Propriety

Very show biz, very Pinoy, last Monday’s privilege speech at the Senate looked like the launch of the Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. for president in 2016 movement.

The head of what’s left of the Lakas-Christian-Muslim Democrats flailed away at his political foes, swinging wildly from focused to punch-drunk as he embarked on a tortuous trek toward acquittal in the court of public opinion.

Based on radio commentaries yesterday, Revilla’s counterattack appeared to have achieved some success. The most entertaining criticisms were reserved for BFF Noy and Mar. Commentators gleefully dubbed Interior Secretary Mar Roxas “Boy Sablay” and President Aquino “Boy Super Sablay.”

Revilla’s tirade returned national attention to the pork barrel scandal, and the case filed against him and two other senators in connection with the scam involving businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.

His principal defense is that his signatures appearing on documents presented as evidence against him were forged. But one of the supposedly fake specimen signatures he presented in fact looked quite similar to the one he presented as the genuine article.

He also slipped in the story about the alleged $30-million shakedown in the Metro Rail Transit. Czech Ambassador Josef Rychtar did not implicate P-Noy’s Ate Ballsy Cruz in the extortion; the envoy cleared her, and accused MRT general manager Al Bitangcol III of shaking down Czech firm Inekon. If Revilla had done his homework, he would have learned that Bitangcol, who is back at work, is the untouchable protégé of Boy Sablay, a.k.a. Boy Pickup.

Show biz Bong knows his pop culture: Pinoys ate up his “Boy…” name-calling. Of course Pinoys were also quick to use it on his dad, Ramon Sr., a.k.a. Pepeng Agimat, now also dubbed Boy Iyakin by irreverent critics who are unmoved by weeping fathers. This is, after all, a political dynasty built around award-winning movie acting. The dynasty was well represented at the Senate the other day.

Politician Bong, who is known to be aspiring for high office that is entrusted with state secrets, may also never be trusted again in political wheeling and dealing. It smacks of kiss-and-tell.

After seeing that entertaining camera phone recording of Boy Pickup driving the senator from the Araneta Kingdom to Malacañang, surely the impression of politicians is that one must always be careful when dealing with Bong Revilla: you never know when you might be on candid camera.

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Many people welcome the confirmation of speculation that Malacañang actively lobbied for the conviction of Renato Corona. P-Noy, however, made no secret of his desire to kick out the chief justice, even expressing his sentiments to Corona’s face. Even before assuming the presidency, Noynoy Aquino had railed against what he considered to be an invalid midnight appointment.

Where Revilla’s speech was damaging was in reviving questions about what the daang matuwid administration was willing to promise in exchange for Corona’s ouster. Revilla, however, mentioned no promised reward, even of an additional lump sum allotment or fund release after the impeachment trial was over. Instead he said, “I voted to impeach because it was the right thing to do.”

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who is also facing charges in connection with the pork barrel scandal, at least struck back by focusing the spotlight on the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and putting Malacañang on the defensive.

The congressional pork barrel, whose official name was (is?) the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), was widely seen as the most potent anti-impeachment weapon of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her tumultuous presidency.

If the PDAF could be used to block an impeachment, it could also be used the other way around. It was seen as the weapon that persuaded Merceditas Gutierrez to step down as ombudsman. The PDAF also helped Malacañang in realizing its legislative agenda, which is why P-Noy seemed as reluctant as lawmakers in letting go of the pork barrel.

No PDAF or DAP release was promised to Revilla by the administration, at least by his own account.

This probably emboldened Malacañang to come clean yesterday and announce that P-Noy in fact talked to three other senators to “explain” why Corona deserved to be ousted. Jinggoy Estrada had no comment. The two others, TG Guingona and Ralph Recto, brushed aside any impropriety, saying they met many times with the President on various matters in the course of the impeachment trial.

Was it meddling? Was it improper? Let the people decide, P-Noy said yesterday.

P-Noy is in trouble only if any senator will pursue a probe of possible bribery in the case of those who received DAP funds or additional PDAF, although several senators have said any fund release happened months after Corona was ousted.

One problem for daang matuwid is if Revilla’s speech influences debates in the Supreme Court on the validity of the DAP, which P-Noy wants to retain. Some legal experts familiar with budget laws say government “savings” have a specific definition under the law and cannot cover slow-moving projects – the reason cited for the release of DAP funds.

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What have we learned from Revilla’s speech? He can be a good speaker, with mass appeal, although his research is a bit sloppy.

P-Noy and his kabarkada actively lobby lawmakers, but this was widely suspected long before Revilla’s speech; he simply officially confirmed it. Is this bad for democracy? To borrow a buzz phrase yesterday, you decide. Perhaps one day soon, a Supreme Court justice will also talk of spirited administration lobbying to uphold the validity of the DAP.

Mar Roxas’ handlers need to remind him that this is the age of camera phones and CCTV, which can be cruel to people afflicted with foot-in-mouth disease.

And the main point: Revilla gave his side, but the speech did not establish his innocence. He may refute the story of whistle-blowers against Napoles. But the Commission on Audit, which has its own incriminating reports against several lawmakers, has said Revilla confirmed the authenticity of his signatures in certain documents.

In the end, Revilla’s speech was entertaining, but he will still have to face accusations of misusing public funds.