WHAT AWAITS THE ENRILE-TRILLANES RIFT

The escalating wod war between Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Antonio Trillanes is truly unfortunate.  Mukhang nagkamali si Trillanes ng binangga.

To some extent, one may not totally blame Trillanes for his recent behavior.  Recently, as names interested to run for the Senate in next year's mid-term elections germinate like mushrooms in the daily news, most of whom aspiring to be part of either the UNA or the LP, si Trillanes, who won as an independent candidate in 2007, ay kapuna-punang tila yata hindi interesadong "ampunin" ng either kampo ni PNoy or kampo nin Binay-Erap.

It will be recalled that when Trillanes ran and won in 2007, it was very largely because in the eyes of the people he became kind of a martyr or "kawawang underdog."  Towards 2007, especially given the ore or less general perception that GMA cheated FPJ -- although, wait a minute, that is still unproven until now -- the "hate-Gloria campaign" had been at its height.  It was then that Trillanes suddenly came into the limelight with his much-ballyhooed coups against the government, and for which GMA put hm behnd bars.  Alam naman nating lahat, in this country, the underdog, or who seems to be a martyr, the people generally supports.  And that was how Trillanes, campaigning behind bars, won in the 2007 elections.

Ngayon, dahil tila nga wala yatang partidong gustong umampon kay Trillanes in next year's poll, kailangang medyo lumutang ang pangalan niya ngayon pa lang.  And so, he must indeed either offered himself, or accepted PNoy's or the China's offier, whichever was true, to become a back-channel negotiator in the worsening Phil-China standoff on the Scarborough Shoal.

As of now, no one may yet know if the word war between Enrile and Trillanes will help or kill  Trillanes'  bid for re-election next year.  In my view, medyo parehong may mali yata sa naging recent behavior nila sa Senado.  Ang problema lang, ang sinagupa ni Trillanes ay ang pinaka-gurang nang kingpin in Philippine politics.  On top of that, Enrile is not seeking re-election like Trillanes.  Bukod d'yan, I doubt very much if the Palance will remain to be in Trillanes' side in the event that the worse should come to worst.  So, as I always say at the end of my blog, ABANGAN!