Pacete: Entertainment

Monday, February 6, 2012

THE Impeachment of CJ Renato Corona on TV has already established avid fans and its popularity is already like a GMA or ABS-CBN teleserye. If given the chance, my friends in the Silay Sarsuela Guild can possibly come up with a fascinating script bursting with colorful sub-plots and a main plot resulting from a creative amalgamation.

The Senate acting as an Impeachment Court is just following the mandate of our Constitution. The legal action in here is a test to the political maturity of our lawmakers. Are they partisans? Are they knowledgeable? Are they just acting? Are some, members of the Committee on Silence? If the Impeachment is some kind of a show, then, the viewers are the best evaluators. Viewers even fondly call those who are there as congressmen-actors and senators-actors.

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As the show progresses, the viewers identify actors in the stellar roles, actors with minor roles, and actors who are just part of the crowd. The TV audience even identifies actors who do not know their roles and actors who are wondering why they are there. Impeachment, so far, is the biggest political show of 2012. We are not certain if events will lead to dramatic imminent doom or the antagonists and protagonists will find themselves in another tricky tangle. The cast, just like in real cinematic unfolding, will experience unflinching focus on their own desires and dreams considering that 2013 is an election year.

What are the lessons learned? Rep. Neil Tupas Jr., the lead prosecutor, was given lecture by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Francisco Escudero for making premature public pronouncements. Probably, Enrile would just like to warn the young congressman from Iloilo on his foreshadowing. Enrile is an authority. He scripted and directed an ambush scenario when he was Secretary of National Defense. That gothic acting further urged Pres. Ferdinand Marcos to declare Martial Law.

Sen. Escudero would want Cong. Tupas to graduate from being a stereotype. He does not want the gentleman from Region VI to meet his tragedy. CJ Corona has not spoken yet. His battery of lawyers has presented his point of views. The presentation is in a form of a melodrama exaggerated, sensational and intends to appeal to the emotions of the audience just like many of the television soap operas. This is done to establish empathy.

Televiewers have also their turn-off point when senators-actors and congressmen-actors start on having jargon employing the rules of court. With this, only Enrile, Drilon, Santiago, Esguerra, Joker, Cuevas and the rest of the lawyers can comfortably engage in syllogisms. At times, the prosecutors have to subject themselves to concession considering that their argument has some true weaknesses vagueness, incompleteness and lack of support. In several instances, viewers agree that the prosecutors need reinforcement (support) and warrant (idea that connects the support to the claim).

We do not blame the prosecutors for lack of preparation. Yes, they are lawyers but they do not practice their profession. They are now politicians who are experts in courtship and ribbon-cutting ceremonies. It's no wonder when viewers catch them employing argumentum ad misericordiam (appeal to pity).

We come to realize that this is a serious matter of the state, but we also admit the fact that this is a comic relief to our socio-economic burden. It's good to see actors from the Legislative and the Judiciary (just the front act actors). The Executive Department is not far behind. PNoy's intimacy to the Korean DJ, TV Host, Model Grace Lee, is now landing in society and entertainment outlets. It's really showbiz! Or, this is just the making of the propagandists to derail the real issues in our country.

In our midst, there is the Abu Sayyaf terroristic activities, never-ending fuel hike, abuse on environment, disasters in economy, increase in tuition fees, escalating drug cases, unemployment problems, territorial conflicts, poor housing program, low production on agriculture, slow infrastructure program, insurgency-related incidents, no proper salary increase. The litany will never end. Our government has to look keenly into all these. There must be a solution. The political arena show is not a solution. Not even the executive love story!

The Impeachment Story has all the staples of the swashbuckling genre. It will have many tweaks and changes before curtain time. No amount of cinematic incarnation backed up by the handsome, suave, charming, rakish, and gregarious actors of Congress creating an escapist hokum can save the Filipino people. Let us wake up and face the sordid truth. Everything we see and hear is exciting and entertaining!