God is Watching the Mangoes

Varied imagery comes to mind every time I see photos of former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wearing a mask – if you call it that, a mask.
Among these images is the masked-face of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, made popular by the movie “Silence of the Lambs”. While Lecter, introduced in the 1981 thriller novel “Red Dragon” by Thomas Harris, was a cannibalistic serial killer, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is an alleged serial liar/plunderer.
Hannibal Lecter is fiction, authored by someone other than him; Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is real, a life that she mostly authored herself. Hannibal was a doctor gone insane, Gloria; some say is a patient gone malingerer.
Anthony Hopkins who played Hannibal Lecter in the “Silence of the Lambs” won an Academy Award in 1991. If Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is just acting, as some quarters are saying, she, too, may also win an award — probably from the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, also a man of Gloria’s own creation?
In fact, one of the smartest things that former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo did was to appoint the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court just days before she left Malacanang. Such appointment is deemed not proper to say the least. Such acts by incumbents are called midnight appointments contrary to the democratic and ethical practices of the past.
Ironically, it was the late President Diosdado Macapagal, GMA’s father, who revoked more than 200 ‘midnight appointments’ of his predecessor Carlos P. Garcia. The Supreme Court of that day ruled in favour of Macapagal. The current Supreme Court, stacked with GMA appointees, debunked the previous ruling also in favour of a Macapagal — the younger.
“Oh tempora, O mores,” Cicero lamented once in the Roman senate exasperated by the excesses of Lucius Sergius Catalina, an ambitious scheming Roman politician who wanted to restore his family’s political heritage along with its financial power.
What historical coincidence despite quite opposites – the older Macapagal wanted to correct the wrong, the younger Macapagal did wrong for her future interest. Oh, how a generation could change values.
The detention of GMA at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center does not end this story. A lot is yet to come as court battles loom ahead. The former president has prepared for this. She has allegedly stacked so much money and had place people on key government posts that the way to the ‘straight path’ ahead as the current President calls it would be thorny and very difficult to navigate.
There are anecdotal stories of how the First Couple has amassed money during GMA’s 9 and ½ years of presidency, enough to buy the presidential elections in 2016. She still has strong backers, coming from all sectors; she had invested on them with largesse huge enough to compel them to pay back — utang- na- loob is never dead.
And I tell you, the plot thickens as the mystery deepens. It does as the awaited ruling on the legality of the Joint Department of Justice and COMELEC panel that recommended the filing of charges against GMA hinges on the Supreme Court that has so far favoured GMA on all counts. It does as history tells us that in the Philippines, black could be made white, white turned black. And what is straight could be made crooked and vice versa.
Hannibal Lecter’s diabolical story may have ended as the author decides; former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has just begun. (She is currently writing her memoir, now at page 11.) Too bad, this is not just fiction. This is real.
Speaking of real, I made a real error in this column two issues back when I wrote “Ten Years Old and Growing”. I was tracing the history of the Philippine Press Club Ontario’s, how it started and who the first set of officers was. I missed Melinda Parreno Rustia, also President of Kol Hope Foundation, as one of the original board members. My apologies to you, Melinda.
The PPCO celebrated its 10th Anniversary at the Rembrandt with a modest but exuberant celebration. Close to 200 people attended the gala in a marking a historic milestone such as the tenth birthday of an organization of media people.
As a member of the PPCO, and in its behalf, I would like to thank all those who came to celebrate with us our tenth anniversary. I can only mention some of them: Ambassador Leslie B. Gatan, Consul General Pedro Chan, Mrs. Susan Chan, and Consul Edna Mae Lazaro. I was personally happy to see most of my PPCO co-founders: Tess and Ruben Cusipag, Efren Faldas, Joey Baking, Turing Muere, Nelson Galvez, Rodel Ramos, Joe Damasco, Carlos Unas, Rose Tijam, Melinda Rustia, Jess Cabrias, and of course all the other PPCO members. We missed Armand who have left us for a better world.
Speaking of another world, in the Philippines Filipino talent for innovation was highlighted recently at the Bayanihan Center, United Laboratories Inc., in Mandaluyong City, where start-up companies were honored at the Second Filipinnovation Award.
“The winners, who got cash prizes and gift packs, produced creative and economical technologies that would benefit the agriculture, industry and ordinary Pinoys here and abroad
Restive Allan Reyes of Metrobank Foundation, one of the sponsors, forwards humour pieces for teachers, as most of the participants are students coached by teachers:
Little Ana was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because, even though it was a very large mammal, its throat was very small.
Ana said Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher repeated that it was impossible. Ana said, “When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah.”
The teacher asked, “What if Jonah went to hell?” Ana replied, “Then you ask him.”
Another time, the teacher asked Ana what she was drawing. Ana said, “I’m drawing God.”
The teacher said, “But no one knows what God looks like.”
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, Ana replied, “They will in a minute.”
During lunch, the children lined up in the cafeteria. At the head of the table was a large pile of mangoes. The teacher made a note: “Take only ONE. God is watching.”
At the other end of the table was a large pile of cookies. Ana had written a note, “Take all you
want. God is watching the mangoes.”
May you have all the merriest Christmas and here’s a toast for a wondrous 2012!