And Ludlum Sayeth Naught

By Rolo B. Cena

Hushed Poppies

Dumaguete Star Informer

14 October 2012

Cebu City, Philippines – Recently, a 52-year old Filipina was sentenced to a 21-year imprisonment for bringing a sealed package containing one kilo-heroin to Hong Kong.  Lately, another Filipino businessman who came from Saudi Arabia was sentenced for life imprisonment for carrying cocaine to China en route from another major Asian City.

Circumstances vary:  The Filipina alleged that he met a man in a convenience store in Kuala Lumpur who gave her a luggage for her to use as a shopping bag.  It contained a sealed compartment with the contra-band.  On the other hand, the Filipino businessman alleged that he met a friend in Vietnam who requested him to bring the luggage to a friend in China.  The former traveled with his son and wife to China.  Both the Filipinos declared that they neither know their accomplices nor verifiable identities nor contact details of them

What a mess!  Is this sheer naiveté or a scripted text only literature masters can profess in their espionage novels?  Not even Grisham can convince me if he would put this chapter in his latest take!

Travelling on a business-class seat from Riyadh to Manila via Hong Kong in August 26, 2011, I met a middle-aged Filipino couple in the airport of the former British Colony who approached and requested if I can bring their extra suitcase to Manila for the reason that they already exceeded the limit.  Without any doubt or hesitation, I declined.

In one of my trips from London to Manila, a friend asked me to carry his two suitcases and laptop bag all the way to Manila as he was dropping by Hong Kong to meet a friend.  When I reached our Customs arrival counters, I had a hard time explaining what were the circumstances kept inside those extra suitcases as it did not proportionately reflect the rationale of my trip vis-à-vis quantity.  I had to name-drop a friend’s who was then a custom officer that time.

In life, I only have two reasons for not accepting or giving in:  One, I don’t know the person; two, I don’t know the object.  And in this life, there can only be two players:  One, the predator who hunts people and haunts circumstance; and two, the prey who may be naïve or absurd. 

When you completely don’t know the person and the object and never allow yourself to fall into prey, then no predator could ever ruin your integrity and your life.  But when you don’t know these circumstances yet allow yourself to be a prey, then that’s more than just naiveté.  Such was the case of these two Filipinos, assuming that they truly don’t know the circumstances behind those suitcases.

Flipping the other side of the coin, their knowledge of the circumstances behind those suitcases vis-à-vis the personalities involved and their hushed statements on their identities inside foreign courts of law is their own and singular choice that unfortunately brought them to conviction.

Common sense will tell, no one in his sound mind will boldly dare not to inquire about the content of the suitcase or intelligently question the details of the personalities involved, assuming the alleged “predator and the prey” know each other.  More than this, an intelligent decision would always be:  “I don’t know you, why would I?”  

I may have my own biases but their allegations declared under oath sounded too lame as a defense or too horrible as a plea.  Definitely, I will not allow incidents like this to happen, not in my conscious state.

Not even Robert Ludlum would include this scenario or chapter in his masterpiece assuming he still could write one!

Ditchwater

By Rolo B. Cena

Hushed Poppies

Dumaguete Star Informer

7 October 2012

Cebu City, Philippines – Early this week, political aspirants flooded the offices of the Commission on Election nationwide to file their Certificate of Candidacies (COCs).  Adding color to this event was the presence of their fans and supporters who came in throngs to express their genuine and otherwise financially-capped fanatical support.

New faces, whose political affiliation springs from family ties, friendship, or spot choice, stumbled upon traditional ones whose political affiliation stems from hand-me-down formula that dates back to as old as the heydays of the Martial Law.  New faces choreographically create political ripples for a thirty-second spotlight; traditional ones sing the old song sans consideration of the emerging musical genre the new breed of change-hungry Filipinos chant.      

Juxtaposed with all other aspirants, new and old have one thing in common:  They love to kiss the rose nestling atop that thorny stalk.  Paradoxically, in presenting themselves to the populace, politicians always love to march the jeweled isle.    

Strangely enough, after all these years – after EDSA, the electorate has not completely changed:  traditional politicians are still lurking in the dark, bipolar world of politics because people make them believe and behave the way they now do.  They still exist because we manage them the way they wanted, otherwise, they could have fallen out one after the other.

