AMID the gravity and seriousness of the issues the country is facing – impeachment, relationships with favored contractors, budget insertions, and even harassment at sea by our giant neighbor – many Filipinos now find themselves engrossed in controversies that are comical as they are silly.
There is, for instance, a Senate staff member caught smoking marijuana in the Senate premises.
This staff member was revealed to be the former moviestar Nadia Montenegro, the political officer of drug-war supporter Senator Robinhood Padilla. Montenegro eventually resigned Monday, saying she did not want to distract her boss’ office from the important work it was supposed to do.
And then, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, still in The Netherlands where he sought asylum and was denied it, and who was recently disowned by the Duterte defense camp which he desperately wanted to join, got into an altercation with other Duterte supporters in The Hague.
In a now-viral video, Roque is seen passionately pointing out the distinction between right and wrong. But it was not a human rights issue that prompted this discourse – it was, instead, a famous dish called humba, served at someone else’s birthday gathering which Roque is supposed to have gatecrashed. The former Palace spokesperson is accused of helping himself to a generous portion of the dish, leaving a bad taste in the mouth of other Duterte supporters.
When he was called out for this, Roque gallantly offered to pay for the humba, ten times over.
At first blush, these instances might look like facepalm moments, as the younger set would say. Imagine giving a richer meaning to the phrase “Senate joint session.” Montenegro denies she ever smoked weed and insists she was just vaping. Meanwhile, Roque now says he was “blasphemed” by all those who criticized him.
These incidents seem like comic relief, a fresh break from the overwhelming challenges that we face as a nation. But they also give a peek into the workings of the minds of those who make light of our institutions. In recent days, we have seen how the Senate halls have become a theater for the display of personal loyalties, as a majority of senators – Padilla not the least of all – doing everything in their power to prevent the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. Duterte is accused of, among others, misusing hundreds of millions in confidential funds.
Roque, for his part, has steadfastly defended Duterte’s war on drugs and has been accused of enriching himself through Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators. He fled the Philippines at the height of POGO investigations, claiming persecution. But now he clings to every opportunity to stay relevant, even as Duterte’s legal team and family will have nothing to do with him.
Let us then be amused – but only to a healthy, if instructive, extent. These are indications of what human tendencies could look like if unchecked. In the end, nobody among us wants to hog the headlines in this manner, so we must be mindful of our private actions and make sure they do not run counter to the virtues we claim to have.
