This administration has been very lucky lately, especially with the capture of Atong Ang and Gringo Honasan.  These high profile arrests combined with good news about the economy were carried in the international news networks like BBC and CNN.  The high profile arrests gave a strong perception in the international community that things are moving towards stability in the Philippines.

No wonder GMA has been in an upbeat mood lately when we saw her at Ed Angara's book launching the other night.  Her trip to Hanoi and the one-on-one meeting with George Bush should give her an added boost.  Ultimately, this will all be good for the country.

Honasan's capture is now believed to be the final blow that would shatter the backbone of destabilization plotters and planners.  Many people think it's about time these arrests were made, and are relieved that the two—whose arrests were somewhat unrelated—will finally face the charges against them.

But what raised the eyebrows of many was the attempt to arrest reporter Mia Gonzales and much earlier, the suspension order issued against Makati Mayor Jojo Binay.  While people agree that authorities must enforce the law against those who break it, Malacañang must be careful not to give the impression that these arrests and suspensions are done selectively and are being used as tools for political repression.

In the case of Gonzales, her arrest order stemmed from a libel case filed against her by First Gentleman Mike Arroyo for writing a 2004 article that he felt maligned his reputation.  The First Gentleman's lawyers clarified that they filed 15 libel cases involving 43 journalists, a first for its sheer number.  Whether the First Gentleman likes it or not, being the presidential spouse makes him a public persona and as such, a political figure, so to speak.  And as they say, in politics you can't be onion skinned.

On the other hand, one can not really blame Mike for trying to protect his reputation considering that every other wrongdoing in this country is always blamed on him.  I have advised Mike on several occasions that he should just keep a low profile.  That's the only way to keep out of the radar screen.  As they say, "out of sight, out of mind."

No question, the rule of law must prevail.  People are tired of political instability and want to see the law applied to everyone, whether to Gringo Honasan, Atong Ang or anyone else for that matter.  Of course, experience would tell us that sometimes, this does not always happen.  Even in the United States, a democratic country where the rule of law supposedly prevails and justice is for all, people can literally get away with murder if they have the money to hire the best lawyers.

Just take the case of OJ Simpson.  Despite overwhelming evidence, he got away with murder.  Then there were the high profile rape cases involving the Kennedys.  Maybe because the Kennedys are considered to be the closest thing to royalty in the US—more often than not—they get some kind of special treatment.  JFK's nephew William Kennedy Smith was accused of rape in 1991, but he got acquitted.  Later in 1997, the late Sen. Robert Kennedy's son Michael was accused of statutory rape, suffering a lot of bad publicity for allegedly having an affair with a teenaged family baby sitter.  Michael died later that year due to a skiing accident.

One of the most high profile cases, of course, involved pop star Michael Jackson, who was accused of molesting a minor in 2005.  It can be recalled that Jackson also faced similar charges of child abuse in 1993, but this case was settled out of court.

Nevertheless, the long arm of the United States' law can reach far and wide, and it can extend even to our shores.  The extradition treaty between our two countries has benefited the Philippines, as in the case of Atong Ang's arrest, raising expectations that Jocjoc Bolante will most likely be back in six months' time if Senator Jun Magsaysay pushes hard enough.

Like many men, Gringo Honasan suffered from living in the past, and he has not graduated from the coup plot mentality.  Times do change, along with it situations and sentiments of people.  He was at the peak of his popularity during EDSA 1, idolized for his movie star looks, his macho image bolstered by daring stunts like parachuting from a chopper with a python on his neck.

Many thought he had already reinvented himself when he joined the system by running for Senator, but perhaps the adulation of idealistic officers who called him "kuya," and the genuine belief that he could reform the system in his own way, made the transformation difficult.  While Gringo still has a few followers (the core group of RAM has already abandoned him), the sympathy people had for his cause almost two decades ago is no longer the same.

Most political figures who didn't know when it was time to step down suffered the ignominy of becoming irrelevant, swallowed by the tide of change, like Marcos and Indonesia's Suharto.  They failed to realize that if one were to be relevant to the times, one has to reinvent himself.

Richard Nixon was one of those who successfully reinvented himself after he was disgracefully removed from the presidency.  During the Clinton administration, the President periodically asked him for advice on foreign policy, Nixon being an astute expert in that field.  But his final glory and vindication came when Clinton and the four other living former US presidents at the time—Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George Bush, Sr.—attended his elaborate funeral in 1994 at the Nixon library in Yorba Linda, California.

GMA to a certain extent has reinvented herself, and is trying to move on after the tumultuous political events that hounded her administration last year.  Whatever detractors may say against GMA, there is no denying that the economy is on an upswing and hopefully, will continue to do so for our sake.

The World Bank has predicted the country's economic growth rate this year at 5.5 percent and 5.7 percent for 2007, and the peso is expected to maintain its strong performance against the dollar, possibly reaching an exchange rate of P47 to the dollar.  Other countries are beginning to look at the Philippines in a more favorable light once again, and there are indications of more investments coming in, bringing with them more jobs that people need.

Clearly, majority are more concerned now with feeding their families and keeping a roof over their heads.  Filipinos are reaching that stage where coups and revolutions—even peaceful ones—are no longer considered as the solution to this country's problems.  It's really time to move on.

Twenty years ago, Gringo Honasan was hailed a hero of EDSA 1.  But subsequent events have overtaken his popularity.  His arrest can only prove that the wheels of the future are turning towards a different direction.  To paraphrase former US president Dwight Eisenhower—it is never wise for brave men to lie down on the tracks of history because in the end, the train of the future will run over them.

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