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Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Obenieta: Muck out of the mouth
By Myke U. Obenieta
So to Speak
So unlike the declarations of talking heads nowadays raring to spout off gospel truths, Christ’s parables leave enough elbowroom for listening and mulling it all over. His words raised hackles all right. But, wreathed with mystery and wisdom, his teachings were terse enough to cut short any chances for hecklers.
Beware the danger of deeming one’s self high and mighty and having the last word. Or else jeering the heck out of sleeptalkers might as well have utilitarian value in the face of those waxing authoritative, glibly does it, without giving a damn to the audience’s sensibilities.
Thou shall not dabble in double-talk, to begin with. Like pretending to be a prophet and ending up with both feet in the mouth. Consider the brow-raising blabber courtesy of no less than National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales during his recent visit in Cebu. Add this commandment, too: Never ever patronize us locals.
“Cebu is very good,” he told reporters in the wake of wagging concerns that “some 20 members of the NPA’s hit squad have arrived in Cebu from Mindanao” on top of the anxiety of Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano who claimed that at least “80 terrorists are now in Cebu.” No reason to worry, Gonzales averred even as he segued into a sigh, “The bad news is that Cebu is not immune to terrorism. The good news is that you are not alone.” Good and bad in the same breath do sound too suspicious for comfort, doesn’t it?
Which rendered it understandable if his audience in a forum at the University of Cebu (UC) in Banilad felt like fidgeting on their seats and scratching their butts: “Ano ba talaga, Kuya?”
Talk about reality check, and National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales had it coming when he chewed more than he can cogitate on matters too complicated to be brought up like bubblegum. Lest it blows up in one’s face, as it did on Gonzalez’s when he simplified the issue of terrorism by ascribing blame and, therefore, casting aspersions on Muslims. The root cause of terrorism, he said, is the “conflict within the Islamic faith.” Discriminating, one of his listeners huffed.
Scrubbing salt on the wounds of the cause-oriented among his audience, he cast them aside as enemies of the state by saying “they were engaging in armed rebellion… and should be considered terrorists.” How sensitive, or so frowned those stretching the constitutional limits of free speech.
Offended by what he heard, a young man in the forum stood up and made his presence felt by throwing caution and etiquette to the wind, in a mean manner of speaking, taking his cue from his colleagues who minced no militant words out of the banners of Anakbayan and League of Filipino Students: “Gonzales Murderer!”
Obviously, winning hearts and minds— a matter of faith in turning the tide of insurgency in the country— was a challenge Gonzalez took with tongue on his cheek. For a while there, it looked like bailing the country out of its enemies was no less urgent as his need to save his own face.
(yomyko@yahoo.com)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 20, 2006 issue)
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