The events of the week came fast and furious.
We had gunshots in the Senate, multiple Senators yowling, thousands of police, a warrant of arrest floating around against a senator, said senator embarrassing himself before the whole country with his comedic caper alongst Senate stairwells, and most everybody glued to their phones for the latest updates.
What the citizenry failed to realize though, after the adrenaline evaporated and they succumbed to slumber, was that Senator Bato would skulk out of the Senate in the wee hours of the morning, evading possible arrest, and cower in his hidey-hole, there to tremble while he is hunted.
When the country woke up, it was another delightful day in the banana republic. Not only had the powerful managed to demonstrate to the populace that the rules don’t apply to them, they also began the usual process of gaslighting those questing for the truth.
The story strands are multiple. There are those focused on Alan Cayetano and how he allowed an accused murderer to escape under his watch. There is the actor-senator --an accomplice to the escape? Of course, let’s not forget the fugitive Senator Bato, who would rather skedaddle out of the law’s way rather than allow handcuffs to touch his delicate skin.
But what fascinates me (at the moment) is the mortal combat playing out between former Senator Antonio Trillanes and current DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla. To recap: after the barrage of bullets, Secretary Remulla came riding up to the Senate and tamped down the noise and the panic. He met with the hyperventilating senators and assured them there was no ongoing military operation. Everybody calmed down, maybe a few handshakes, and some photo-ops for posterity. And then, he went home.
Which was exactly the right cue for Senator Bato de la Rosa to flee.
Senator Trillanes went straight for Remulla’s jugular. “Very incompetent!” and a chorus of indignation from various legal luminaries and thought leaders echoed this. Trillanes’ point? Either Remulla should have arrested Bato right there and then, or assuming this “protective custody” invoked by Cayetano was valid, Remulla should have made his own arrangements to ensure that Senator Bato could not escape.
But Remulla wasn’t having any of the diss. His response? He dismissed Trillanes as a loser. “There’s a reason why Trillanes lost three elections in a row,” he jibed.
Perhaps, Trillanes did lose those elections. But given how he has been conducting himself, it appears as if today, he’s the victor.
Why would Remulla even refer to previous electoral losses? That’s the nature of politics. As Heidi Klum used to say, “one day, you lose, the next day, you win.” Or something along those lines. It’s an inherent risk in elections, where winning and losing is part of the ballgame.
But not many people realize this, and I’ve always harped on this to friends: what is truly important, to test the nature of a candidate, is to see what he does after he loses. Does he disappear into his private life? Does he continue partying? Or does he soldier on and render meaningful public service? Is he taking to task the administration for their failures? Or does he hunker down in his man cave, and show his face only when election season is once again upon us?
Senator Trillanes may have lost a few battles here and there, but give it to the man --he’s still slugging it out there, dueling with the goliaths. Persecuted by President Duterte, firing at the Binays, arrested while serving as Senator --this guy did not disappear. He was active in providing the International Criminal Court with evidence --way before we all thought the ICC would really do anything. He filed plunder charges versus Duterte father and son. He has continuously sought justice for the victims of the so-called war against drugs.
That, for me, is the mark of a winner, rather than a loser. For Remulla to direct our attention therefore to Trillanes’ previous losses is telling --Remulla doesn’t want to deal with the criticism that he dropped the ball. And how could he?
This round goes to Trillanes.