THE scuffle between Senator Leila Norma Eulalia Josefa Magistrado de Lima and President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is a pulpier blend involving extra-judicial killing and extra-marital relationship exacerbated by Philippine National Police chief Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa and self-confessed Davao Death Squad member Edgar Matobato.
The conflict is transformed into an exotic fantasy that is essentially one long race. The supporting actors here are Senators Alan Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes. The De Lima camp is out to prove something by presenting a vision of neo-medievalism that when Digong was mayor of Davao City there was some medieval jousting by his men to inflict gore and apocalyptic horror to those who crossed the path of the mayor. Justice (Duterte’s way) is attained through full-throttle action.
Senator De Lima has shown a consistently consistent attitude to pursue what she believes is true. Some opinion makers said that the lady senator has developed a Darna complex by believing that she is the local version of Wonder Woman who can always outdo the thugs, even the president. That remains to be seen.
Darna meets her match in the person of Captain Barbell (President Digong), a Pinoy super hero who believes that no mountain of drug pushers and protectors can prevent him to save the youth of the land enslaved through drug addiction. Our version of Captain Barbell zooms up and down with an undisputed mouth that can have a rapid fire for P_IN that sometimes could be “to whom it may concern.”
This Captain Barbell has been misunderstood by Captain America and his League of Justice cohorts. Our last card for justice and transformation is under the scrutiny of those who believe that they can police the world by engaging in the affairs of others. As far as world leaders are concerned, this kind of a show is requiring stoic stand and for religious people this could be viscerally violent. For the majority of the Filipinos, they believe that Captain Barbell is going to give a performance that is pitch perfect.
Our Darna waits for this moment that super powers will descend from high heavens to trim down the tough guy. This quick-witted CB will not just hang on a cliff. He is in peak physical condition and he is expected to deliver the physically grueling shoots. CB is out there to prove the dalliance of our Darna… “the driver needs a sweet lover.”
Darna is as tough as Captain Barbell but this man of iron believes that the lady heroine has her connection with the drug personalities at the New Bilibid Prison. This could make Darna local version of the ugly-duckling-turned-into-a-swan-theme. This duckling has a snake to cuddle just like what we read in Aztec mythology.
The Bato has his way of pushing his way with heavy doses of melodrama to reach out to the souls of policemen with flamed souls in search for redemption. Matobato who was not given a kindergarten reception by Senator Gordon may end up again in austere interrogation without a sense of grandeur in the harem of the senators.
There are extras coming in to join the high-speed maneuvers: Herbert Colanggo (drug dean), Sergeant Joenel Sanchez (bag man), and more to come. This “Ballad of Leila and Digong” will still remain as a hit for the incoming months. Filipinos love a top music especially when it has controversial tunes about deceit, deception, death, and drugs.
This could not be the best love story but this could mutate into something that would prove that love is not for drug addicts. Addicts are never addicted to love.