Political Motivations

The last time I was at Kaogma was the time when Anne Curtis was the featured performer. It was hilarious in a cute kind of way. She was funny; and I think, despite how her voice is humorously presented, she could sing. There was a reggae night then with really good bands which I personally enjoyed. That was some years ago. I think last year, Jackque of Showtime was there. I think there was a time when James Reed and Nadine Lustre were there. I remember when a long time ago that the festival was a small fair held in Plaza Rizal. Then it grew to what is now the traditional celebration in Pili. There was a time when I didn’t mind much about it, but I realized that it was something the whole family could go to. Performances were quite wholesome. Interesting food shops were all around. It was something like a camp or a fair. No sort of serious violence has been reported then. So, I thought this is something nice. On a social context, I suppose it has some considerable economic benefits. Local commerce gets a chance to boom with the shops around the festival site. I imagine the transport sector getting a field day (or night) with the droves of attendance going to the Capitol Complex or the stadium even late at night. The traditional venue in Pili had been very convenient. So, what I don’t get is why isn’t it in its traditional setting this year? Tradition has long been established for it to be held in Pili. Or maybe I’m being too traditional. Maybe, since it’s a provincial celebration, it deserves to be celebrated around the other towns. So, maybe Libmanan, the largest town would sound good next year. Maybe Goa would be nice the year after that.

A week before the election, news exploded about Bikoy’s accusations against the Dutertes of involvements with the drug trade. Don’t tell me the Senate and IBP didn’t eat it up. The Integrated Bar offered protection and Senator Lacson called for a legislative inquiry. Come on; they ate it all up. Then Senate President Tito Sotto goes on TV presenting how the same Bikoy made similar accusations back in 2016 against the administration then, which happens to be then President Aquino, then DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, then DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima. Interestingly, the allegations a few weeks ago and three years ago bore all too striking similarities; only with a different cast of characters. Just like that, everything flipped for Bikoy and Senator Lacson called off the senate inquiry. In that time period before the election day, this Bikoy person became the ubiquitous poster boy for shameless shams. Whatever chance of credibility he had left went down the drain, without a chance of being recovered again. Regardless of the true truth, or maybe one of his varying stories is the actual truth, or who or which group is behind him, clearly, this guy is lying through his teeth, and does not deserve trust as far as whistleblowing of this kind is concerned. Now comes post-election day; this same lying __________ comes out again, now pointing his fingers on a different set of people. Now, what I don’t get is why are top brass police officials saying his statements warrant investigation; even emphasizing that the accusations were not coached by police but were his own word. Wait a minute, isn’t this the same guy who was figuratively hung on a tree with a big board dangling around his neck, that says in all caps, “LIAR”? But for some reason, police think there could be some truth in what he’s saying this time.

I remember a time when the 2nd district of Camarines Sur was created, splitting the former 1st district to two, the former 2nd district became the 3rd, then the former 3rd became the 4th; and the former 4th became the 5th. Then Senator Noynoy Aquino opposed it because it failed to satisfy the population requirement. But what do you know, it did push through and that new district was created. You may remember who became the first congressional representative of that new district. So, you get the picture.

Who remembers Nueva Camarines? It was this proposed new province that would separate from Camarines Sur. It was basically Partido area sort of seceding from the rest of the province, based on the premised that such split would beneficially hasten the economic progress of two detached provinces, especially the new Nueva Camarines. Oh, I remember the propaganda on this one. How the advocates and supporters fooled themselves on the utter necessity for the new province, and how a successful separation was very certain. Heck, the proposal made it all the way to the Senate, only to be blocked from the basket by Senator Antonio Trillanes who said something like, there was no need for the creation of the new province. Oh, how the local radio backers hated him for that. Mysteriously, after the elections, when L-Ray Villafuerte was not in the Provincial Capitol anymore. Everything about Nueva Camarines disappeared. So, what happened to that great need for Partido to become independent?

They have a term for this…. Politically motivated.

“People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives.” Proverbs 16:2