Tambuling Batangas Publication February 06-12, 2019 Issue | Page 4

OPINYON February 6-12, 2019 Lingguhang Pahayagan ng Lalawigan ng Batangas na inilalathala tuwing Miyerkules / PRINTING PLANT: Sinag Publishing & Printing Services, National Highway, Brgy. Parian, Calamba City, Laguna. Tel nos. [phone] & [phone] / Subscription fee: One year P360.00 Six Months: P180.00 / Commercial Advertising rate: P160 per column cm / MEMBER: Publisher’s Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI) / Raia Jennifer E. Dela Peña Managing Editor / P.L. Villa, RC Asa Contributing Editors / Shara Jane Falceso, Rachelle Joy Aquino, Jacquilou Lirio, Maria Carlyn Ureta staff writers / Ruel T. Landicho Lay-out Artist/ Ms. Corazon D.P. Marcial, Amber D.C Vitto Legal Consultant. email add: [email protected] & [email protected] Delusional and deceptive TELEVISED interviews of politicians are either a waste of time because the interviewee’s sole objective is to dupe the audience into thinking that if he is seen on TV, he is probably important. Such interviews are likewise indications of the state of mind of the politician. Take the TV interview last Tuesday of Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, the head of the Liberal Party (LP). In his typical condescending countenance and holier-than-thou attitude, Pangilinan unwittingly revealed that the LP was so desperate to get votes for its senatorial ticket for the May 2019 elections that the party will not hesitate to use misleading information to deceive the electorate. When asked why the LP and its anti-administration allies fielded only eight candidates in a race for 12 seats in the Senate, Pangilinan said it was a strategic move on their part, i.e. since voters often do not vote for all the candidates of a particular political party, fielding eight candidates eliminates the possibility of having one-third of their senatorial ticket ending up in defeat. Pangilinan obviously thinks voters are gullible. When the LP was in power in 2013, it fielded a full ticket for the Senate confident that its unlimited access to government resources will deliver the votes. Now that the LP is the object of political scorn and public disdain, it is unable to attract enough credible and qualified candidates to complete a 12-man slate. That’s the real score, one far different from the statistical double talk Pangilinan did on TV. The composition of the senatorial lineup endorsed by the LP also underscores the lack of credible and qualified candidates willing to run under this moribund, publicly disgraced political party. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, who leads what Pangilinan called the “Ocho Diretso” ticket, is doing rather poorly in the surveys, despite his being an ex-senator. Roxas seems to be the only viable candidate of the LP and he may possibly make it to number 11 or 12, not because he has popular support, but because three non-LP senatorial candidates doing fairly well in the surveys, namely, Grace Poe, Sergio Osmeña III and Aquilino Pimentel III, face possible disqualification even if they win. Poe’s citizenship issue has not been authoritatively resolved by the Supreme Court. The 2013 SC ruling in her favor is not doctrinal jurisprudence because it does not have the support of a majority vote among the justices. Only natural-born Filipinos may run for the Senate. Osmeña failed to submit the requisite campaign expenditure documents for the last two elections he participated in, which is a ground for disqualification. Pimentel is running for a third consecutive term in the Senate, which is explicitly prohibited by the Constitution. If any or all three are eventually disqualified, Roxas may have a statistical chance of landing among the winning 12. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, the first cousin of ex-President Benigno Aquino III (who may be sued soon for his incompetent handling of the Mamasapano mission), has not done anything substantial in the Senate other than ride on the populist bills of other senators. In his obvious desire to exploit his relationship to Ninoy Aquino, Bam Aquino always dresses up to look like his famous uncle. This member of the Aquino family dynasty has not been doing very well in the surveys, too. The other LP-endorsed candidates have no chance of winning. Voters see Gary Alejano as an ex-military mutineer who violated his oath to defend the Constitution when he and the soon-to-be ex-Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV launched a coup attempt against then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Alejano’s inclusion in the LP senatorial ticket underscores the LP’s contempt for the Constitution. Two other candidates, one of whom is left-leaning, think they will win simply because they are descendants of ex-senators. Another was a government lawyer who twisted the Constitution to accommodate an alien elected to the Senate in 2013 but defeated in the presidential polls of 2016. Perhaps their only hope of winning is that the automated voting machines will malfunction in their favor on election day. Obviously, Pangilinan, who is not a candidate this year, will do everything just to fool the voters in preparation for May 2019. Just imagine