'At one fell swoop'

After hearing the terms “Pussyfoot” and “Dim wits” readers have expressed a renewed interest in learning words or phrases that are out of the ordinary.

This week the catch phrase for news events is the phrase: “at one fell swoop” made famous by William Shakespeare. The term highlights how a bird of prey like a hawk in one swift act takes away your prized possession.

In Shakespeare’s case it was losing all his “chickens and their Dam” (mother-hen) “at one fell swoop” to represent the savagery of assassins. In modern day use, the phrase is applied to represent something swift, sudden or the unexpected.

The three news events that qualify under this heading are the following: Senator Mar Roxas withdrawing his bid as candidate of the Liberal Party for the 2010 Presidential elections; the gangland style execution of Jimmy Lopez, a prosecution witness in the Dacer-Corbito double murder; the public admission of Chavit Singson that he beat up his common law wife and her lover.

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Fate has undoubtedly been cruel to Mar Roxas. Among all the presidentiables, he was probably the most focused, most determined and hardest working “candidate”. Unfortunately all that was gone “at one fell swoop”. He simply could not break through his ceiling at being no. 4 in the popularity surveys and as a final nail on his crucifixion, Tita Cory dies but Noynoy appears at the Resurrection.

I however am still holding my breath. Somehow I can’t shake the feeling that the entire Liberal Party tele-novela has more than three episodes. Episode 1 was Mar announcing his withdrawal. Episode 2 was Noynoy inviting the republic to join him in his retreat. Ideally, episode 3 would be Noynoy announcing he will run for the presidency.

But what if God says “NO, Noynoy, NO”? How will Noynoy explain to the Filipino people? Will he now become Bishop and reinstate Mar Roxas as the legitimate Prince of Bamboo Camelot?

Whoever is the present media handler of the Liberal Party, he or she is certainly doing a fantastic job of spinning everybody’s tail. Unfortunately for them people are now quicker at analyzing the spin so now we hear questions such as: why make announcements before they even make decisions? Why call a second press conference to announce something that you have been saying all along (retreat first before decision), and could this be a ploy just to deodorize or fertilize the stagnant growth of Mar Roxas in all the surveys?

Whatever the Liberal Party decides to do in the next episode, they have to do it with wisdom. Even without prodding, people are already cynical and suspicious. From the looks of it, Noynoy has put his foot in his mouth by actually engaging the media and the public before making his “official decision”. The only writing on the wall for him now is: ONE WAY…..

If Noynoy actually hears from God and gets a NO, then Mar Roxas would be well advised NOT to jump at or grab the second chance of being the Liberal Party’s standard- bearer. He would do well to formalize and carry out a process of selection so that in the end the decision was one made by the party and not a game being played by boys.

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In true literary context, the state witness Jimmy Lopez who was critical to winning the Dacer-Corbito double murder case was executed “at one fell swoop”.

The execution of Lopez was done with such savagery that his killers also murdered his female companion who was an innocent bystander. The incident is now a toss up between what is worse: The level of incompetence of the Department of Justice who failed to protect their witness or the arrogance of criminals who fearlessly and savagely slaughtered a government witness?

The predators are convinced of their invincibility and ability to attack at will. They swoop down upon their prey and flew away believing they are untouchable. The execution of Jimmy Lopez is not just a message. It is an insult. It is a spit in the face of Justice. “At one fell swoop” the criminals have made our Justice system look like a paralytic woman.

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After decades of hard work and campaigning for “Women’s Rights”, the very public declaration and admission of Chavit Singson that he beat up his common law wife and her lover, has sent the feminist movement in the Philippines back into the dark ages.

Singson’s detailed and candid statements particularly on radio gives life to the many problems confronting our society and women’s rights.

First of all, it is clear that if a man screws around nobody beats him up, men get away with their cheating with no physical or financial penalties. Unfaithful women on the other hand get beaten up, ostracized, humiliated not just by their unfaithful husbands but even by their in-laws.  

Because men and the Catholic Church (which is predominantly men) won’t give women legal and financial relief from philanderers, some women have decided to do as the men do.

Because of the abuse and resulting loss of self respect, they cling to predators who lure them, fool them and use them. Sadly, a growing number of women have adopted the rule; “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”.    

Media organizations have not understood the situation and their role. By publicizing details of affairs, betrayals, or domestic violence like a press conference, we place a stamp pad of tacit acceptability to the situation or the act while completely forgetting our duty to protect the “children”. You fill air waves while breaking children’s hearts.

“At one fell swoop” Chavit Singson has exposed how little has really been learned and how little has been achieved, how much we are all suffering by concentrating on the difference of men and women instead of concentrating on strengthening the family.