Is there a Richelieu in Malacañang?

Whoever advised President Aquino to prioritize attendance at the Mitsubishi plant inauguration over the more seemly act of honoring the Fallen 44 by being present at Villamor Air Base upon their arrival must have a spark of a Cardinal Richelieu in his/her heart. Richelieu was the head of the Royal Council and chief minister to King Louis XIII of 15th-century France.

In the novel “The Three Musketeers” by Alexandre Dumas, Richelieu was portrayed as a crafty villain in the king’s circle, a clever politician and tactician. He was a close adviser to the young king.

Maybe (just maybe), this “Richelieu guy” told P-Noy: “Anyway, sir, we have declared a national day of mourning already and you’ll attend the necrological services tomorrow, so you may attend the Mitsubishi inauguration. We need it badly to attract foreign investment. And by the way, your necro speech is still being polished, so your pre-calendared appointment is still a go.”

P-Noy, lost but still lucid in the midst of a national tragedy where he was deeply, personally involved, relished the thought of the soothing company of a Japanese crowd—though for just a day—a psychological diversion from the “trouble” (aside from the untold public anxieties) that he had caused. Without thinking of the possible consequences, he took the “easier road.” So, with the blessing and calming reassurance of the Filipino version of a Richelieu, off he went to the Mitsubishi plant inauguration.

—ED SIMAFRANIA,

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