IN A YEAR OF REAL OPTIMISM, WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

THE country’s sense of optimism rests on the economic fundamentals. Growth is steady, central bankers are a responsible, able lot and the economic managers are not the type to go into the territory of reckless adventurism. In good times, the boring, orthodox types are preferable to those prone to brinkmanship and experimentation.

The reviews and the views on right now, in the immediate, the wage earners who will get their tax breaks will surely ramp up the demand side as they are the people who spend all—I mean all—of excess income to acquire or buy should think of a pause. The idea of a corporate tax cut amid the un the direction of the income gains (the wealthy snap up everything) is a terrible and bad idea.

And Mr. Duterte, aside from leaving his economic policy team alone, does not have an EJK policy toward business people. He has struck fast friendships with 99 percent of the oligarchs and the plutocrats after the elections, save for one or two. Some of his people are dipping their so- so- clean zone, at the gaming and gambling agencies, at the revenue agencies. that would hardly dent the growth momentum. There is corruption—what government does not have this Filipino SOP?—but not at the level of impunity. Or, maybe there are big-time acts of corruption going on but the media just missed them—as usual. The optimism is real. That Mr. Duterte is popular with decent to excellent approval and trust ratings has been the stuff of all the surveys—and there are no outliers disproving his popular support. Even the most horrible - pitude by his subordinates do not personally affect him. Sub-cabinet like be purveyors of fake news and en none of this touches the president.

The usual Achilles heel that leads to the downfall of leaders— bank documents showing money moving under the name of that leader or members of the family—has not in any way affected Mr. Duterte.

The “now” of the country seems to be Dickens’ “the best of times.”

approval and trust ratings, the kind 9/11, are not a permanent thing. In fact, the pedestal can easily crash down to earth and a drip- drip of bungling and failings could erode the highest of leader most mediocre of US presidents.

Nothing, except change, is permanent in this world and in this country.

So, in this current context of economist optimism and trusted political leadership, what could go wrong? Many, and one is happening right before our very eyes. Mr. Duterte’s tangle with the judicial branch of government and the constitutional bodies.

The effort to oust a chief justice via an impeachment effort on the say-so of Mr. Gadon is a farce, wrapped on some tortured legalese and is fueled by the general premise that Mr. Duterte hates CJ Sereno and therefore she has to go. That is not how a real impeachment effort works. The House of Representatives has to impeach her based on solid grounds. The HoR has to prove that she committed “high crimes” and treasonous acts. That she is not Ms Congeniality and is a strict scold who does not respect the intellect and legal acumen of her colleagues is her prerogative and that does not constitute “high crimes.”

That the HoR did not even