The approach to changing the political dynamics of the country, which is the thrust of P-Noy, is taking too sluggish.  More than that, the supposed-to-be interventions are too dyslexic in character and form:  CJ Corona’s conviction would have been a good game-changer but the manner it was seconded seems to create a tailback somewhere; former Sec. Puno would have been seriously deeply investigated and Sen. Santiago could have been right.  The truth could have come out of the exquisite political red roses mushrooming in the grounds of the Palace.

And these dramatis personae are supposed to help P-Noy completely change the arena; these political actors are expected to perform at their superlative degree for the good of the country.  But where are we on this?  Arguably though, this is schizophrenically true since day one politics was born of the people; so frantically true to its form and substance in the Philippines.   

The game of the moment is to erect their own edifice in the guise of classrooms and barangay halls, save the lives of millions in the pretext of medical missions, and construct agricultural ditches masqueraded as channels towards improving rural economies.  But these structures, missions and ditches have one but only one glitch:  These programs are geared towards serving the political ends these people wanted, not towards responding to the needs of the majority poor. 

Is fielding young and innovative political leaders who could truly bring real change difficult to do?  The electorate is only given with traditionally popular names, mentally dehydrated actors and actresses, and inch-higher aspirants and nothing more.  To date, there are names worthy to run for public office; aspirants who can unquestionably introduce and carry out change.  But they are only a fraction of the big pie.  They cannot speak for and in behalf of the hundred-million Filipinos. 

Liken these ambiguities to the following scenarios:  K+12 teachers giving instructions to their pupils to cut pictures of their parents and siblings, collate into one form to create a family picture; the message of the President that our economy improves over the increasing numbers of starving Filipinos.  Click the drop down in your political system and you will see more of these grayer-than-gray behind-the-scenes phenomena.         

Sadly, these are all as inchoate as the ditchwater.  Truly, not arguably, this is the reason why we are missing the whole point.

Bow, beggars, bow!

By Rolo B. Cena

Hushed Poppies

Dumaguete Star Informer

23 September 2012

Cebu City, Philippines – Every morning along the street, I could see them populating the area with some others.  Occasionally, they would rest at the façade under the traffic lights when the red light switches on.  She’s accompanied by a woman ten or fifteen years of her junior.  Her younger companion would normally usher her to cars or taxi cabs whenever the green light catches the flare. 

She’s blind but able to walk.

What contrasts the scene is the vivid fact that along the area where they beg for some pennies, the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) nestles.  Adding insult to the injury, the house built by the Department for the “lost and the less fortunate” Filipinos stands across the street.

They are not blind; they are very able to walk.

Lately, P-Noy has been hoping against hope of meeting Hu Jin Tao of the Imperial Chinese powers.  During their tete-a-tete at the recent APEC summit in Vladivostok, Russia, he was hoping to meet him; he failed.  Lately, he was still hoping to meet him.  He dreamt. 

What runs counter to his action now is when he heeds not the recommendation of Sen. Panfilo Lacson to talk to the Chinese government over the Scarborough to avoid trading the barbs.  Uncalled for exchange of hullabaloos can only propel unsolicited messages that can possibly, if not probably, smudge the relationship we have established with the Asian economic giant.  Now, he is in dire need.

P-Noy is not blind; he can ably walk.  More to this, he is not deaf; he can audibly listen.

Recently, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile exchanged accusations and unpleasant words with Senator Antonio Trillanes IV over Scarborough Shoal.  The former even lambasted the latter for calling Sec. Romulo a “traitor” during the meeting with China.  It was reported that Enrile was just responding to the privilege speech of Trillanes accusing the former of being a “lackey” of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Senators Trillanes and Enrile would have recalled that both of them staged and defined their own respective and peculiar sense of being a traitor:  The former led a military uprising against former Pres. Arroyo, claiming themselves as protectors of the Republic; the latter   consciously defended the dictator who was gradually killing the Republic and killed hundreds of people.  Just wondering what happened to the arrest and search order during the martial law days.

