“It is better to be a has-been than a never-was.” — Cecil Parkinson

Nature abhors a vacuum, as the cliché goes.

As the convoluted scenario for the 2010 elections unfolds, a political void can emerge that may precipitate a serious constitutional crisis, or a controversial electoral stalemate, if attended by allegations of massive fraud, or invite another attempt at a power grab by young military putschists, which should never be dismissed as improbable.

Indeed, the run-up to the May, 2010, elections is fraught with danger in the event that Comelec Chairman Jose Melo, owing to material lack of time, fails to perfect his automation in time, or his half-baked hybrid fall-back balloting system is tainted with fraud or hacked by unscrupulous politicians, or a political vacuum is created by virtue of constitutional limitations as all elected officials are mandated by law to resign and file their candidacies in November, 2009, till election date in May, 2010, or formally retired by June, 2010.

Thus, a possible failure of elections will be a monumental disaster of irretrievable consequences.

Be that as it may, the gala dance may start, and those who are ready may now go to the dance floor to be recognized.

Hence, Sen. Manny Villar, who has been campaigning since his ouster as Senate president and has been generously championing the OFWs, will now take his partner, the fence-sitting Vice President Noli de Castro.

Unless there is a last-minute change of mind by the ailing NPC patriarch, Ambassador Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, the tandem of Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Sen. Loren Legarda may now take the floor.

Evidently, the persistence of outsider and dark horse, Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, who we opine is the most qualified and most rounded of the contenders, has paid off by being selected as the Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard bearer with DILG Sec. Ronaldo "Ronnie” Puno as vice presidential teammate, since Sec. Puno had always a firm lock on this position – vis-à-vis other aspiring intruders.

And then, there is the outrageously overhyped adoption of Sen. Noynoy Aquino as the Liberal Party’s presidential candidate with the malleable Sen. Mar Roxas as his partner.

Finally, there is former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada who has been threatening to run again, but whose credibility is beginning to wane, and whose appeal with the “masa” may have shifted to Noynoy.

Moreover, it seems that nobody wants Sen. Jinggoy Estrada as their vice presidential teammate, to the chagrin and disappointment of his father.

At this point, only Mr. Joseph Estrada has no partner on the dance floor.

Last, but not least, the excessive and irrational hype by media and Cory propagandists of Sen. Noynoy Aquino poses a threat to democracy should there be a failure of election or a controversy-marred elections. The Aquino supporters will never accept defeat, and would rather resolve the issue by massive protests and destabilization.

Right now, the propagandists have already declared Noynoy the winner, and what happens if he loses by mere plurality?

When all is said and done, the year 2010 is fraught with danger and uncertainty.

It is sometimes conjectured that the masses of Filipinos have a subconscious longing for order and authority but whose repression prevents them from verbalizing or from acting on their inner desires.

Unless the elite and the oligarchs wake up and reform on time, democracy maybe overtaken by authoritarianism.

Remember, as Racine had advised, “The face of tyranny is always mild at first.”

You be the judge. (For comments and views, please e-mail: chaff_fromthegrain@yahoo.com.ph)