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Meet the Palace 'sphincters'
AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR By William M. Esposo
The Philippine Star 2009-08-27
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The most commonly recognized sphincter is located in the anus where ordure is finally distributed. Ordure is excrement, dung and it can also be used to refer to bad and evil.
Considering the regular amount of ordure we get from the Malacanang Palace mouthpieces, you cannot be blamed for getting the impression that you are looking at a ‘sphincter’ when you see them on television.
Commenting on the June 13, 2009 reported near encounter of a Chinese submarine and the US destroyer USS John McCain off the coast of Subic Bay in Zambales, Cerge Remonde simply dismissed the incident as nothing for us to worry about. We could have been ground zero in a US-China war and Remonde thinks that we have nothing to worry about.
Even more recently, Remonde aggravated what is already a bad situation with his rather dim-witted remarks in trying to justify the lavish dinners of Madame Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) during the July-August trip to the US. Most idiotic of these was his suggestion that GMA cannot be expected to eat in a hot dog stand. In contrast, Barack Obama, the leader of the world’s most powerful country, takes pride in eating at outlets where common folks have their meals.
The latest Malacañang Palace ‘sphincter’ to display whatever little grey matter he’s got is the newly minted so-called Spokesman for Economic Affairs — Gary Olivar. Reacting to the rising star of Senator Benigno Simeon Aquino III (Ninoy and Cory Aquino’s only son Noynoy) as 2010 president — Gary Olivar suggested that Noynoy should campaign for the presidency as his own man and not simply ride on the legacy of his heroic parents.
In the August 24 news report of STAR’s Paolo Romero, Olivar was quoted as saying: “Be your own man and have your own identity.” Further commenting about Noynoy, Olivar added: “He has to show that he is his own man if he wants to be a good president of our country.”
Olivar’s suggestion is sheer nonsense. It is precisely the culture of Filipinos, as well as other right thinking nations, to want their sons to emulate the greatness of their parents. We always voted for Ramon “Jun” Banzon Magsaysay Jr. when he ran for the Senate precisely because Jun proved to be the true son of his illustrious father, the late beloved president Ramon Magsaysay.
It’s possible that this cherished tradition of emulating and being loyal to the cause of your parents is something that bothers GMA a great deal. Her father, the late president Diosdado Macapagal, was known for simple living and he even made simple living the hallmark character of his presidency. GMA’s extravagant foreign trips, best exemplified by that $20,000 US dinner, betrays that valued President Diosdado Macapagal legacy.
If there is an applicable context for Noynoy to be his own man, it would be not to allow the power brokers to influence or control his presidency. But then, by doing that, Noynoy would be emulating one of the sterling examples that his mother, Cory C. Aquino, left behind. As a president, Cory showed that she was beholden only to the Filipino people for her ascendancy.
There are at least two reasons why Olivar was prompted to spout that ordure of his about Noynoy being his own man and that Noynoy should be “independent” from the great legacy of his parents.
One is because the Palace denizens are smarting from the devastating remark Noynoy made during the Ayala Avenue August 21 commemoration of the assassination of his father Ninoy which led to the historic People Power Revolution. Noynoy called to task the administration offer to erect a Cory statue at the Luneta. Noynoy said that the monument is a hollow gesture if not accompanied by sincere adherence to Cory’s democratic ideals.
That, of course, is very embarrassing to GMA because she has become the antithesis of the democratic ideals of Cory Aquino as well as the opposite of the great personal qualities of the late woman president. Out of sheer Christian charity, we shall not belabor those issues anymore.
The other reason is because the administration has realized that Noynoy has an inside track to the 2010 presidency. The more seasoned political watchers have been saying this. It does not take a genius to recognize the resurgence of the “Yellow Fever” that catapulted Cory Aquino to the 1986 presidency in the public turnout for the wake and the funeral of the beloved late woman president.
Olivar is attempting to sever from Noynoy the “Yellow Fever” political factor that will surely devastate any political force that stands in its way. The regime fears that this “Yellow Fever” which only Noynoy can command will rally People Power to thwart any last minute attempt by GMA to remain in power via any of those administration plots that have long been the topic of media analyses and political forum discussions.
Filipinos want Noynoy as president precisely because they desire to inherit the fruits of Ninoy’s and Cory’s legacy. Filipinos want Noynoy as president because the legacy that he now represents can best erase the bitter experience with GMA during the last 8 years.
To try to separate Noynoy from the legacy of his parents is nothing but ordure being dished by a ‘sphincter’ of the Palace.
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