It has always been fun watching news clips of foreign lawmakers engaging in fisticuffs and brawls. Sometimes the news would show a one-on-one fight. Other times it would be a riot among political parties attacking each other with chairs, books and whatever else they could get their hands on. These look like frat wars, except that those engaged in combat mostly have white hair or none at all.
I envy our Asian neighbors for having all the fun.
Not anymore. Looking at the Inquirer’s front-page pictures and reading its report on what transpired during the impeachment trial last Feb. 29 shows that “It’s really more fun in the Philippines.”
The Inquirer front page of March 1 showing Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago covering her ears and prosecutor Vitaliano Aguirre II doing likewise brought a smile to my face. But, the story headlined “Miriam goes ballistic again” was really fun. The article narrates in part: “Sotto, the majority leader, later told the Inquirer that the senators would take up the penalty to be imposed on Aguirre in a caucus on Tuesday.
“‘I don’t know if this is serious or not, but it is being suggested by Senators Francis Escudero and Panfilo Lacson that we place Attorney Aguirre in a room in front of a television set playing the videotape of one of Miriam’s privilege speeches.’
“Sotto said he was not kidding because ‘it’s being suggested, with a request that Aguirre would not be allowed to cover his ears.’”
Another article headlined “‘Wah’ happened?!” narrates: “I was not born yesterday. We will be studied generations from now. This is a travesty. I request the secretariat to record in the journal that I said, ‘Wah!’ she said.
“Santiago repeated this expression three times, her fiery eyes seemingly bulging out of their sockets.
“After the blast, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said that Sen. Serge Osmeña had asked, ‘What’s the spelling of Wah?’
“No one asked Santiago what that term of endearment was all about.”
Imagining what transpired based on the Inquirer articles left me in stitches. Senators Sotto, Escudero, Lacson and Osmeña have a great sense of humor and, if only for that, I will vote for and support them again.
Indeed, “It’s more fun in the Philippines.”
—ANTONIO C. PASTELERO,
E-1503B Philippine Stock Exchange Centre,
Exchange Road, Ortigas Center,
Pasig City 1605