I am sure the silent majority is fervently wishing that the Enrile-De Venecia word war will escalate to greater intensity unlike the short-lived GMA-De Venecia feud that abruptly ended with a “truce” forged in Malacañang. These bitter wrangling among the administration stalwarts are good for the country. They are the only means for the people to finally ascertain the numerous gossips on the secret, crooked and dishonest government deals straight from the horses’ mouth. Enrile and De Venecia are definitely the most competent witnesses who can talk about these shady transactions particularly the North Rail and the ZTE deals because by their own admissions, they are personally involved in them and therefore can talk about them of their own personal knowledge.

But I am also sure that as I write this piece, some people in the line of fire are already moving heaven and earth to bring these warring politicians to the negotiating table for them to kiss, make up and shut up before further damaging information are aired. As in the aborted showdown between the President and De Venecia, the new modus operandi being implemented now is to appease both sides with behind the scenes quid pro quos so that the brewing scandals and damaging exposés will simmer down and be eventually forgotten because anyway they are allegedly nothing but “political noises” that hamper our country’s march to economic prosperity.

That picture of the ruling Lakas Party leaders’ unity caucus in Malacañang last Saturday November 3, 2007 says it all. It depicts and conveys the unmistakable, lasting and dismaying impression that our country’s leaders have agreed to keep the people out in the dark, looking in but seeing and finding nothing. The wide grin in their faces ominously tells us that from hereon until 2010 all moves that they consider “destabilizing” to their continued stay in power shall be stamped out by sheer superiority in numbers even if they raise factual issues crying for credible and satisfactory answers. It is as if a wall has been erected between the people who have the right to know the real score and their leaders who are more concerned with retaining power. So expect the outright dismissal of all the impeachment complaints filed in the Lower House and the inconclusive end to the ongoing ZTE bribery and Malacañang P500,000 cash gifts investigations. This is indeed a very sad chapter in our country’s history.

Fortunately the Enrile-De Venecia conflict erupted. It is like a fresh wind in the smog-filled political environment as it revives hopes of confirming or dispelling some rumors and hearsays on the North Rail and ZTE projects. Noticeably, Enrile was not in the unity caucus picture grinning and putting his thumbs up. So he is not bound by the agreement therein put together.

To be sure, Enrile looks like a fireman sent by the Palace to douse the smoldering flames ignited by the younger De Venecia and partially fanned by Neri regarding the ZTE deal. He has already threatened through press releases to throw the books including the kitchen sink against a certain witness allegedly paid to testify in the Senate investigation regarding the NBN project. Now he has trained his sights on the House Speaker himself regarding the latter’s role on the North Rail project obviously to get back at him for allowing his son to implicate the first couple in the ZTE deal and to cow him into submission by refuting his own son’s declarations. Whatever his motives, he should tell everything he knows about the equally controversial North Rail project.

But just as Enrile sounds determined to tell all he knows regarding De Venecia’s role in the North Rail project, De Venecia should stick to his guns, fully support his son’s revelations and “shout from the roof top” all the other rotten aspects of the ZTE NBN project. Certainly De Venecia knows more than what has already been revealed on this deal. If he is just holding his lethal punches to keep the ruling party intact, he should now unleash them and reveal the other undisclosed details of the deal because this is already a no-holds-barred conflict.

This is a clash of political titans and astute politicians that will hopefully bring to light the many secret negotiations surrounding the North Rail project and the cancelled ZTE contract. Both of the leading protagonists are reputed survivors in our dirty politics. From the Marcos era up to the present they have managed to retain their political clout and ingratiate themselves to the powers-that-be. Indeed the common belief is that they achieved their astounding financial success through their equally successful political career. They must know a lot about each other’s dealings with the government especially during the Marcos era so it is about time to reveal them all.

All their revelations will be credible not only because they admittedly played major roles in the deals but more importantly because they are considered as “veterans” who know the ins and outs of any money-making government venture. Their statements before the press so far merely scratched the surface and only exposed the fact that talks between them regarding huge government transactions like the North Rail project took place. It is about time that they should tell all the other secrets they know about each other’s dealings with the government past and present.

Enrile’s reminder to De Venecia not to throw stones because he lives in a glass house sounds empty and should not be heeded because he himself lives in the same kind of house and started throwing stones. So they should continue throwing stones at each other until the glass house collapses and everything will come out more clearly in the open. It seems too late for them to still unite and agree to keep their mouth shut. It will just leave the people in the dark and more confused once more.

The moral of this Enrile-De Venecia stand-off is that there is not enough in this world for everyone’s greed. So it is possible that those who are not satisfied will eventually blow the whistle.