In recent days, he has been saying that he wants to shed his image as "just a spare tire" to which most Filipinos regard Mr. De Castro. He is perceived to be a little more than a decoration, a lot less than a serious statesman. But today, he wishes to squash that impression as he proudly announces that now, he has the ability to govern the nation. As if he just graduated from a crash course in national leadership over the weekend. The problem is, this spare tire is also flat.

When you review his qualifications prior to his vice presidency, he was a senator for three years and a reporter for thirty years. As the latter, he was extremely talkative and seemingly bold and crusading. As the former, he was eerily quiet. The reason for De Castro's success as a talking head was that he was spoon-fed lines all his life, he looked good in a suit and he had an authoritative sounding voice that rivaled that of Dan Rather or Ted Koppel. But possessing the serious analytical minds of those legends of journalism, he did not, as he soon proved in the senate. From someone who made a career of reading idiot cards, he was revealed to be the idiot when there were no cue cards available in the Senate. He was placed in the same bowl as the other "silent" senators who were terrified of saying the wrong thing, and so said and did nothing at all, except to collect their annual P200M pork barrel. Sen. De Castro belonged to the Silent Senate of the Revillas, Estradas, Jaworski, Lapid, et. al. (coincidentally all from the entertainment world)

Then all of a sudden, like an android he was activated as GMA's VP. We all know Gloria just wanted to sap Noli's fountain of mass appeal, for he had more popularity points than he knew what to do with. But now, a year later, by some fortuitous stroke of fate, he may be awarded the presidency itself.

There is no question that the majority of the population hates GMA, but they are more afraid of a Noli presidency, which explains why the people are not too keen on taking to the streets this time. Echoing the Sound of Music, the question is not how do you solve a problem like Gloria, but how do you solve an even bigger problem like Noli?

Think about it. If Loren Legarda were Vice President, wouldn't GMA have been toppled by now? The people probably would have stormed the streets and toppled her the day Tutang Bunye first revealed the CDs and said it was his boss's voice on the tapes.

So is it just fortuitous luck or the brilliant strategy of a seasoned politician, that Gloria chose a VP who is as immensely popular as he is utterly useless. In any case, whether it was planned or coincidental, you've got to give it to Gloria. Imagine having the foresight to predict the coming of her present predicament, and to put in an insurance policy like Kabayad. It is almost like she is daring the people to topple her, threatening to punish us with the horror of President Noli.

And so here we are once again, forced to choose "the lesser evil" and tolerate GMA's stay in power. Isn't that Gloria's political strategy from the very start? To always make the Filipino people choose between two evils, with her always as the "lesser-Lucifer?"

The first time she did it was during Edsa Dos, when she toppled Erap. Back then the original call was "Resign All," but somehow the people were suckered into accepting her as a transitional president and thought, "better with this Vice President than that jueteng-collecting, midnight-cabinet-having drunkard."

The second time she made us choose her as the lesser of two evils was during last year's campaign against the actor whose popularity was of cult status. She gave us the impression that at least with her, she knew what she was doing. The Gloriagate tapes tells us today that she knew what she was doing all right.

Now it's the third time. She recently said "it's now or never." Maybe she meant, "it's me or Noli." Businessmen everywhere cringed at the possibility of the latter and so rallied their support behind the former.

Vice Presidents.

Gone are the days of true statesmen with solid political platforms and plans for economic reforms. Gone are the patriots who were elected as Vice President because they were in actuality second-choice Presidents. Gone are the days of such honorable Filipinos as Elpidio Quirino who succeeded Manuel Roxas when the latter died of tuberculosis, or Carlos P. Garcia who took over for Ramon Magsaysay after Mambo died in a plane crash. They were true gentlemen/warrior-poets, who the people were proud to call their president even though they were just "spare tires." In fact, both vice presidents managed to secure for themselves full-term presidential mandates of their own, after fulfilling their stint as the replacements. With their past performance as proof of their skills, they were elected with a fresh mandate of their own, through an honest election process. How do we know it was honest? Because Garci was still in diapers back then.

Noli indeed. Hopefully, to him the Filipino people will say: Noli Me Tangere. Noli is the Dorian Gray of the Filipino politician. He is dignified in his appearance, earth-shakingly charming in his speech, a living portrait of all the Filipino virtues with none of our weaknesses. But on the reverse side of this idealized picture, he is just a zombie who does the bidding of whoever holds the amulet of the peso, rotting and festering with corruption and ineptitude.

Assuming he is not part of the Garci Certificates of Canvas sales package, and further assuming that he did win legitimately over Loren Legarda, he should have the humility today to admit that he is not, in fact, qualified for the presidency of the Philippines. History would thank him for it, a sacrifice para los patria. If he is indeed of noble heart, then he should realize good intentions are not enough, and that the road to destruction are paved with the same material. But what saint will reject the presidency when it is offered to him on a silver platter?

The jeepney that is the Philippine government has once again, true to its self-destructive nature, broken down, driving all signs of economic development to a complete and utter halt. If we attempt to install the Noli tire into the jeepney, then our economy will surely start rolling again.

Downhill nga lang.