GMA is lucky. The presidency is under fire. And public perception is more than ever blatant that hers is a hopelessly corrupt government.

She’s lucky that the man she cheated — as what the damaging tape on her immoral conversation with Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano would like us to believe — is dead.

She’s lucky that there is no knight in shining armor from the opposition whom the majority of disgruntled citizens would have needed to lead them to demand for GMA’s ouster.

She’s lucky that her sitting vice-president has not progressed from looking like a mere newscaster, which allows Gloria to be perceived as a better alternative than her mediocre vice-president.

She’s even more lucky that people have been so pre-occupied with how to make both ends meet to even think of launching a new “people power” and thus evil is likely to thrive because the good men, or in this case the civil society, it seems, are doing nothing.

The sad reality, according to a paper presented by the International Monetary Fund on corruption in the Philippines, is that because a corrupt system has been in place, and a majority of people operate within that system, individuals, including the ordinary people, see no chance or incentive to try to change it or to refrain from taking part in it, even if everybody would be better off if corruption were to be eliminated.

But GMA is better advised not to push her luck too far.

She can still redeem herself and save her presidency by, as both her allies and some critics agree, doing something drastic about her family.

In fact, she can do more than just ordering her son Mikey and brother-in-law Iggy Arroyo to resign posthaste as members of the House of Representatives. (As of this writing, Mikey had announced he’s taking a temporary leave of absence and Iggy said he would “consult” his constituents whether he should follow suit).

GMA should also banish her husband, even temporarily, to, say Las Vegas, or any faraway land, to keep him from dipping his plump fingers on the sweet cookie jars in Malacanang.

Then she should stop paying political debts and immediately replace all her Cabinet men, starting with Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales. When that is done, she should start removing military officers, active and retired, from their top posts in various civilian government offices. She should also distance herself from the governors and other local officials, especially this congressman from Bicol, who despite their bare-faced denials, have been exposed as notorious jueteng operators and protectors. She doesn’t need to woo and pamper them in the first place, because what should be the case is for these local officials to please her with their competence and sincerity as public officials. In short, she should re-start with a clean slate, as if we have the whole bureaucracy exorcised from the twin evils of corruption and incompetence.

But by doing so, GMA would be facing a dilemma. Her erstwhile friends would doubtlessly become her worst enemies. In fact, she would be stepping on the toes of many of the “barnacles” surrounding her, including her fat allies in the military and government. Worse, with their wounded egos and knowing how wicked and dubious the mindset of these so-called allies are, they would soon spill the beans on her, for they know one too many of her and her family’s other “sins”.

At this point, however, GMA is left with no other choice but to do something drastic that could salvage her embattled presidency. She has to take the bitter pill to swallow; otherwise she may just end up as the female version of incarcerated Erap. Their only difference might be that Mikey would not have a chance to become senator like Jinggoy.

For once in her term, GMA should demonstrate strong political will. And if she can’t do that, the less humiliating option is for her to resign.

Incidentally, as I rush this piece for this week’s column, I came across my clipping of the Inquirer issue of February 22, 2001, where Belinda Olivares-Cunanan took note in her “Political Tidbits” column: “A Naga citizen named Jose Perez wrote to point out that as early as last Oct. 20, (former Naga City Mayor) Robredo, together with Ateneo de Naga president Joel Tabora and (then) Mayor Sulpicio Roco, Jr., led Nagueños in a rally at Plaza Quezon to call for Estrada’s resignation. This was the first rally against Erap held in Southern Luzon. It was followed by a series of rallies, the biggest of which was held on Jan. 17, 2001 where Robredo was the most impassioned speaker against Erap and the 11 “notorious” (pro-Erap) senators, according to Perez.”

GMA should not wait for the same scenario to take place one more time at our Plaza Quezon.