Smoke signals then, now social media

The last time I watched movies was decades ago. There were few theaters then. I am sure that the Millenials, (1981-1996) those born after us the Baby Boomers (1946-1964) and Generation X (1965-1980) would be surprised to know that the theaters we considered best were “air-conditioned.” Memory tells me that among the supposed best theaters we had carried the name MOVIE for Majestic, Oriente, Vision, Ideal and Eden.

I preferred to watch western films such as McKenna’s Gold starring Gregory Peck the plot of which, if I remember it correctly, involved American settlers being hounded by Apache’s. Smoke signals were almost always part of the production of such movies. Being a form of visual communication that could travel over long distances, smoke signals were the oldest forms of long distance communication and to thicken the movie plot, were used to warn others of enemy attacks.

Social media have completely replaced the antiquated smoke signals as a form of communication. Not only do social media carry information over vast distances, the way smoke signals functioned, they even bring to life stories that are buried deep in the pages of the forgotten past. Two such FB posts popped up in my cellphone the other day. They were political in nature featuring senatorial re-electionists Imee Marcos and Bong Revilla.

The FB post on Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios "Imee" Romualdez Marcos-Manotoc is unflattering. It quoted a case lodged in Hawai, U.S.A, a portion of which mentioned the kidnapping, torture and murder of a student named Archimedes Trajano and reported that Imee Marcos, through forces under her control, caused Trajano’s wrongful death in 1977. The US court granted a huge monetary award as damages in favor of the Trajanos and which they filed in a Philippine court for enforcement in 1991. The regional trial, in 1994 favored the Trajanos and this was apparently affirmed by the Court of Appeals in 1997. Unfortunately, on the technical ground that Marcos was not served a copy of the Trajano petition, the Supreme Court reversed the lower courts’ decision. That is the least I could get from the FB post. The social media, no longer just the smoke signals, indicated in my mind who ordered the murder of Archimedes Trajano.

The other social media which I got few days ago showed a mugshot of Senator Ramon Bautista Bong Revilla Jr. taken in 2014. He was under arrest for alleged plunder. But, I was disturbed to see a picture showing a smiling actor. In my years of litigation, I had always seen a glum imagery of a criminally accused individual. The internet reported that Revilla was accused of pocketing P224 million in kickbacks from fake projects with the help of businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles. Accordingly, PDAF scam whistle-blower Benhur Luy claimed he transacted with the offices of Revilla, who hid under the moniker "Pogi.” Of course, we learned of Revilla’s eventual acquittal. Without the social media a modern version of smoke signals, I would not have remembered the pillage of people’s allegedly by this re-electionist senator.

In the old movies, the smoke signals would be interpreted differently by the opposing camps. Gregory Peck’s group would claim that the pursuing Apaches were still far away but to the native Americans the signals were a declaration of attack. From the social media post, I have read of the decision of our highest tribunal saying that Marcos was not properly notified and so the Trajano petition to enforce the American court’s decision should be dismissed. It did not say Marcos was in no way connected to the murder of Trajano. On the other hand, the social media reportage on Revilla, the court eventually ruled that the senator’s signatures were forged. That was the reason Revilla was acquitted of plunder. Be that as it might be, why was he required to return to the government ?124.5 million (US$2.53 million) in civil liability. Here the social media came to hint a better understanding of his case more than the smoke signals of his culpability.

Sorry Ms. Marcos and Mr. Revilla, I will not vote for candidates with dubious character as social media reveal.