PRESIDENT Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the macho mayor of Davao City who became president despite his swearing and shitty language caught the imagination of voters and topped the 2016 presidential race. He is known for his off-the-cuff statements, like when he said just recently that he can’t find no suitable successor to his presidency. What was he thinking when he said that? Your guess is as good as mine, though we can speculate. It seems to me he doesn’t see in his daughter Sara as a pretender, nor his aide Senator Bong Go or people’s champ Manny Pacquiao. Does he want to stay even after his term expires in 2022?
Reflections: In the Hollywood movie, Leaving Las Vegas, the caption was: “Nobody stays on top forever”. Aptly it can describe many situations. Adolf Hitler planned the rise of the Third Reich, and wanted to produce the Aryan race, but only to poison himself when Russian troops were closing in his underground bunker in Berlin.
Ferdinand Marcos came up with his New Society, proclaimed martial law, curtailed his countrymen of their basic individual freedom, but only to die in loneliness in exile in Hawaii. Another strongman, Bung Sukarno inaugurated Indonesia’s independence and proclaimed himself president for life only to be toppled by one of his favorite military generals, Suharto. History is replete with such situations. It happened in the past. It is happening now and it will still happen in the future, because people never learn and ignore lessons of history. My advice. Make a searching look backward, a wide look around and a long look ahead.
In a fairy book tale, a man and a woman will fall in love anf they will live happily ever after. Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s life story is not a fairy book tale but it is so chequered that if made into a movie it will surely be a box office hit.(Ronaldo Valdez as JPE and Bea Alonzo as Gigi). Born out of wedlock, it was his mother, Petra Furuganan, a fish vendor from Aparri, Cagayan, who raised him and only met the father when he was already in his twenties. He was sent to a law school, became a known lawyer, served in various capacities during the martial law years. Survived Marcos, served Cory Aquino and got elected senator. He was admired as the presiding senator-judge in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. The possibility of a jail sentence still hang and his girlfriend is now incarcerated.
‘Mga anak ng diyos’. When Ramon Revilla Sr. was young, he stayed in Angeles City for some time, operated a bar called The Sands in the Balibago area. Larer he joined the Bureau of Customs police and with borrowed money, produced Nardong Putik, a film bio of a Cavite bandit. It made millions in the box office and ressurected the old man Revilla’s fledgling movie career. He became a senator. Later his junior, Bong Revilla flourished in his movie career and even topped a senatorial race. The young Revilla is lucky to get back to the senate after a long incarceration. He shared jail room with fellow senator Jinggoy who may also attempt to make a run again in 2022.
Boots Anson Roa was the devoted widow of TV producer Pete Roa. She is now a septuagenarian. Love beckons. She found an ideal partner, lawyer King Rodrigo, son of the late Senator Soc Rodrigo. The widow and the widower. Both gave love a second chance, and they seems to be happy.
The “cuaresma” started by the traditional Ash Wednesday. The message it brings maybe a lesson to each and everyone. If you do bad to fellowmen, do bad to your country, there will be corresponding punishment. The hundred lawmakers and government officials who snatched food from the poor Filipinos will have their sure comeuppance. The honest, kind and generous people will surely have their rewards in Heaven.