2007 was supposed to be the revenge of the opposition, what with seven candidates in the opposition (eight if you count Sen. Francis Pangilinan), trouncing the administration candidates very soundly.

Things didn’t quite go as planned, though. Sen. Francis Escudero, the great white hope of the youth, has gone to ground,  and doesn’t even tweet anymore. He’s still in the opposition, but his has become a more silent kind.

Sen. Manuel Villar Jr is still in the opposition, in the sense that his faction does not have the majority in the Senate, but not in the sense that he opposes much that the government is up to.

Nobody, maybe not even herself, knows where Sen. Loren Legarda stands now. Jumping as she has from one position to another.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson has also been keeping silent, possibly because he’s busy fighting a double-murder charge, or is on the lam in Australia somewhere.

Most disappointing of all, though, is Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who shot to fame for trying (and failing) to impeach the president, trying (and failing) to pin down First Houseband Jose Miguel Arroyo and his secret bank accounts, and for making an RJ Ledesma-uesque campaign ad.

His latest blow for justice and greater fiscal responsibility has been to expose notebooks given away in his home city of Taguig that spell ‘teacher’ as ‘T-E-C-H-E-R.’ Which is pretty commendable until you realize that he’s actually attacking the Taguig school board, and the mayor who runs it. Until you realize that his wife, Taguig Rep. Lani Cayetano is running for mayor this year.

Conflict of interest? What's that? Sounds political...

On top of that,  his rabid, and often illogical, defense of Sen. Villar has  shown that deep down, he’s a trapo just like everyone else. Underneath the white skin and the propensity to quote the Bible, his claim of being for new politics is as genuine as the orange in Royal Tru Orange.

And far less refreshing