what he will do to fool the voters in May 2022 when he will be a candidate. Ni Teo S. Marasigan Larawan ng Limang B Blogger, bakti (tibak), barkada. (1) Matagal na siyang nagba-blog, tuluy-tuloy. Napakaraming materyal, mayroon na siyang mahabang listahan. Ano pa kaya ang posibleng magmulat sa kanila? Kapag walang ginagawa, kapag naantig ng napanood o nabasa, nagsusulat siya – sa wika at estilo na kasing-karaniwan ng Times New Roman, tulad ng isang gurong egalitaryan. Pero mapag- alsa ang mga ideya, ang tono, ang lipad ng imahinasyon. Mapahanga man lang sila sa pilosopiyang kayang iugnay ang marami, ang lahat, sa rebolusyon. Kabisado niya sa puso, bagamat hindi niya siguro alam, ang sabi ni Bertolt Brecht. Ang pagsisisigaw laban sa pang-aapi ay nakakapaos. Ang kailangan ay magpaliwanag nang matyaga, matalino, nagpapatawa. Kaya ganito ang larawan niya. Tumatawa nang nakapanyo, parang may nakakaaliw na kausap. Laban sa mga istiryutipo, heto ang pino at malumanay na aktibista – masarap tumawa pero bakal ang gulugod. Nitong huli’y marami siyang tangka sa pagteteorya. Sana magustuhan ng mga tao. Dangan lang kasi sa Motime, mahirap magkomento. (2) Para siyang nag-aalaga ng kaktus sa pagba-blog niya. Napakaraming gawain. May pinapaunlad pang bagong relasyon. Magandang pag- abante sa dati? Dalaga rin siyang maraming kaibigan, aktibista at hindi. Kaya mas masaya siyang kumuha ng larawan – mas madaling gawin sa masigla at malikot na buhay, nag-iiwan ng paalala ng napakaraming memorableng pinuntahan, sinalihan at ginawa. Kung mayroon kaya ang ibang blogger ng kahit kalahating mayroon siya, magba-blogpa kaya sila? Marami nang naisulat tungkol sa kung anu-ano – at ang dapat pa niyang isulat ay kailangang matamang alamin, saliksikin. At kung makakasulat ng pinaghirapan, bakit sa blog pa at hindi sa pahayagan? Totoo, kung nasamainstream siya, nakilala na siguro siya sa maraming tahanan, at hindi lang dahil sa bukod-tangi niyang pangalan. Pero ano naman? Hindi iyun ang mahalaga sa kanya, kundi ang mga nasa laylayan, ang sinusupil pero sumusulong nilang kilusan. Anong saya, karangalan at pananagutan ang maging sundalo nila sa pahayagan. (3) Sekretarya siya ng tortyur at kamatayan, mamamahayag ng sinusupil na katotohanan. Siguro’y sa ganoon din tumatatag ang pagiging progresibo at lumalabas ang pagiging tao. Ang titigan ang mga paglabag sa karapatang pantao at ang makita ang sariling nakikiramay, bumibigat ang kalooban, nasusuklam. Siya rin si Ginoong Fundador. Sa isang pelikula nina Tito, Vic and Joey, may guro sila sa Pilipino, si Binibining Fundador – malalim managalog, istrikto sa klase, konserbatibo ang moralidad. Laking gulat nila, minsang dinalaw nila sa bahay, nakasuot ito ng hapit na damit na tiger print, mahalay na umiinom ng Fundador sa gobleta at nagi-Ingles nang mapang- akit. Seryosong pamamahayag sa wikang Filipino ang gawain niya, pero may ibang mundo sa blog: mga artistang Amerikano, panitikan, kulturang popular at pulitikang progresibo, madulas na Ingles, minsan palatawa at minsan mapagmuni, bagamat may mga sumpong ng modang palaban. Patunay ng masaklaw na talino at napakaraming talentong ipinaglilingkod niya sa bayan. (4) Kung pwede lang ilagay ang napakaraming memorandum, samu’t saring praymer, ang walang katapusang pagtatasa, pagpaplano, pagpapartikularisa ng balangkas at pagharap sa nagsusulputang usapin – mas madalas sanang may bagong entri ang blog niya. Bukod sa mapanganib sa mata ng Estado – at iyun ang pangunahin – hindi ito ang talino, o intelektwalidad, na inilalagay at kinikilala sablog. Pag-aaral sa totoo at praktikal na buhay, higit sa mga libro. Nagkolehiyo siya sa mga klase sa labas ng maraming paaralan, sa mga komunidad at bahay- pulungan. Tiyak, masaya si Nanay. Ngumingiti sa kabilang buhay? Hindi na niya ginagawang entri ang humuhusay na mga talumpati sa kalsada – bagamat tiyak nang kumintal at kumapit sila sa isipan ng marami. Pangangaral sa choir at kongregasyon? Tumataas ang diwang palaban nila sa ganoon. Sa ibang entri, sumasangkot siya sa lipunan, halos sariling mundo, na hinuhubog ng komunikasyon at midya. Hindi padadaig at hindi pakakahon, mandirigma siya ng kanyang panahon. (5) Kapag sinisipag, mayroon. Kapag hindi, kung kailan lang maisip o kapag may haharaping kontradiksyon. Napakarami niyang ginagawa. May aklatang sa espesyalisasyon niya ay panis ang sa Unibersidad. Mamahaling restawran siyang bukas sa lahat ng gustong kumain: kapwa-gurong kailangan ng matinong kausap, estudyanteng gustong matuto higit sa klase, kapwa-aktibistang pinaghahalawan at binibigyan ng lakas. “Mamahalin” – gusto man niya o hindi, nahahatak niya ang may ibubuga o may kaloobang dalisay at rebelde. Iyung wala, natatakot at posible talagang hindi nakakasabay. Sa hapon, gabi, tumatakbo siya – mahalagang bahagi ng mapagmuning buhay ng pilosopo, sabi ni Martha Nussbaum. Hindi siya papahuli sa kulturang popular. Hinuhuli niya ang mahika nito. Nasa gitna pa siya ngayon ng kontrobersya, resulta ng pakapa-kapang metodolohiyang ala-tsamba ng mga sosyologong kontra-Kaliwa. May mundo higit sa teorya, pero hindi mauunawaan nang wala ang huli. Matapat dito ang mga sulatin niya. Akma sa bukod- tangi niyang pagkatao – mga sulating may sariling estetika at uniberso. 03 Marso 2009