation Address to mark the opening of the next regular session of Congress. This despite the opening of hearings on the tapes, the planned press conference of Senator Lacson tomorrow, etc.
Add to this the general consensus that’s there’s been some good economic news (but where? there’s budget back in deficit, people cashing in on the stock market, the peso sinking again, and the economic costs of our mishandling the environment revealed ), or that, the President has 16 months to enjoy a honeymoon until people see if her income-generating laws really bear fruit or not.
Max Soliven wonders why the President went to Hong Kong, but it seems to me clear why: by doing so she reminded everyone that she’s president, she generally dictates the coverage of events, and yesterday she totally dominated the headlines, down to her saying she will speak up in her own good time.
There’s news on a raid on a printing press by the government, which has caused discomfort among media circles, but details are sketchy.
They say fortune favors the bold -has she been bolder than her opposition? Torn and frayed in Manila says,
The 2005 president has balls. Or at least the tenacity to cling to power like a little barnacle. I can’t see her ever just giving up as Erap did.
Power goes to those not only willing to fight for it, but keep it.
