Of failed parking lot bombings and pathetic boners

Opposition Sen. Chiz Escudero yesterday slammed government for its futile attempts to sow fear and confusion and force its way into the headlines by coming up with farcical incidents that only serve to underscore its fast-eroding credibility.

"One need not be a rocket scientist to deduce the connection between the series of explosions in Mindanao and the supposedly destabilization efforts carried out by seemingly misguided souls to bomb government buildings in Quezon City," he said.

"It is a desperate but laughable effort to portray a doomsday scenario that is only meant to cover up the glaring shortcomings and scandals that have rocked this administration from its first day in power."

Escudero was referring to the successive bombing incidents in Maguindanao, Cotabato, Sulu, Iligan and Lanao del Norte this week that have resulted in deaths and injuries to both government personnel and civilians.

"It is all the more looking and sounding like a concerted action by some people with the sole objective of needlessly alarming the populace," he said

"I call on the president to rein in some of her more zealous supporters who shudder at the thought that their perks and powers will be gone in a few months, and that they may soon have to answer to the people," he said.

While no group or individual has taken responsibility for the bombings, government has not hesitated to cast blame on renegade factions of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other unnamed elements.

"At the end of the day, it boils down to credibility and capability, two vital ingredients of real democratic societies that can tolerate dissent and accept responsibility for failure. The current government does not have both."