Diet restrictions

While spending the holidays in Manila, invariably, my conversations with Manilenos turn towards the political storm now raging in Cebu’s Capitol.  Knowing my affiliation with Cebu, they are curious about the Governor, Gwen Garcia, and the newly-appointed acting Governor, Agnes Magpale, and my reaction to the case.

Since I know next to nothing about the merits of the administrative case filed against Governor Garcia, I have barely anything to contribute except to repeat the allegations of both camps against the other.  (And also, speculating on how the stand-off will end, considering that Gwen has holed herself up in the Capitol, and the police tasked with enforcing her suspension order have been denying the entry of food, despite exercising ‘maximum tolerance’.)

Judging which side is on the right is beyond me, unless I take the time to read the accusations and the rebuttals contained in a multitude of pleadings, which is how an informed opinion writer should conduct himself, but which is not something I want to spend my Christmas holidays on.  So, it’s just a relaxing break for now, limited to idle perusing of news articles and listening to mindless gossip on the issue.

However, this inattention isn’t exactly pointless.  It has its own rewards because I found myself noticing even the most immaterial things.  The benefits of not being in the midst of the maelstrom, perhaps.

For example, we suddenly notice all the newspapers and TV stations making sure that Agnes Magpale’s maiden name is always included when they identify her.  Whereas a couple of weeks ago, they would just simply mention her married name, now it’s always ‘Agnes Almendras Magpale.’  The press would never have done this before were it not for the claim by the Garcias that the suspension order is a power grab attempt by the Administration, pointing to the link between Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras and sister Agnes.

What’s slightly more irrelevant to the merits of the suspension, is the fact that the father and the brother of Governor Garcia voted against the Reproductive Health bill, President Aquino’s pet.  Yet for some reason, without explaining why it needs to be mentioned, the press have included this tidbit in its news on Governor Garcia’s ordeal.

Is it because the press is buying the theory on this being a vendetta against the Garcias?  Governor Garcia is decrying the fact that she has only six months left in her term, so why is the accusation against her, filed by an opponent who has been deceased for a couple of years, suddenly revived, and given credence?  That’s the only plausible reason why the voting of the Garcia relations could fit into news coverage on Gwen vs. Agnes.   Or is the press just adding fuel to the fire?  Or a remote possibility, the paper just needed a couple of sentences more to fill in the column space?

The timing of the suspension order is a pity in more ways than one.  If this controversy had happened a year ago, Gwen Garcia would have gained national exposure that could have fed her decision to run for the national post that is the Senate.  As she wasn’t doing well in the surveys, to the dismay of her supporters, she decided to run for a Congressional post within her stronghold instead.  Given the explosion of coverage now being devoted to her, how would Governor Gwen be doing now in the surveys if she had filed her candidacy for Senator?

Idle speculation.  And useless, much like the extraneous details we are kept fat on.   What’s more important for the public, I surmise, would be a deeper probe into exactly why the suspension order was meted out.  Is there really substantive basis to the punishment?  What would that be?  Until now, the facts are hazy, and it would be good for the press to give us lazy readers a breakdown of the juicy meat, instead of irrelevant morsels.

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeals has a pending request for a restraining order before it.  That venue will also look deeper into the legitimacy of the suspension, and we can get more meaningful analysis from it as well.  (And hopefully, a decision comes soon enough for the entrenched camp to be able to eat.)