ot to make light of this serious affliction affecting millions worldwide, we'd simply like to borrow its name which seems to best describe the extreme rightwing-leftwing coalition between the Magdalo group and the CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army).

In the United States—as in most countries except the Philippines—rightwing militarists are the antithesis of leftwing socialist radicals. They occupy opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. In the Philippines however, where the army has been battling communist insurgents since the end of World War II, there is this bizarre courtship between both camps. Each with their own overarching desire to topple the country's legitimate government and grab power for themselves, the extreme right and the extreme left have become reluctant bedfellows.

After his capture in February, 2006, renegade Magdalo officer, First Lieutenant Lawrence San Juan, admitted to Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, that as a Magdalo member, he had talks with Tirso Alcantara, a senior regional guerrilla Communist commander. San Juan concluded his written statement to Esperon saying he was "blinded by my self-centeredness, arrogance and ego” and felt “deeply embarrassed and guilty” for what he had done.

The Magdalo-CPP/NPA alliance which started in 2001 continues to this day, as evidenced by the CPP's overt support for last week's failed coup attempt. On their website they state that “The Filipino people are one with Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and their fellow protestors in defiantly calling for the ouster of the Arroyo regime."

A few days after the failed Peninsula Hotel siege, law enforcement officers apprehended Elizabeth Principe, a top-ranking NPA official, wanted for murder and kidnapping. Intelligence officials believe that her unusual presence in Metro Manila was related to that event. 

With mounds of evidence against Trillanes and his well-financed Magdalo group, it would seem that the government has a reasonably "airtight" case against the rebels. But then again, this is the Philippines where anything is possible! So unless this President finally shows some gumption and stops being such a pushover, we might just see Trillanes, Lim and the rest of the Magdalo rebels walk away free men in a matter of months.