‘The House turned into an arena for the villainous rhetoric and mindless theatrics of these so-called representatives of the people.’
PRESIDENT Duterte is the first president of the republic who got elected without the support of Congress. He said so to the faces of the congressmen during his inaugural speech after his oath-taking before the two houses of Congress. He mentioned about three or four congressmen who campaigned for him. He had also threatened to abolish Congress so that the monstrous budget for its upkeep could be realigned for the salaries of teachers, soldiers and other government workers. It did not take a week before congressmen broke ranks with their political parties and formed a super majority coalition behind the President.
That was obviously out of personal benefit and outright fear the new Chief Executive would leave up to his threat to close down the legislature or any part of it though a revolutionary government.
Since then, he had the House of Representatives in the palm of his hand. The President knew he could parlay the hidden wiles of the “representatives” of the people bound by deep political, business and personal interests for his own ends. All that horse shit coming from Malacanang that Congress’ denial of the new ABS-CBN franchise was an expression of the sentiments of the people is taking all of us for fools in the face of the SWS survey that 3 out of 4 Filipinos favor the renewal of the franchise.
Allow me to lift a few parts from Wifredo Garrido’s fierce FB post titled “Like Hyenas Upon The Lion. “What reason is there to kill the lion of the jungle — which nurtures an ecosystem around it? A fount of charity, a source of news, a stage of entertainment, a mint of our modern culture, a cradle of careers, a trendsetter and, yes, an employer — upon whom thousands depend for their livelihood, millions more for the food for the soul, and the government, no less, for billions in taxes? What reason? None. Except malice… greed… envy. From the very start, it was a travesty of a proceeding with a foregone conclusion even as ABS-CBN ably and stoutly defended itself while its detractors circled it. The House turned into an arena for the villainous rhetoric and mindless theatrics of these so-called representatives of the people.
When they could not make any of the charges stick during the House hearing with ABS-CBN President and CEO Carlo Katigbak on the hot seat, the detractors changed tack and played victims. They cried foul over being called “tongressmen” on air. Or being denied the right to reply. Or one of them being caught seated on his butt while the national anthem was playing. And so on… a litany of grievances, real or imagined, that animated their beings as they tore upon a venerable company.”
Many police officers and men deplore Sen. Ronald dela Rosa’s disregard for the plight of 11,000 employees of ABS-CBN. It’s good, they say, that he no longer wears a police uniform while gloating over the workers’ sad fate. Dela Rosa has stated that the employees can just look for other jobs to survive after the ABS-CBN’s franchise was denied by Congress. A number of retired police generals are reportedly incensed that a former police chief, now a senator, has become exceptionally heartless and rude to his fellow countrymen during this pandemic.