EDITORIAL — Not such a bad joke after all

In this speech during a Rage Coalition event last Saturday, Davao City Mayor and Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) head Sebastian “Baste” Duterte joked that it might be good if fugitive Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa will be arrested so that his father, now detained by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity, will have some company.

“Gusto na naman nila kunin si Bato, ipadala doon sa ICC. Nalungkot ako, at the same time medyo masaya rin kasi may kasama na ‘yung tatay ko doon if ever that will happen. It’s a bad joke,” he said.

What a thing to say about a fellow PDP member and staunch ally of your own father.

You can probably imagine the look on Bato’s face when he heard this. The son of his lord and master saying it might be good if he was arrested so his father could have some company in prison. Even if it was a joke we don’t think Senator Dela Rosa would find it funny.

Bato risked his very freedom to vote for Alan Peter Cayetano’s leadership in the Senate, no doubt designed to influence the handling of the impeachment case of the vice president, Baste’s own sister.

It was not easy for him to resurface. We all saw how he ran up that fire escape, how he stumbled and planted one hand on a step, because he was so deathly afraid of being arrested. Now he is a wanted man after slipping out of the Senate with the help of fellow senators.

And this is how Baste makes light of his situation?

So why did Baste make that joke? To break the ice? To ease tension? Because he has a terrible sense of humor just like his father?

After hearing this, will Senator Dela Rosa still be loyal to the Dutertes? Of course he will; he is doggedly loyal, and that’s one of his redeeming qualities but also one of his faults.

But then again, it might actually be good for the former president to have some company in jail, if you get our meaning.

Think about it. What Baste said might not actually be such a bad joke after all.