Exchanging Spikes

By Rolo B. Cena

Random

Dumaguete Star Informer

28 August 2016

The exchange of spikes between President Digong Duterte and troubled Senator Leila Delima that has been going on for weeks now has actually become a trending phenomenon.  First off, it has gone unruly. Secondly, some issues become too personally sensitive.  Thirdly, it has become partisan.

Arguably though, the President has been rowdy for losing some sense of respect to women.  While these allegations are yet to be investigated, the manner by which he brought to the table these allegations is unbecoming of him as the chief executive of the Country; more than that, the manner by which he brought these allegations to the public has somehow polarized some of his followers for being too ungentlemanly; the information has become uncontrollable that social networking sites made unimaginable feastings on them.   

The allegation that the Senator is sexually involved with her driver is too privately personal.  While it has been alleged that the driver is the bagman for the payolas she was (?) allegedly receiving from those drug lords inhabiting inside the National Penitentiary, the President should have been very discreet in the manner by which he spread the issue.  Accusing Senator Delima as an immoral woman and as an adulterer is below the belt, if not beside the political point.

This trading of barbs reminds me of an old wisdom that says “Only the wicked gamble at the wicked.”

The exchanges of their hullabaloos have become factional.  Each time tirades are thrown tribal supports are visibly accorded in support to each other.  Their respective camps have been articulate about each other’s supposedly dignifying rebuttals.  Each one is getting support from whom their own team, followers, and political parties.  Getting advantage is the lady Senator for getting support from the Catholic Church.  But this is something that is not giving us a good signal:  Instead of them working together, they chose to build the wall thus the division.

In the interest of the Country’s image before the world, it would be best for the two of them to preserve silence for now while keenly preparing all sort of evidences to refute each other’s claims on the issues each one holds against the other.  For one, the President could have been more prudent in his pronouncement on the alleged involvement of the Senator if indeed he has evidences against the latter.  Two, the Senator could have been tactical in her kinesis vis-à-vis her responses to the issues raised against her; the “snippets of truth” that she claimed might be used against her should the investigation proceed as planned by the administration.  Three, the two could have been more critical and responsible in their respective attacks and releases as they had frustrated their respective followers.

After all, “the real gentleman is as polite to a little girl as to a woman,” if I may borrow the line from Louisa May Alcott, the famous American novelist and poet.

When former Davao Mayor ran for presidency bannering his dictum “change is coming,” the people expected that change would freely come as a flux.  As it is now and if I may put my two cents in, change has become so unmanageable and uncivilly: The moves are so bizarre that these violates human dignity without regard to human rights that the lady Senator claims, the right to live that the Catholic Church is advocating and the right to be human that ordinary human beings espouse.

The President does not own one’s humanity; no politician ever does.

Drug traffickers in general are liquidated without due process.  More than that, the name-shame is worse than being orally defamed in public.  Public officials’ misconducts are bannered as simply as chitchatting in the corner store.   Ordinary minds can now suspect that marauders are convicted before due process.  Assuming these people are criminals, violators or perpetrators, still they their own humanity, which is the very foundation of due process.

It is a known circumstance that drugs are everywhere, that violators increase their numbers, that violators are protected, that violators are believed to be the same politicians that promise the suns and stars to their constituents, and a lot more. Yet, there is always one best way to condemn them.  It is also a common belief that most public officials violated rules, misappropriated public funds, and entered into anomalous transactions, and a lot more.  Yet, there is always one best way to let them pay for their violations.  And he knows better; he has been a prosecutor.

He maybe the bravest leader our Country has ever produced but that does not give him the authority to deface our fellowman’s humanity.  He may be the best solicitor his prime has made of him but that does not give him enough reason to skip channels, breach protocols and circumvent the law.

Most of the flukes that people are experiencing, feeling and seeing now are actually the same scenarios most people experienced, felt and knew in the late sixties and early seventies before the day the archipelagic Philippines was encased with fear.

Have you just said why did we choose them?