Senatorial patience

You have to give it to Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. He knows how to treat women.

The Ejercito/Estrada generation before him knew that, too. Except that some of them loved too many women. That’s public knowledge.

But I’m personally happy that Sen. Estrada is able to keep a happy marriage — to the former Precy Vitug. Startalk cameraman Richard Arollado, who had covered various events thrown by the Estradas, once remarked to me how Precy sings so well. “She just doesn’t sing — she sings very well,” volunteered Richard.

I’ve attended not a few parties hosted by the young Estrada couple, but I’m the eat-and-run type (blush). I only began lingering at their activities after Richard shared with me that piece of information about Precy’s singing prowess. Well, Richard, you can be an American Idol judge. You can spot good singing talent when you see and hear one.

When I finally decided to stay until the entertainment portion in activities organized by Lorna Tolentino, Ali Sotto, Amy Austria, Telly Garcia and the showbiz southern belles and gents (Tirso Cruz III and wife Lyn Ynchausti, Christopher de Leon and spouse Sandy Andolong and other couples from Parañaque), I often wait until Precy sings. It’s more than worth the wait. She can really sing — and sing well.

As I later found out, Precy was supposed to have been launched as a professional singer, except that Sen. Jinggoy swept her off her feet and married her. No regrets, obviously. They are blessed with beautiful children.

Blissfully wed (keep it that way, please!), Precy obviously knows how to keep her man. From Sen. Estrada’s end, we’ve been witness to how well he treats ladies.

The past several weeks, news programs had never been this exciting until the Senate investigation of the Ligots and the properties they claim they don’t even know they owned (give them to me if those are not yours).

Of course, everyone has an unsavory comment about the Ligots — about how they stubbornly refuse to give straight answers to even very basic questions during hearings.

Mrs. Ligot could actually have been cast as the mother of the lead female character in My Amnesia Girl. She would have been perfect for the role. Oops, I’m being nasty. No way to treat a lady.

This is why I so admire the gentlemanly qualities of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada while confronting Mrs. Ligot. Even if everyone around them is already screaming for blood, the senator keeps his cool and takes the extra mile to be patient at every interrogation.

I had been exchanging text messages with Mrs. Marichu Maceda about the senate investigation with the Ligots in the burner and she marvels at how diligent and prepared Sen. Jinggoy had been at every hearing. I agree with her. Even his questions are all very sensible.

And yes, his patience is extremely remarkable. Of course, he, too, had his own personal trials in life and it is true that from even something very bad can come something good. The negative he turned into positive and he’s now reaping its rewards.

Patience is a virtue that not everyone has. But he clearly has plenty of it now. Despite cries to nail Mrs. Ligot, Estrada had observed the decorum that is expected of a senator.

As spectators, of course, we are already losing our patience with the Ligot couple’s non-cooperation. But we are governed by laws and the senator has to go through the proper proceedings dictated by the constitution.

The exercise can be frustrating — with our blood pressure collectively shooting up. But that’s how it should be in an orderly society.

The Ligot senate hearings, meanwhile, continue to be top entertainment in primetime news. It has all the elements: Drama, suspense, etc. But mostly it is a comedy — a parody, actually — with the Ligots’ sound of silence and often farcical answers.

Thankfully, there is a lesson we continue to learn from those hearings, courtesy of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. He teaches us how to treat women properly.