Mea culpa....

In a televised statement made only a few minutes ago, Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo finally admits to communicating with a Commission On Elections (COMELEC) official regarding the outcome of the last Presidential elections. She admitted that the act was "improper" and attributed it to anxiety caused by a slow vote counting process, a desire to protect her votes, and a lapse in judgement.

She admitted her mistake, expressed her regret, apologized to the nation, and asked for forgiveness.

While she did allude to the recordings, she owned up to her fault without specifically or directly admitting that the voice on the controversial Gloriagate tapes was hers, or that the COMELEC official she communicated with was former Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano. Neither did she offer an explanation on why it took so long before she made the admission.

She ended her statement with a call for unity, and her desire to go on with the business of governance.

While this admission is a welcome development in this protracted issue, we still have to see if the statement is enough to appease anti-GMA forces or to end the ongoing congressional inquiry into the wiretapping controversy. The question also remains whether the act of the President in communicating with a COMELEC official during the election period constitutes a "betrayal of public trust" or "culpable violation of the Constitution," both possible grounds for impeachment.

The issue may not be truly over yet, but nonetheless, with the admission, we've hurdled a major stumbling block. The truth is bound to come out sooner or later, and it has, at least partly. What happens next remains to be seen.

Quaere Verum.

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