Think about it
Gina de Venecia, a shoo-in for the senate
By Jun Velasco
‘Do not say ‘it is morning, and dismiss it with a name of yesterday. See it for the first time as a newborn child that has no name’s Rabindranath Tagore.
OVER a cup of coffee in Ortigas, San Juan last week, Manila Times publisher Dante Ang, one of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s effective campaign managers for the presidency, regaled newsmen that among the prominent names being groomed for the senate, Gina de Venecia is in the top 5.
The voters’ liking for Gina was again confirmed by a professional poll group that worked for then presidential candidate Fidel V. Ramos.
Former President Erap Estrada says the same thing. He handpicked her to be in his senatoriables list.
What does this mean? It means, it won’t be Gina who will run in the Fourth District congressional district, that is, if the family’s political tactician, Rep. Joe, would allow. It would have to be Joey 3.
But in all our meetings, the whistle blower said he had made his decision – the senate, not the House.
We saw how the erpat marshaled the best arguments to make him change his mind, recalling the congressional beginnings of presidentiable Chiz Escudero and Allan Cayetano, who are now outstanding senators.
But Joey would not hear of it. Our companions – Dan Nino of the Philippine News and Asian Journal, and Ted Molina of the Philippine Star – were surprised at the young one’s obstinacy. Would this mean, they wonder, there would be two de Venecias gunning for the senate?
That’s disaster, and JdV would not allow it.
In the meantime, Land Transportation Chief Art Lomibao has his congressional plans all sawed up, the post JdV is about to vacate. Mutual friends would not want a De Venecia and Art Lomibao to run on collision course.
Like General George Patton, Art believes that to hurdle the mighty odds, he will have to bone up with the minutest detail given the caliber of his opponent. But we believe more in Xan Tzu who says that the best warrior is one who wins without fighting.
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As a journalist, we find the lavish space and television time some media outfits give the “sexcapades” of actress Katrina Halili and Dr. Hayden Kho a tough nut to crack.
Not far behind, one very popular broadsheet plays up premature political combats in its headlines, as if there are o meaningful or substantial news stuff they can whip up to serve the public interest.
We readily deplore sensationalism although it sells even while it destroys the nation’s moral fiber. And then we blame Gloria Arroyo, the politicians and the corrupt for our nation’s devastation.
The decadence of our culture should be a responsibility of the media — it’s over indulgence in “what sells.” The media are the first to blame for a country’s downfall. We are what we see in ourselves, and the media being our own mirror are not giving us the correct push to greatness. Under the circumstances, our sensationalist media are slowly but surely bringing the nation to its graveyard.
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Barangay Captain Angel Gumarang is in a bind. A group is seriously pushing for the conversion of Bonuan Gueset into a town in light of its size, sheer number of residents and voters. The kapitan with the angelic name is eyeing a councilor’s seat in 2010, but his lucky star is pushing him to a new path, an executive post.
Oo nga naman.
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