Boom barat barat

Just got this text joke: "Team Unity has changed the lyrics of its campaign song "Boom tarat tarat" to — Boom barat barat, boom barat barat, kulelat, kulelat, boom boom boom." That, of course, was referring to Team Unity’s reported money problems and poor showing in surveys.

It is assumed that it will be the Genuine Opposition (GO) that will be incurring funding shortfalls. But now, even Team Unity (TU) is plagued with the same problem.

Resenting the lack of fund support, Actor Cesar Montano intentionally did not attend campaign sorties and was reported ready to quit the race considering the lukewarm response to his candidacy. Another TU candidate, Sultan Jamalul Kiram, had also grumbled about not receiving the money he was promised. There is feedback that TU prioritizes money allocations and winnability is an important criterion.

To compound TU’s problems, they appointed a big joke as their new deputy spokesman — this fellow named Tonypet Albano. As if this campaign had not already established a record for its shallowness, here comes this Albano engaging Genuine Opposition erstwhile campaign manager JV Ejercito in a cheap game of name calling and mudslinging.

Reli German was doing a fine job at setting the campaign tone for TU. He projected professionalism and was establishing a no-nonsense business focus for the administration Senate ticket. Spokesman Ace Durano projected the same responsible business caretaker party image for TU. Enter this Tonypet Albano and the image character of the TU campaign goes out of whack — out the window of the executive suite and down into the gutter.

In two face offs with GO’s Ejercito and Adel Tamano before media (and aired over ABS-CBN TV Patrol), Albano went into inane and demeaning name-calling, the cheapest tirade one can have in politics. Here we have the two representatives of two contending coalitions who want to run this country behaving like poorly educated schoolboys in a forum meant to discuss crying issues of the day. This shameful display of poor breeding of one Gago and one Tuta can only be a prelude of what this nation can expect from the coalition they represent.

"Gago," Filipino for ‘dumb’ was coined in derision meant for the acronym Grand Alliance of the Genuine Opposition. Tuta, Filipino word which means puppy, is the opposition’s mocking repartee for Team Unity Team Arroyo.

"Boom barat barat" indeed — 1 of every 5 Filipino households suffer hunger and the dominant coalitions can only engage in abominable cussing like "gago" and "tuta."

"Boom barat barat" indeed — military regular troops are in Metro Manila and people are anxious for an explanation as to whether there is a security problem that could justify the deployment. Despite the gravity of the issue, the administration and opposition spokesmen can only take each other to task on national television for being "gago" and "tuta" and nothing more.

I realize that defending Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) is indeed a daunting task. Who can defend someone who is not perceived by the majority of Filipinos as their legitimately elected president? Who can defend the record of a regime that has brought the country to the worst international rating it ever got for corruption and has earned world attention for the murder of close to 900 activists?

Defending GMA is a task for the glibbest apologist money can buy. And only the big payoff would perhaps prod a sensible man to take on the job. But in fairness to regime spokesmen Toting Bunye and Ricardo Saludo — both of them have managed to do the task with respectable aplomb. Has the Arroyo regime hit rock bottom that they now have to tap this Tonypet Albano?

Let’s not even go far. I am told that Tonypet Albano is the son of former Marcos man, congressman and now Chair of the Energy Regulatory Commission, Rodolfo Albano. I distinctly remember Rodolfo Albano when he used to speak for the minority during the Cory years. He managed to hold his head high despite having the unenviable task of defending the discredited Marcos regime. He was always cool despite the severity of the attack on Marcos and his answers did not worsen an already bad situation.

So what ever happened to being the chip off the old block? I see no trace of Rodolfo Albano whatsoever in this Tonypet Albano. Perhaps, like GMA, he is also in denial which is why he thinks that there is nothing more serious to discuss other than Gago and Tuta.

We can understand Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for being in denial over the SWS stat on hunger reality. She has long been infected by the denial bug. She denies that Garci ever existed and operated the 2004 elections for her. She denies the corruption and that close to 900 activists have been murdered under her regime.

When a mind is besieged by a series of major truth attacks, it can only try to benumb itself by retreating in denial.

You may e-mail William M. Esposo at: [email protected]