Desecration of the Anthem

Ex-Speaker Jose de Venecia is reportedly going to deliver a tell-all privilege speech in Congress sometime soon, maybe this week. Rep. Luis Villafuerte, of the President's party, Kampi, has countered that he is also ready with his own exposés against the former House leader. This could be the best thing that ever happened to the country – when all wrongdoings, all anomalies that have been happening will be revealed by people who have been closest to the action, maybe part of it all the time. Perhaps we will all know the truth at last.

* * *

It came out in yesterday's news that Malacañang is not going to stop its people, especially the cabinet members being summoned by the Senate, from coming out to answer questions from the members. Of course they now have the courage to do so, and, I hear, they will no longer seek cover under Executive Order 464. There will be dozens of them giving their statements, against only one person, a lowly functionary, who is not even on the same level as they. Demolishing his declarations will be easy, they probably believe.

* * *

Anyway, the show goes on again today and Filipinos are all geared up to listen to the interrogation that will take place. Will the cabinet members be the ones interrogated? Have they put their acts together, having the entire weekend to prepare? If Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr., or J Lo is lying, he will surely be tripped up by the number of cabinet members and police officials who will also be making their statements, or defenses there.

* * *

One thing J Lo must be ready for are the numerous charges that will be filed against him in court. They will surely rain down on his head in the next few days, starting with the ones the lawyer of former Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos has been waving before the TV cameras. More and more charges can be expected, and Lozada should be ready with his lawyers and possible bail. And also, he should ask those nuns and brothers to be ready with their prayers.

* * *

One thing good coming out of this is that even cases of blatant graft and corruption that seem to have been swept under the rug already, are being dug out again. In its editorial last week, the Daily Inquirer again brought out the unfinished business on the investigation of such scandals as the P1.3 Billion spent on the purchase of the useless vote-counting machines by the Comelec which have been gathering dust and has been declared an illegal purchase by the Supreme Court. Also dug up again was the infamous and highly scandalous fertilizer scam, where P728 million, supposedly intended for fertilizer, was used to fertilize voters! Until now the ringleader, a certain Jocjoc Bolante is still abroad, that is why his cohorts here are breathing easier.

* * *

Meanwhile, our country is in the international news again because of the decision of an American court requiring the Philippines to pay the taxes due on its properties in New York City . The unpaid taxes allegedly add up to some $19 million, and the court will not accept our lawyers claim that such properties should be exempted from taxes. The court noted that the properties are not being used purely for diplomatic purposes, that is why they are taxable. It was pointed out that there are apartments and commercial establishments in those properties.

* * *

When I arrived at the site near the stage at Lacson Street where the merry-making for the BacoLaodiat was going on, somebody immediately told me that I would have been appalled if I had been there when the Philippine National Anthem was sung. She said the anthem was desecrated again, because the singer not only stylized it – which is a violation of the law – but also sang it like a dirge, which would have made its composer turn in his grave. Not only that, I was also told, the singing was interspersed with the recitation of a pledge, which is another serious violation. Whoever directed that must not have read or heard the denunciations in the media of the stylization of the country's national song. Obviously those who did that do not belong to the academe, for surely their attention would have been called to the desecration. Let's hope this does not happen again.*

back to top