P-Noy should take careful aim at Leila’s report

By Al S. Mendoza

THE ball is now in the hands of Paquito Ochoa, P-Noy’s executive secretary.

Jojo, as Ochoa is fondly called, is now tasked to review the report of Leila de Lima, the Justice secretary who headed the Noynoy-created committee that investigated the hostage crisis at the Luneta on August 23 that claimed nine lives, including eight tourists.

De Lima has recommended the filing of administrative charges against 13 people in the botched police operation when a crazed gunman hijacked a tourist bus packed with 25 tourists from Hong Kong.

The hostage-taker, a dismissed police captain, also died in the bloody, error-filled rescue undertaken by a SWAT team that was clearly headed by an inept leader, if not leaders.

P-Noy had shown De Lima’s report first to China and for this act, P-Noy had received some flak, notably from Sen. Joker Arroyo.

“Why please others first before your countrymen?” Joker asked P-Noy.

“You seem to be running the country like a student council,” Joker said.

I think P-Noy did not mean to please China more than us when he furnished China a copy of De Lima’s report.

He was merely trying to be polite and nice to the aggrieved.

If you do good, it’d be good all the way, no matter what.

China was the aggrieved and P-Noy, being the “father” of the “inflicting” nation, simply had to show his sincerity in showing the nation’s sympathy to the victims of the tragedy, which, in this case, were the Chinese.

And as to that reference to P-Noy’s “student council” brand of leadership, I think Joker was also off-tangent.

If it were golf, Joker would have been out-of-bounds on his tee shot.

What’s wrong with being the president of a student council, in the first place?

Many past presidents of student councils have proceeded to become great, courageous and principled leaders of this nation.

Therefore, student council leaders of the land, I command you, unite!  Come up with a manifesto condemning Joker’s uncalled for remarks belittling student councils!

As to Jojo’s urgent role of reviewing Leila’s report, I think it is best he gives it top priority.

And he should focus on the main menu: Leila’s recommendation to file administrative charges against 13 people perceived as the culprits that led to the bloody ending.

Isn’t Leila too harsh in her recommendation?

Were the lapses in judgment of the rescue leaders enough to put them on trial?

Who would we satisfy if we find even one of the 13 guilty as charged?

And, finally, who would “try” the three broadcasters, the three media networks?

What court would handle their administrative cases?

These are questions that need serious study.

We don’t need another boo-boo as P-Noy is still smarting from a black eye inflicted by the Luneta trauma.

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