Everyone’s seems to be in the Senate today, literally and figuratively. Everyone’s interested in the latest scam involving the Arroyo’s and are waiting for Leandro Mendoza and fellow henchmen to fall all over themselves as they lie to the senators and the public. As I write this — its 6:05 pm already — the delegation from the Mystery Man’s wife are pretty satisfied with looking, sounding and acting like fools.

Manolo is liveblogging the event. Jessica Zafra asks a favor for the senators. The presence of Arroyo’s henchmen has resulted in the “fortification” of the Senate, says GMANews.tv — takot na takot silang kuyugin ng mga tao kung sakali…

Miriam Santiago raised good points before “interrogating” Mendoza. And Mendoza should benefit from Santiago’s questions, but I doubt it. Mukhang bobo o bobo yata talaga eh.

I think Speaker JDV may fall from his high chair in the House as a result of this scandal. Kampi’s Garcia and Villafuerte smell blood and the trail leads to the Big Ears. Elsewhere, Mike Arroyo should go find good surgeons and specialists wherever he is right now. He may now survive the gazillions of expletives people say everytime we say his name — especially now that he is tagged as the “mystery man” who threw his weight around to influence this billion peso project.

There is no doubt that the competition for spoils has become intense as we face the twilight years of the Arroyo presidency. The contest within the factions of the Arroyo coalition has turned so fierce that De Venecia’s son — despite the prospect of himself facing charges for trying to bag a government contract, a practice where people like him are excluded by law — has openly accused Arroyo’s husband and the outgoing Comelec chair of serious wrongdoings worth at least $120 million. Kulang na lang ay magbarilan sila sa kalye.

I am sure that JDV’s Big Ears are now limp. He got what he wanted after the elections — which was to get elected as Speaker and thereby attain a place in history as the only congressman to be elected the most number of times to that position. But that historic milestone may soon come to an end. Kampi has not stopped eyeing the Speakership and the revelations by JDV’s son is helping them and damaging JDV’s supposed loyalty. If Kampi succeeds in toppling JDV (plotted perhaps in Malacanang if we are to believe radio reports this morning), then the House minority may get more members from JDV’s disgruntled group.

Setting up a national broadband network is actually a good idea. It will link up all government agencies and offices, provide cheaper alternatives to the expensive landlines and internet access offered by the private sector. But it was hijacked by a cabal whose only aim is to fleece the people. They belong to different factions of the Arroyo camp, but they fought over it big time.

Arroyo is mortally wounded again. (She allowed this to reach this level, raising the ante earlier this week by attempting to shame the Senate’s oversight and investigative powers granted by the Constitution and upheld by the Supreme Court.) Arroyo’s like Frankenstein actually. People have buried her politically many times but she rises up from the political grave. Depending on the developments, the faint-hearted and perhaps more Pinoys want the ZTE-NBN scandal turns into the silver bullet that will end this recurring nightmare pronto.

May the people finally attain redemption soon.