Government as attack dog

This has been a week full of frazzled nerves and frantic moves on the political scene. I am referring to the Jun Lozada testimony before the senate regarding the ZTE deal involving the huge amount of $329 million, and the supposed kick-back of about $130 million.

That the matter bristles with grave potentials -- bishops call for a communal “action” against the Administration, a huge demo scheduled today (Friday) with ERAP himself in attendance, leftwing elements ratcheting up the voices for the resignation of the GMA. U.P. Ateneo, La Salle students are likewise up in arms. Where will this lead to?

In fact, as I write (February 14) a day of love, elements of the FBI barged into the office of Jun Lozada, admittedly without a search warrant. Apparently, a very big shot has assured them that they could do this without official repercussions.

But wait – the more massively the administration moves against Lozada, a lonely figure caught in a painful dilemma to tell what he know and bring on the ire of the administration – the more the public sympathizes with him. Lozada has become the absolute underdog. Even ERAP has called Lozada a hero.

Is Lozada a hero as many are claiming him to be? Is he a hero because he choose to tell all before the Senate in all that glare of publicity? Or inspite of threats, vastly credible, that he could find himself entombed in a barrel of concrete, stashed away in some God-forsaken corner? I don't think Lozada had any grand design to be a hero. It is very probable that he thinks that the only way to save his life is to tell all for the record. Who would dare kill him now and make his revelations the gospel truth? In any event, for all to see, Lozada had the aspects of a scared rabbit. The public understands his predicament. Most certainly, Lozada is no saint, but who can say that only saints can tell the truth?

In my book, Jun Lozada is a real hero. I am amused by the thought that it's the administration of GMA that made him a really big one. As I watched TV and witnessed two senators, Arroyo and Enrile, paragons of intellectual prowess attempt to down-grade Lozada, I am struck by the profound difference between Arroyo, Enrile and the relatively youthful Lozada and the young members of the Senate. Arroyo and Enrile belong to a generation that has gone, or is about to go. They represent a political past that was encrusted with the traditional political ills – corruption, abuse of power, violations of human rights and all the rest. I can sense that, somehow, in the present Senate – there is a more determined effort for change.

Of course, there is the idea that it's useless to change because change merely is a case of changing the old rogues with new ones. In colorful dialect: “Ati contra boyong.” This is a fatal attitude. It is total abandonment. It is an unforgivable acceptance and tolerance of an evil situation. If you meet anybody with this kind of mindset – stay away. He or she is really dead. They just forgot to bury them.

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FROM RALEIGH TO RENO : Vegas is a town for gamblers. Yes, because marriage is big gamble where sometimes the stakes is not money but your whole life, it's also easy to get married in Las Vegas . In fact there are many chapels, well advertised, that will marry a couple at the drop of the hat (after paying the required fee, of course). Witness to the marriage is usually the solemnizing officer's (and owner of the chapel for marriages) clerk or probably even the cook. A photographer is usually present to immortalize the event in celluloid. It's also relatively easy to untie the marriage knot in Las Vegas .

The reason I'm writing about Las Vegas weddings is that somebody gave us, Fe and me, two tickets to a show called “A wedding” at the Hotel Rio. I thought it was a show but it turned out we were to play our part as wedding guests in a “mock” wedding. The bride, of course, was radiant. The groom, a handsome actor. An impressive looking guy greeted the guests as they come in. He turned out to be the father of the bride. I recall there were songs sung. But the rest of it is a blur now in my head. Luckily, some wine was served in addition to the food. There was a group of Chinese from Hong Kong , it turned out. In our table the “invited” guests were from Wyoming or maybe South Dakota , I'm not sure now. We got out as soon as we could sneak out without drawing attention. Out in the Rio Casino, a show was going on. A big boat was drawn around, circling the balcony. A bevy of scantily clad girls were throwing knick-knacks to the public. Fe was gesturing for a souvenir. You know what, she was thrown an item but I don't remember if she got it.*

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