Joker: an old knight in political chains

There was once a noble knight who pledged his undying love and loyalty to a fair maiden. She in turn gave herself to him in marriage and loved him with all her heart. But in time, the knight was seduced by a powerful queen. He abandoned his wife and joined the queen and her minions even as they ravaged his wife’s home and village. Wounded and heartbroken his loving wife tearfully asked, “Where is the old noble knight that I love?”

I hope the medieval allegory helps clarify why some of us have been asking, “Where is the old Joker Arroyo?” Alas, Joker has gotten too accustomed to the dark side that his heart can no longer see that those who care to ask that question are actually people who love and still have hope in him. For instance, in his letter to the editor (Inquirer, 8/29/11), Harvey Keh “voted and believed in” Joker and clearly expressed his hope that Joker “would have a change of heart and have the courage to fight for the truth as he had promised… and send corrupt leaders to jail.” Keh’s letter was like that from a son beseeching his father to unshackle himself from debauchery and return home to his loving family.

But Joker’s camp responded with a ferocious rebuttal (Inquirer, 9/16/11) and redefined Keh’s plea as “dishonesty at its worst.” Joker and his camp bludgeoned Keh’s character, and portrayed him as a “prevaricating, malicious, disingenuous, pretentious and intellectually dishonest” teacher. They asserted that Joker never “asked” his colleagues to stop investigating the scandals involving “First Grafter” Mike Arroyo, but just properly “cautioned” his peers that committee hearings had been lethal to resource persons and committee reports were “valueless” in criminal cases; thus, it was “very demeaning for the Senate” to conduct investigations to produce such “valueless” reports that only cause people to kill themselves. So it’s quite true that Joker was just “cautioning,” but for all intents and purposes, it was the equivalent of putting up a sophisticated roadblock (spikes, barricades, shotguns and all) to shrewdly stop the investigation of another “FG” scandal. Joker’s sword and razor-sharp mind still serve the dark side, though I feel he is no lord there but a slave in political chains and shackles. And this is why I still love him, because I believe being an old political slave who is trapped, compromised and conflicted isn’t the way he really wants to live out his years or be remembered.

What hold do the dark lords have on our dear senator? What skeleton is there in his locked closet, to which they have a duplicate key? Whatever it is, we will forgive—if he resolves to fight his way out of political bondage and return home to the ideals he used to hold dear, and to the God and countrymen to whom his love, loyalty and sword rightfully belong.

Senator, these are your twilight years, and we leave a light in the window for you. We pray you find your way home and become once more a noble knight of our republic. Be free, young and righteous again, in a blaze of glory, if need be.

—ERNIE LAPUZ, [email protected]