No matter Joe de Venecia's (JDV) sunshiny optimism, he can also be a victim of life's rise and fall cycle.

His fall from the Speakership - in an emotionally-ridden Blue Monday - in favor of bar-topnotcher Mindanaoan Prospero Nograles, saw the fiery JDV spewing venom off his lips against the First Family. He crossed his Rubicon by burning his bridges with the most powerful clan in the country today - the Arroyos - in an hour-long scathing privilege speech - accusing them and their allies of large-scale corruption and arrogance of power.

JDV - an insider in the corridors of power - is a loose canon - he can do what Chavit Singson did to Erap and Senator Ponce Enrile and Fidel Ramos did to Marcos as these two presidents tumbled out of power. The Opposition, meantime, is laying the red carpet for JDV - even a senate slot perhaps in 2010 - in the powerhouse company of oppositionists Serge Osmeña, Jinggoy Estrada, Jamby Madrigal, Boy Herrera, Jojo Binay and even "Pacquiao-killer" Rep. Darlene Antonino and a Roxas, Legarda, Villar, Lacson or Erap as presidential standard bearer.

When ex-Speaker JDV speaks today about his "Moral Recovery Program," he is obviously attacking a highly "immoral government;" when he makes reference of anomalies in the 2004 elections, he is questioning the legitimacy of GMA's presidency. Those are serious charges - and he can get killed for them, if he does not watch out.

Three generals, JDV swore, in fact wanted to assassinate him and his son Joey (whistle blower of the US$200-million overpriced ZTE NBN Deal) and JDV reported this to GMA in October. He said the GMA never lifted a finger to investigate. It was JDV and his partner FVR who helped install GMA to the Palace in 2001 via People Power II. In the various coups and two impeachment cases, the Garci Scandal - JDV, like a die-hard loyalist stood by her President.

Cynics sneer that JDV does not have the moral ascendancy to hurl these moral bombshells because he was either an accessory, participant or at least a witness to the crimes he accused the First Family about - and sealed his mouth with glue.

But the realists say JDV is entitled to be struck by his own moral bolt of lightning on his road to Damascus - referring to the dramatic conversion of the sinful Saul to the now famous St. Paul. As the crude saying goes: Just because you were a prostitute once does not mean you will always tell a lie forever.

That is the same kind of thinking why state witnesses come from the ranks of the crime-participants - they always have incontrovertible evidence that can nail the prime suspects. From here on - JDV will be media "hot copy" - the hottest he has ever been, considering that he has always been derided throughout his career as "the Ultimate Trapo," which is not a compliment, left-handed or not.

Joe De Venecia will not quietly fade into the air, no doubt. As the Arabs would understand, JDV will now be the proverbial camel that stepped outside and pissed inside the tent. He is no longer the "enemy within" and GMA will no longer be sleeping with the enemy.

They have parted ways. The die is cast - there is no turning back the continuing saga of one of the most colorful politicians in our times - backed by 5 unprecedented terms as Speaker of the House.

JDV rightly feels he was the turtle that carried on its back GMA (the scorpion) to cross the turbulent river waters many times. At the shoreline the scorpion bit him (the turtle) dead - because as the critics say "it is in the nature of the beast."

Maybe not exactly. GMA was just doing a JDV deja vu act - saying she cannot control what his sons (Datu and Mikey) are doing in the House, an entity that should brook no "interference" from the Palace. At the height of the ZTE-NBN scandal, JDV's son (Joey) accused the First Gentleman of rudely asking him to back off the deal - and JDV said (then) he cannot control the acts of his son.

It is really a feud between two warring families fighting for turf. JDV hinted it was the First Gentleman, his two sons and influential businessman Enrique Razon who launched the well-funded (P1 million each congressman) campaign to oust him from the Speakership of the House. But JDV should not forget the many times his hatchet lady also used to dispense alleged pay-offs in a popular subdivision (along EDSA in Quezon City) to congressmen who he wanted to influence - many times to favor GMA and her survival.

As they say, weather weather lang yan.

What motivated the Congressmen to hack JDV into pieces, the man who held the House with epoxy for a good 13 years? The reasoning that they want a Mindanaoan as speaker (after 100 years) is bullshit.

Congress is supposed to legislate laws for the country and not specifically just what is good for a region so why the need for a regionally-based speaker?

If there was need for "reforms" in the House, why did Nograles (a classmate of the FG and DILG Chief Puno at the Ateneo) not present a program as an alternative post-JDV era? My Nograles was even absent during the voting.

Congressmen blame JDV for the "bad image" of the Lower House when it was their individual acts of blind loyalty to the Palace and their atrocious records of kickbacks in public projects that eroded their image in the eyes of the public. JDV is not the House and the House is not JDV.

Cutting through the melodrama and the rhetorical non-sequitors, the 170-odd men and women who voted (vs JDV) was there to toe the GMA-Arroyo-Palace line: punish JDV for Joey's follies and make sure there will be no more impeachment attempts against GMA (which occurred twice) during the wake of JDV. They voted for Nograles, a Palace sycophant to keep the status quo of keeping the strings of the budget inside Malacañang - so they will be rewarded with perks, pork and chairmanships by the Master Baton Lady by the River Pasig.

The three Bohol solons Chatto, Cajes and Jala voted to oust JDV - because they certainly know who butters their bread. With JDV in constant rift with GMA (admitted or not), the House will be in disarray - there will be no unanimity of purpose, their refrain probably goes.

As we had long predicted, the Lakas and Kampi marriage - one made out of convenience - will never last. JDV, alas and alack, too, paid the price of taking his loyalty to the president too seriously - because no one else did.

The dark side of the episode is that the new majority and leadership in the House may spark new initiatives to change the charter. Already, the makings of the Parliamentary system is partly in place - with the Pork being concentrated in the executive department - a reality JDV ironically rued. Ironically because JDV is a pro-parliamentary form disciple.

But everything won't be easy from here on for GMA and her allies. They had just rubbed the magic lamp the wrong way - and an angry giant of a Genie called Sunshine Joe is out and he is no longer smiling.

From hereon JDV will no longer be building coalitions and forging consensus. JDV will be one-tracked in his new obsession of a scorned Irish man: don't get angry, just get even.

Whether the nation, already steeped in deep suspicion and antipathy for GMA will rise on this tectonic wave of De Venecian tirades that can lead to serious destabilization and violent moods, remains to be seen.

Let us watch and pray during the succeeding chapters of the saga that is JDV. Endings are just beginnings.

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