I watch political debates to get to know the candidates better. In the recent TV face-off between Sen. Koko Pimentel and Migz Zubiri, the latter, in a moment of hubris, revealed a lot about his true self.
Instead of debating on the issue of electoral reform and cleansing the elections, Zubiri resorted to personal attacks against Senator Pimentel, dragging Pimentel’s estranged wife and their two sons, who are both minors, into the debate. It was a clear act of desperation on the part of Zubiri to deflect the electoral cheating issue that continues to hound him and instead drag private people, including minors, into the picture!
In the beginning of the show, I wanted to give Zubiri the benefit of the doubt: that he only benefited from, but didn’t know about, the cheating. But his action and words revealed that he is willing to do anything, including destroying an already troubled marriage and dragging two young boys in the eye of political mudslinging, just to get himself a Senate seat.
This is not the kind of “Bagong Pulitika” that we wish to see happen in our country. This is a huge step backward.
—HEIDI JEAN I. MONTAOS,
heidijean_m@yahoo.com