Think about it
Terrorism and media
By Jun Velasco
“The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil,” Proverbs 15:28
MORE than Conquerors club President Ashok Vasandani sent this text message to members last Friday:
“Sers, tomorrow we have special event, so pls., pls., pls. don’t forget to bring your original wife.”
What did Ashok mean by original wife?
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We condole with the Soriano family on the demise of former Provincial Hospital Director Jackson D. Soriano at age 56.
Last time we met, he said: “Kuya Jun, I believe a great Pangasinan has arrived with Governor Amado Espino as governor.”
We saw that a mutual admiration club in the two guys.
May he rest in peace.
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As we watched a DVD film, “Olympus Has Fallen,” our attention riveted to a series of terrorists’ attacks in our country and many places around the globe.
It was then that we saw on TV topnotcher Senator Grace Poe Llamanzares masterfully handling herself in a Senate hearing on the Cotabato massacre.
You could see from the senators including now minority leader Johnny Ponce Enrile and DILG Sec. Mar Roxas, who were doing most of the talking, that they were awed by Senator Poe’s flawless English, wit and presence.
In the film “Olympus Has Fallen,” which Architect Gil Estrada gifted us with, we were perplexed at the utter liberality with which film makers would subject the President of the United States (played by actor Gerard Butler) to indignities in the hands of North Korean terrorists.
Ditto with the maiming and killing of White House employees and the unwary public, the crumbling of the White House and showing the Star Spangled Banner in tatters.
Of course, the movie ended in the triumph of America, with an inspiring blurb, “When our flag falls, our nation will rise.”
There was a point in the film when amid a panorama of destruction, a disturbing thought gripped us: couldn’t the film have worked badly in our subconscious?
The film, for instance, would have left us devastated in the mind recording of the havoc, the pain and the wanton crumbling fall of the strongest building in the whole world!
Well, it’s just fiction. But psychologists have a word of caution on what you feed the mind. What you see and what you hear, and what you touch have a way of finding their mark in one’s deep recesses, including the sub-conscious which is the real collector of impressions.
At a FAMAS meeting in Malacanang, we cited the subliminal role of the media especially film in shaping a nation’s character. We suggested to the officers and Sec. Sonny Coloma that more initiatives should be encouraged in making films on the lives of our National Heroes and other great men and women.
Since there is no question about the power of media, we thought it should be handled with utmost care. The slightest scene, voice, word, suggestions should be shown to build rather than destroy.
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Mayor Belen Fernandez should be able to design a system to enable her to meet her several callers or visitors at City Hall.
This early, we have received complaints concerning her inaccessibility. Some would mumble, “wala na sila kasing gusto e, kaya wala na tayong importansia.”
Though we, too, were a recent victim—not her fault or that her of appointments secretary—we didn’t feel any let-down at all. But at hindsight, it’s true that this matter of handling people, especially the vast army of jobseekers, should be a politician’s top priority.
One politician we greatly admire for his enormous geniality is former Speaker Joe de Venecia. He had the time and, well, “creative patience” (Rep. Gina’s de Venecia’s favorite term) for everyone, attending to their minutest concern in every best way he could.
Maybe Mayora should brush up with management gurus’ how-to’s, like those from Peter Drucker, etc…. and retain the loyalty, trust and love of those who helped her become their leader.
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Former DENR Eleazar Quinto could be Dagupan City’s direct conduit to the President. His beauteous wife, the former Rina Kashiwahara, is the daughter of past Famas Best Director Lupita Aquino Kashiwahara, sister of National Hero Ninoy Aquino.
By the way, the son of former Councilor Emil Quinto and Barangay Chair Conching Padua-Quinto has just signed up with Foofadci (Fishpond Owners Operators Association of Dagupan City Inc.). He has an idyllic 4-hectare farm in Barangay Lucao, where one can commune with nature with abandon.
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As the barangay and SK elections draw nearer, we remember the KBs of Martial Law vintage.
In spite of Martial Law’s stigma, the KB’s showed maturity and patriotism albeit in the Marcosian niche.
Today’s SKs are a far cry from KB in talent, industry and devotion to work. Most of our SKs today are corrupt, poor copycats of their corrupt elder counterparts.
It’s best to abolish them!
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Barangay Pantal folk are still smitten by Belen’s magic (not Magic Club ha?) owing to the overnight popularity of Julie Ann Fernandez-Perez as pagani-ganin kapitan of her barangay. A successful fishing magnate, Julie Ann has become popular as Mayora Belen’s sidekick in barangay Pantal.
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At presstime, Maning Roy sent this text-message, “Congratulate our friend Ope Reyna for his election as Federation of NGO Associations of Dagupan president. Me, too, as director.”
The duo, Ope and Manny, are also inseparable pardners at the DCNHS Alumni Association.
The two former associates of former Mayor Benjie Lim invented the campaign battle cry, “Salat, Salat!” in the last elections in Dagupan City, which greatly helped in the ouster of Lim from the mayor ship.
Congrats, Ope and Manny. Painom kila.
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