EDITORIAL - Father and son

The father is not the son, and the son is not the father. This is best typified by the 7th place finish of Bongbong Marcos in the senatorial race of the 2010 elections, which is exceptionally high for a son with a father like he has as baggage.

In that election, Bongbong even placed higher than Serge Osmeña, whose family and himself were notable victims of martial law. One would have thought that in an election where the eventual winner for president was also the son of martial law's most prominent victim, Bongbong would have been a goner.

But Bongbong proved to be far from being one. And so, this should have been a neat lesson for the Binays -- the father and the son -- to learn from. The vice president (father) and the son (mayor) should try to think out of the box that like father like son.

Binay the father has a presidential ambition to take care of, so, blood is thicker than water aside, he should have stayed clear of the puerile antics of his unseasoned son. If Binay the son is old enough to be mayor, he should be allowed to clean after his own snot.

For Binay the father to say that Binay the son deserves some courtesy both underscores the obvious and the obscured, the obvious meaning the office, the obscured meaning the office is not the holder. The office is what it is. It is the holder that gives it problems.

It does not matter if the video starring Binay the son has gone viral because half of who made it viral can probably be traced to the house where Binay the father's real enemy lives. Even if it did not go viral, the incident should have stayed what it is -- the problem of Binay the son.

Binay the father has many problems of his own, the main one being it is still a long way to 2016, meaning there are just too many ways to skin a cat by then. He should not have gotten involved in the problems of his son. He got himself into it; let him get out of it.

There is little doubt Binay the father will eventually emerge relatively unscathed from this incident involving Binay the son. But with 2016 a universe away, Binay the father cannot afford to expose his underbelly each time Binay the son acts childishly. Or else the last laugh will come from the house not far away.