EARLY BIRD: It’s a good thing, at least for us kibitzers, that Sen. Panfilo Lacson announced this early his intention to run as opposition candidate for president in 2004.

It is now safe to assume that whatever Lacson says or does starting today is in pursuit of his avowed presidential ambition. It would now be easier to assess what moves the senator or what his motivations are.

But isn’t it a bit early for him to show his cards for a game that is still 18 months away?

Normally, aspiring candidates are careful not to announce their intention before Christmas. Such an announcement is an open invitation for people, including panhandlers, to seek out the new Santa Claus in their midst.

An early declaration of political intent immediately colors a politician’s every move or word as in pursuit of his political agenda. This could dull his effectiveness and credibility.

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PREEMPTING PALACE PLOT: By this time, Lacson has learned his politics of survival. So why then did he announce his intentions this early?

We think he wants to preempt the not-so-secret plan of Malacanang to prosecute in earnest the former national police chief for his involvement in the 1997 massacre of Kuratong-Baleleng robbery gang members and some innocent bystanders – and thereby eliminate him as a contender in 2004.

Having announced his presidential aspiration, Lacson can now claim that the Kuratong-Baleleng case is being revived as part of a demolition job on an opposition stalwart perceived to be gaining some following.

His public acceptance appears to be in inverse proportion to the public satisfaction rating of the Arroyo administration, particularly in its handling of the peace and order situation. The deeper the country sinks into insecurity, the higher and faster the demand for Lacson rises.

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OVERBEARING LAWYERS: The present handling of the Lacson case illustrates once again the overbearing presence of million-dollar lawyers in the Arroyo administration.

You should hear these lawyers talk about the certainly of their being able to demolish Lacson in 2003 with the sheaf of affidavits of witnesses pointing to him as the brains behind the Kuratong-Baleleng massacre.

We don’t know how President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo can stand the many lawyers whispering in her ears (some of them even strut like they could tell the President what to do). Her loyalists should remind GMA that her universe does not, or should not, revolve around the law and lawyers.

If the Makati lawyers pushing the President are allowed a dominant role in using the Lacson case as a political weapon, we can almost see the Top Cop-turned-senator reincarnating into a martyr. It’s not all legal voodoo in this highly politicized neck of the woods.

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DIRTY HARRY TYPE: We think that if the presidential elections were held tomorrow, Lacson would not stand a chance against Arroyo. But given time and an opportunity to become a martyr in the hands of Arroyo’s zealous lawyers, Lacson might just run away with the presidency in 2004.

If the peace and order problem continues to deteriorate, thanks partly to the efforts of oppositionists and anarchists, the tired population might find itself on Election Day casting a pro-Lacson vote just to save the nation from runaway crime and violence.

The escalation of violence and crime — which some operators are able to program — could even push the population into begging a Lacson type to please take over and prevent the nation from breaking into pieces.

The no-nonsense police general appears to fit the bill for somebody, anybody — a Dirty Harry type — to ride into town and shoot the varmints into extinction.

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LIM NEARLY MADE IT: That was one of the reasons why former Manila Mayor and NBI director Alfred Lim gained widespread acceptance in 1998 to the point that he was within striking distance of the presidency.

Pointing to how they demolished Lim in the homestretch of the last presidential elections, Arroyo’s lawyers can be expected to boast to her that they can similarly destroy Lacson with the boxes of anti-Lacson affidavits and evidence they have collected in preparation for the 2003-2004 campaign.

We suspect that Lacson learned about the plot to destroy him this early and has now snatched the initiative in what is shaping up to be a propaganda – not legal – war.

President Arroyo must be aware of the people’s yearning for a strong leader who can whip the nation into line. This can explain her trying to cultivate an image of an Iron Lady of sorts.

But such a public relations campaign requiring genius cannot be entrusted to people whose only expertise is law and influence peddling, even if they are backed by the amateurs masquerading as propaganda masters in the Palace.