Jerry on old job: A choice between homicide and suicide

He knew it was time to say goodbye when "homicide or suicide" seemed like great stress relievers.

In his final press briefing yesterday, former Presidential Spokesman Fernando Barican jokingly told reporters that "homicide or suicide" were his only choices whenever he felt stressed during his stint at Malacanang.

"And I thought homicide was always the better choice," he laughed.

He said his experience at Malacanang would serve him in good stead when he decides to return to the private sector "to do some lawyering and a little writing."

"I won't miss the stress," he said. "I won't miss the columns or the articles that sometimes I felt were unfair, and I didn't have the opportunity to respond because it was pointless probably to respond. I won't miss that."

He said it was a very exhausting and enriching experience to have worked for President Estrada at Malacanang and that he was amazed that people worked well despite the intrigues.

"I think there's some of that (snakes) because this (Malacanang) is a center of power and because of the human condition," he said. "There's different interests and there are different personalities involved, but basically, more than that, what amazes me is how well people work despite the intrigues."

However, Barican said he would accept the job of presidential spokesman "without doubt" if it were to be offered to him all over again.

"Everyone ought to try a stint in government," he said. "It teaches you a lot of things, it teaches you a broad perspective, it makes you a better writer, it would make you a better journalist. It's a good thing to do and everybody who has a chance ought to take that chance."

Barican said he is sad to leave because he has so many friends in the Palace, who had been with him "through good times and bad."

"I'm somewhat at a loss of words, perhaps for the first time in two years," he said. "You've formed bonds of friendship -- the press corps, my staff, people in the Palace, so I'm sad to leave people that I've gotten to know very well in a very difficult condition in the last two years."

He said he plans to write a column entitled "It's My Turn," but he could not say for which newspaper he would be writing, and that from now on, his life would be like a "slow-motion film."

"I was a spokesman, I was limited to that role, at the same time, it was a very serious responsibility and I had to carry it out," he said.

Barican made his final rounds of Malacanang offices yesterday.