Siftings
The Culture of "Pagtatakip": Pinoy Politics as Showbiz
The man is obviously fearing for his life. He is initially shown on TV-Video about to alight from the plane: briskly moving towards the gate, eyes darting, looking about him haughtily, even arrogantly, not at all weak or sickly although his hair is shockingly whiter since his last TV footage of two years back. Then, a few clicks of the camera later, he is shown being pushed in a wheelchair down the airport corridors, rubbing his chest, and is whisked off to St. Luke's Hospital. He has been there as of this writing, asking for an extension of his stay while his doctors have declared him fit to face the Senate Investigating Committee. Overacting, said some observers. All this while, the media has been intent on keeping his actions/inactions/gimmicks/antics in the public eye, hoping to get a sensational scoop but nevertheless, serendipitously doing the Filipino people a good turn by focusing attention on what promises to be another Grand Cover-up, another "Pagtatakip" that will keep the present occupant of Malacañang in place, her consort and cohorts hiding behind lies after bare-faced lies that are making respectable and patriotic citizens of this country very very sick and disgusted!,
Just like in the film industry, where "pagtatakip" and denials galore keep the fans guessing, the tabloids selling, the gossip columnists awash in cash, to make the stars of celebrities rise or fall according to the tides of popularity. In Pinoy showbiz, stardom is the goal. In Pinoy politics, continuing Power is the name of the game.
Jocjoc is, obviously again, getting instructions from somewhere on what to say before the Senate investigating committee. Or playing for time to give his bosses the means to erase the traces of their scam, considering the number of people supposedly given millions under the P728 million fertilizer fund. Meanwhile, concerned groups like the Bishops, the Black and White Movement, etc., have voiced their opinions, aired their suspicions, etc. After all is said and done, is this all that we can do?
For all that, have we as a nation gone "manhid" about scam stories, made bat-blind in the daytime caused by this culture of corruption and cover-ups? Has our memory of recent events that point to the deceit, greed and monumental callousness of this administration, which has seemingly siphoned off millions of pesos that should have gone to the upliftment of the farmers and other poor sectors of Philippine society; has our sense of Justice and Moral Indignation gone to the sharks and crocodiles and piranhas teeming in the waters of Philippine politics? If so, we have been devoured!
If we connect the fertilizer scam (which really did take place) and the ZTE Broadband deal which was aborted (but the grapevine says some initial money exchange took place in China on one official visit), and the very recent Euro Generals and their "cash advances" (wow!!) of P9 million more or less, this conclusion makes sense. If we take several steps back and make some more connecting, the whole picture, like a huge jigsaw puzzle, makes more sense. Jun Lozada, ZTE whistle-blower, is still virtually in hiding with his family, while Romulo Neri, witness in the ZTE deal, after his removal from NEDA (recently occupied by another Malacañang ally Ralph Recto), became SSS President. Reward for keeping his mouth shut despite the insults and catcalls and text jokes about his gender, with nary a vestige of shame or embarrassment apparent on his ever-smiling face.
And what about retired General De la Paz and his euros? Did they really come from jueteng? But this gambling game is banned and who collected them for whom? Is all this money intended for one very greedy fat person or for future elections? The plot thickens every minute.
Dapat ituhog itong mga scams or would-be scams on one colossal barbecue stick and roasted over the live coals of a giant barbecue pit. Para namang mapakinabangan ng mga kababayan nating hirap na hirap na sa gutom.
In the meantime, why was there some shilly-shallying at the Senate? A discreet but still palpable veil of cover-up is there, from the Silence of certain bigtime Lambs: a Senate President whose clear image has been roiled by the dirty waters of a graft-exposed land deal; a failed "kingmaker" whose ambiguous pronouncements over the past few years have lost him our respect and trust in him as legislator and leader; a former Graft-buster and now ally of Malacañang whose antics to protect this administration has made him, truly, a joker and aptly carrying out the promise of his name. I fervently hope I am wrong in all this!
But why oh why are these senators seemingly involved in a conspiracy or compromise of silence, apparently to forego the fertilizer scam investigation in favor of a "pagtatakip" that is hugely unpalatable to the people, especially if the cover-up could not stop the rotting smells of other scams from issuing forth to smother us citizens in their collective stench!!!
Showbiz na showbiz ang dating.
Against all odds, we should rally behind the likes of Kiko, Ping, Alan, Jun, Archbishop Lagdameo and others who make up a Band of Angels who can rouse the people to cry out for TRUTH, that we can get the clearest view of the Lay of our Land. So that we can plan anew to make our beloved country the Promised Land it should have been by now, 63 years after the granting of our independence.
But as it is, our country is a derelict ship still floating willy-nilly on the varied and varying tides of Change, Globalization, the irrationality of our National Politics and the senselessness of an interminable, extended Insurgency that has turned into a terrorist movement. It has no clear coast in sight to make anchor. The saddest tragedy of all sea tragedies in this country of sea tragedies.