By: Stanley Palisada
It's the number one soap opera in the land, now playing (in full) on cable news and (in part) on free-to-air channels. The ongoing probe into corruption at the Armed Forces of the Philippines has all the elements of a top-rating "teleserye" earning a cult following among its victims, the entire Filipino people.
It is easy to explain why. These hearings are grossly informative, visually compelling (especially the facial expressions and reactions), and unquestionably infuriating. I am entertained in an absurd way. Its theme—greed and corruption—hitting every Filipino taxpayer to the very core, especially those who are broke.
It is also a rich source of interesting soundbites. Ive taken down a few while trying to stay composed watching the televised hearings without Valium. Blood pressure is bound to shoot up from overused responses, "I invoke my right to self-incrimination".
If the probe were a movie, "I invoke my right to self-incrimination" would be its title. Other contenders for title are “I forgot” and “I can’t remember” with Amnesiac generals using them as salva vida when the going gets tough.
“Don’t press your luck, I have handled more people than you can ever handle”, a quote summing up Senator Juan Ponce Enrile's exasperation.
It can be a peeve not getting straight answers from the crooked. Good thing Senator Jinggoy Estrada is able to manage a joke amid his desperation, “General Limot…este Ligot”.
“I forgot” or “I can’t remember” can even strip an officer of gentlemanliness. It had been a revelation seeing Senator Antonio Trillanes go haywire over Angelo Reyes’ "I am just trying to defend my name here".
"If you are so concerned about your name sana nag ayos kayo while you were in office. You do not have any reputation to protect”! Trillanes spewed, his tone dripping with vengeance. “This is the day of reckoning. You better find yourself a good lawyer”.
Our story’s hero and heroine, George Rabusa and Heidi Mendoza also spoke words cast in stone. Rabusa might as well take credit for the new whistle blower’s creed: “I started this so I need to finish it. I won’t turn my back on this. I have nothing to lose. I’ve lost everything already, including fear”.
Meantime Mendoza, in this thickening plot of deceit and conspiracy can best be remembered for her motherhood statement, “I appeared before this committee if only to tell our fellow Filipino people and the lowly soldiers that hindi lahat ng Pilipino ay corrupt”.
This endeared her to Senator Miriam Santiago. “I love Heidi Mendoza. I admire her a lot. She must be a very brave woman” Santiago raves. “Are you sure we were not sisters in the previous life?”.
Santiago is seldom caught in a good mood during the hearings. One bad hair day she even waged “biological warfare” against Reyes’ lawyer who wanted “biased” senators inhibited from the hearings.
“It is contemptuous, a revelation of utmost ignorance. That kind of ignorance can only come from a one-celled amoeba" Santiago went ballistic—her “one-celled amoeba” just as memorable as “Fungus Face”, a missive directed at FVR in the 1992 presidential elections.
Our blockbuster also has its light moments, one of which we to owe to Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez who charmed her way for the mic with, “Since crush niyo ako, may I say something?”
Her mood swings though, went from cute to doomsday-serious and used the name of the heavens in vain: “We can swear to God, kung may kumita dito, tamaan ng kidlat at mamatay na ngayon din”!
But to me the most memorable Merceditas Gutierrez quote is one that’s less controversial but nonetheless loaded. When she said “We don’t want to rush Mr. Chairman” I was enlightened as to why the cases at the Ombudsman have dragged and piled up to mountainous heights.
The senate hearings also gave a peek at the marital dynamics of those involved. Senator Estrada invoked matrimonial powers to wring answers from tongue-tied Ligot.
“Pag di ka pa sumagot mapipilitan akong ipatawag ang misis nyo. Gusto nyo ba ipatawag ko pa misis nyo?” Estrada juxtaposed.
Some of the nation’s generous husbands are facing the probe. Husbands who showered their wives with off-shore properties, frequent flyer privileges and everlasting affluence. In fairness to the husbands it’s the wives that allegedly enjoyed the high life from day-one, while their better halves have tip-toed through corruption in constant fear of being exposed.
Again, Senator Miriam Santiago puts in perspective just how staggering corruption is, in the AFP: "Kung alam ko lang na ganito pala ang lakas at lawak ng pagnanakaw sa ating bansa, nag-suicide na ako noong pinanganak ako ng nanay ko. Oras na lumitaw ako sa nanay ko, dapat diyan ay hinugot ko na ‘yung umbilical cord at tinali ko sa leeg ko at nagpakamatay na lang ako”.
Now that suicidal quote to me, is earth-shaking. But someone beat her to it.
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