PGMA's Robert de Niro

Outwit, Outplay, Out-News?

In celebration(?) of the advent of Survivor to the Philippines, I am using its famous tagline as subtitle. Varied a little, of course.

Everywhere I look, all, I see is rice, rice, and more rice. Am not referring to the Purefoods import, the novel writer, nor the US Dept head. I'm referring to this staple food we Filipinos were born to love. This unassuming grain has taken the limelight from ZTE star witness, whistleblower Jun Lozada. It has indeed taken centerstage, so might as well blog about it.

Beyond all the facts that show the presence of the rice shortage, I think the reason behind all this hyped-up sensationalized Rice Crisis is the interest of the administration. PGMA herself. What I'm saying here is that before this so-called "crisis" the news of Lozada, Abalos, ZTE, and the million dollar commissions were at the top of the evening news. All bad press for the outgoing president. Her solution: create an issue that is bigger and can/will divert the Filipinos attention away from her, and her knight in shining surfboard, the First Gentleman.

What was the last thing I heard from the ZTE "issue"?

That Romulo Neri was using the so-called executive privilege and "protecting diplomatic relations" as reasons and justifications for not appearing in the Senate inquiry. That's bull. Why would we want to prioritize diplomatic relations when we should be concerned with regaining the people's trust and hope in the government?

In the film Wag The Dog, which we watched in our Political Science 11 class under Prof. Jalton Taguibao, the US president running for reelection was involved in an "issue" about a prostitute (Hmm, sounds familiar?) and to save his reelection bid, his "aide" (played by Robert de Niro) hyped up other news like, the US going to a non-existent, much-advertised war. 

So what's my point really? Whomever PGMA's Robert de Niro is, I congratulate him or her for succeeding in driving the people's interest's away from the ZTE anomaly.

And to Pinoys, here and abroad, wake up. See beyond that four-cornered device in your living room. See beyond the news. We are being (or trying to be) manipulated into thinking that this current president is a modern-day superhero that can alleviate us from poverty and save us from this Rice Crisis using her superpower called the NFA rice.

Let us not forget that finding a solution to the country's problems is one of her many tasks as president, and that getting commissions or signing "anomalous" deals, isn't.

Yes, we have mouths to feed, but we also have to remember that our mouths are not only for eating but for speaking as well. So speak up, and be heard.