Not many people knew who Aniceto Bertiz III was before, but thanks to a video that had gone viral, he now enjoys quite the reputation.
The party-list representative apologized Monday for confronting a security checker at Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport who had asked him to take his shoes off. He also snatched the ID of the security officer on duty.
Explaining his behavior, Bertiz likened himself to a woman going though pre-menstrual syndrome—frail, quick-tempered, and stressed.
Bertiz had earlier complained that a group of Chinese-looking passengers were allowed to breeze into the airport without observing the same protocol. Airport authorities have denied this.
The Palace distanced itself from Bertiz and said no less than President Duterte complies with security procedures despite their inconvenience and does not ask for special treatment.
By now, Bertiz must be licking his wounds upon realizing that in this day and age one cannot just conduct oneself boorishly in public places. The standards are high for public officials especially those purporting to represent marginalized sectors of society—at least on paper.
The backlash on Bertiz has been so great that we wonder if he would ever be free from the stigma, years on.
May this episode serve as a reminder to all that security procedures exist for a reason, that public officials are held to a higher set of standards, and that an act of apology does little to erase brazen acts of arrogance.
We are sure Bertiz has not dreamed of becoming popular this way, but thanks to his own sense of entitlement, he has achieved not fame but notoriety. “‹