stuck on you

There has been a flurry of reactions since the other day’s senate inquiry about the NBN Broadband Deal (not to be confused with bandwidth and the government's station, NBN Channel 4 as what happened to my Dad – all this time, he thought that the government tv station NBN was needing additional radio/tv frequency). The Black and White Movement gave its support as expected to Jose De Venecia III (or Joey but not to be confused with father, Jose De Venecia, Jr, the House Speaker). Speaker De Venecia stands by his son, and admits is torn between his love for his son and loyalty to the President.

FG Mike Arroyo through his spokesperson describes the younger De Venecia’s implication of himself as a blatant lie. The President dismisses his testimony as one vaudeville act. The sons, Mikey and Datu see it as just another political harassment that surely may affect his health. But what got me was the daughter Luli’s response; she saw it as a delusional action brought about by the witness’s past drug experience.

Well of course the presidential daughter has all the right to protect her father, but her reaction was not expected as it lacked her usual poise and composure. This newest allegation that perhaps her father became padrino in the NBN deal must have a struck a deep chord on Luli. Who knows - Luli with her brothers and Joey as sons and daughter from the same political agrupation could have come from the same social network.

I do not know how much and what kind of drugs De Venecia III did in the past. But if the person has been clean, why use his drug issue as a trump card against him. This seems to be an expedient excuse to negate a person’s story: dig up his crazy history and crucify a rehabilitated person. But of course, if all is fair in love and war, why not politics.

Usually it is the person who gets addicted into it that carries the stigma until thy kingdom come. These addicts may already have a troubled psyche to begin with. And to get out of it is an arduous journey that the recovering patient takes. And the person’s will and capacity to be an able part of society have to be acknowledged by everyone, maybe even by his adversary who may still have some remaining compassion for him.

There are many of them who are just eager and wanting to have a second chance in life, and it is truly a big downer if every curious action they take becomes suspect. It seems no amount of good they do and give will completely erase the stain of the past addiction. Yet someone has to take action that this kind of stigma be wrestled and diminished in a supposed humane and charitable society. And Luli who has a good head in her shoulders could have been more circumspect in her reaction, and instead counterattacked on other sensible issues related to the deal.

And if one really insists to be personal about it then Joey should have been criticized more on his atrocious hairstyling (well, not to be confused with his thinning hair as Luli had also so easily carped on).