They are not blind; they can skillfully walk.  More than this, they can even dexterously kill people in the guise of protecting the national interest of the Republic.  Witnesses can attest to that; some of them are still alive despite the consequential economic, social and political deprivation.

The mid-term elections are coming close.  Politicians in the guise of Enrile, Trillanes, et al are starting to make ripples in the red seas of dirty Philippine politics:  Ripples that effectively send signals of trust-me, believe-me, and vote-me flyers; ripples that contagiously deliver signs of don’t-forget-me, don’t-forget-my-dad, and don’t-forget-my-son fillers.

Pleas can be articulated anytime; providential response is never pre-mature; politically-colored man-made mercy is.     

The blind, old woman down the street nobly begs for her sustenance sans the intention to cheat or steal at all.  These politicians of the “Peoples’ Hall” do beg in the guise of public nods, competently articulated sentiments with the oppressed, and sending financial helps and cause-oriented programs to the poor people, with the end in mind of getting back their investments.

Truly, when one is in dire need:  bow, beggars, bow!

Of Desserts and Character

By Rolo B. Cena

Hushed Poppies

Dumaguete Star Informer

16 September 2012

Cebu City, Philippines – With the 2013 Mid-term elections drawing near, anybody who has articulated his plan to run for public office can be a staple over everybody’s table.  With the advent of plug-and-play media, everybody can be an easy prey to character assassination.

In one of her radio programs, Korina Sanchez commented that “dark and small malignant spirits” wanted to take over the post of secretary of department of interior, following speculations on who shall relieve Sec. Jesse Robredo who died in a plane crash off the waters of Masbate.  This solicited inquiry, if not investigation, among political rivals, friends and allies.

And high-profile Jejomar Binay, the country’s second highest elected official is no exemption to this.  He believes he is the “dark and small malignant spirit.”  Arguably though, he can be; thanks to Ms. Sanchez for suggesting if not indicating, but is he?

He is dark – yes; but he is not small, literally and figuratively.  Is he a spirit? – No!  He is not elemental; you can see and feel him anytime.  So what’s the point?  Let’s take a ride!

Without hesitation at all, Binay expressly revealed his plan to run for presidency early this year.  God bless him!    

Character assassination happens anytime, anywhere, to anybody.  This is realistically true!

It happens in the clan:  When former President Corazon Aquino was new to Malacanang, a lot has been told about her brother’s close and unwavering allegiance to the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos. It was said that all the economic and political excesses of Martial Law benefited not only the first family but also the cronies.  And this includes Danding Cojuanco of the San Miguel Corporation fame, among others. 

It happens in the team:  When the Philippine Dragon Boat Team won half a dozen of gold medals in Tampa, Florida, the Philippines Olympic Committee chaired by Pepeng Cojuanco was urged to recognize them as a national team.  Clashes ensued.  The worst was:  The POC leadership demanded that they be subjected to drug tests for seemingly lame and unacceptable reasons.  Soccer Team Azkal was at the height of their commercial and commercialized popularity then, but never has won any gold for the country.  Cobra stays strong:  Milan World Championship was another feat for a half-dozen gold medals despite character assassination.

It happens in the corporate world:  When one Biology professor from UP accused her boss of sexual harassment, her credibility was mocked and integrity as a professor questioned.   While she won the case, she lost the renewal of her contract.  The chairman of the committee was her boss, whom she accused.  To date, she was hailed as the foremost local and international scientist in her field.   

It can happen to even the most ordinary of people:  In your organization, in my organization. In can happen to you, it can happen to me.  And it is chronically happening now.  Beware!

When it was announced that Jejomar Binay is running against Mar Roxas for the vice presidential slot, much have been told against him by the same media personalities; Roxas was the darling of the crowd.  Earlier in the race, Binay was even speculated to lose.  But with the twist of fate, he won!

Evidently, victims of character assassination stays; assassinators don’t:  Danding stays; that UP Professor waves; the Dragon Boat Team sails; and Binay flies.  

                            

Regardless of how grandest, festive or sumptuous the meal is on the table, not everybody can be very happy to join the banquet; not even all those who are invited are blissfully and healthily filled.  And do not be surprised:  Sometimes, not all desserts are sweet.