The circus, the make-believe monkey you senators and witnesses, the money and the time spent on Jocelyn Joc-joc Bolante are now all wasted, his case is in limbo if not totally gone and in all probability, is now included as part of the long list of the “never ending stories” authored by some crazy pinoys.
The Philippine Senate, for whatever reason, acted just a bit like Pontius Pilate (just a bit because nobody washed their hands but perhaps some shady crowds heckled them), set free Joc-joc Bolante, one of the most unbelievable persons I have ever seen and heard, the person who effortlessly stood by his words that he did not do anything wrong, that Gloria had nothing to do with whatever he did to the P728 million fertilizer fund, that he did not lie and that everyone in that senate hearing except him and his alalays were all malicious people and liars whose intent was just to malign his clean reputation (or no reputation at all) and that he is the pitiful victim of the unjust Philippine system and society and not the poor people who were deprived of the benefits from the multi-million peso fund.
Not content of being just a bit like Pilate, for whatever kinds of judgment or kindness they may have, the Senate went further, acted again, just a bit like Santa Claus (just a bit because the real Santa is making a list, checking it twice gonna find out who is naughty or not – which the senate failed to find out), Senator Dick Gordon without the usual red uniform and bird beard, sent Bolante off with a wish, “You will have a Merry Christmas,” whatever that means, literally, figuratively or financially.
Of which, it makes me wonder and think that, although Bolante made an expensive monkey out of them, the Senators were happy to reward him of freedom because for all intent and purposes, in aid of legislation or not, personal or otherwise, they learned a lot from Bolante.
That sooner or later if they become one like Bolante (who knows, perhaps they are all like him already), all they need to do is act like Bolante.
After all, in a country where people act like savages and kill each other for a penny or in a simple traffic incident, people who are fast in lynching a small time hold upper, snatcher and robber, people who are more curious about showbiz chismis, people who are stupid enough to elect corrupt politicians again and again, people who don’t mind being robbed face to face by the people they elected, people who don’t mind being sold (his country as well) in a very cheap price, Bolante’s style of getting away is a great learning experience for all of them and an added expertise should the need arises.
But then, after what they have done and what they have failed to do, the bottom line is, who cares? Do You?
And who said that the turtle is smarter than the monkeys? It happened in the fable, but in our country, perhaps onli in da Pilipins, everyone knows it is not surreal but as always, it is so ludicrously true and real.
