Malacañang jester Salvador Panelo boasted that Amal Clooney is his match when asked to react to the news that the international human rights lawyer is joining the team to defend Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa, (“Palace spox considers Amal Clooney his ‘match,’” News, 7/10/19).
All one has to do is Google Amal Clooney and be awed at how incredible her life story has been in many areas of human endeavor. On the scale of world prominence and esteem, she is right there between 9 and 10.
Pray tell, where is Panelo on that scale? A lawyer whom most everyone doubted could ever be more than just a joke in the exercise of his profession, before President Duterte plucked him out of mediocrity and ensconced in Malacañang.
He has long made a fool of himself by spewing loads of unbelievable nonsense to try to make sense of his boss’ basic nonsense.
And how dare he belittle a lay person’s ability to use common sense against all the gobbledygook he is capable of dishing out as a lawyer!
His hubris is classic: “If Maria and I get into debate, she would be pitiful because she isn’t a lawyer.”
If truth be told, Ressa makes more sense than all the tommyrot that comes out of his mouth. Seriously, what is the Integrated Bar of the Philippines doing about this pathetic excuse for a lawyer?
ROGELIO S. CANDELARIO
rodscan888@gmail.com