Two Ilonggos
Franklin Drilon and Raul Gonzalez, both from Iloilo, have never been the best of friends. But their differences are more pronounced now that they are on different sides of the political fence. Gonzalez, plucked from a probable life of obscurity by GMA, is fiercely loyal to his principal. Drilon, who is the Senate President, does not owe his post as senator to GMA, hence his independence. Drilon’s mistake, however, was that he spoke too soon after GMA admitted that she spoke to a Comelec official over the phone, by saying that GMA did not commit any crime. Now that the Liberal Party has taken a stand that GMA should resign, Drilon’s independence has been tested and he has passed the test.
When he realized that genuine reforms will not be done by GMA, Drilon joined the call of his party mates for GMA to resign, but did not badmouth GMA. Gonzalez, on the other hand, had to go overboard in his defense of GMA by throwing tirades against former President Cory Aquino. He even had the temerity to say that there is no need to monitor Cory because she is too busy monitoring her daughter Kris! That was not only a cheap shot, it was a threat that Cory will be monitored. Gonzalez, who is the boss of the National Bureau of Investigation, was not speaking from thin air. He was probably articulating what had transpired in a meeting about Cory’s movements being monitored. That statement sends a chilling effect, because if the Secretary of Justice can have a former president monitored, he can do worse things to our freedom.
If the people who respect Cory and follow her as a model have not taken the “GMA resign” call yet, Gonzalez has pushed them to that side of the road. Raul Gonzalez should be disciplined by the Supreme Court as a member of the Bar for his unethical language which is blatantly sexist, unfair and unjust. Gonzalez, it seems, is the palace’s guardian of machismo and patriarchy. It must have been decided that since he is the most senior of GMA’s men, Gonzalez will take the role of bulldozer extraordinaire.
Gonzalez’s cheap shots at Cory are as cheap as the pomade on his hair, and as crass as the suits he wears. His grade one teacher, if she were alive, would surely have recalled him for his bad manners and (as was common during his old days) whacked him on the bottom with her black slippers. Cory Aquino is not only a highly respected woman and a former president, she is also a symbol of the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship. If Gonzalez meant to destroy the charismatic effect of Cory on the public, he has only done his boss a great disfavor. For people know that Cory, by asking for the resignation of GMA, has no political or personal interests at stake, while Gonzalez, by attacking Cory, obviously does so to ingratiate himself to GMA so he can stay in his job. If GMA knows her politics, she should fire Gonzalez now. Surely there at least five good and honest practicing male and female lawyers out there who can take his job. All we need is a Secretary of Justice who knows criminal law, human rights, and who is honest, hardworking, gender sensitive and has good manners.
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Hakot in rallies- The rallies of the political opposition and GMA’s loyalist suffered from the same criticism, that the rallyists were “hakot” or transported, or could have been paid to attend. But this was more evident in the GMA rally, which I watched on television. It gave me the goose bumps. There was Lito Atienza, mayor of Manila, quoting the bible like a has-been evangelist, reminding the faithful that all of us have sinned (read as, therefore, forgive GMA). If our politicians will keep pretending that they are messengers of God, the people can get very confused and might just demand that their bishops run for office.
——————————- Announcement: Women’s rally on July 19 at 1 p.m. Assembly in front of Rustan’s. If you want to see a rally without “hakot” this is going to be one. Women belonging to different political parties, ideologies, and income class will be converging to make their voices heard.
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