KOLOKOY

“What an impertinent answer!” Sen. Miriam Santiago almost screamed to the prosecutor when he failed to give her the answer expected of him. Lots of people who viewed the trial on Live TV cowered when the senator raised hell to the lawyers. A mixture of comments spilled on the social networks and even on the streets. Some even worried that Senator Miriam would have a cardiac arrest since she was under the careful eye of her doctors on hypertension.

But you got her. You may sound a bit biased since you admire her strength and intellect. But the way some lawyers acted and behaved on that court could really raise the blood pressure of a judge on her caliber. She was like a Chemistry teacher who assigned her students to differentiate acids from bases and the kids discussed about water instead. In fact Rep. Niel Tupas, Jr. led the prosecution team in showing some evidences prior to the formal trial yet he was not able to answer some figures asked by the judges. The Senate President also got slighted when he asked the court to be more… loose with the technicalities.

After two weeks, the proceedings became NOT the headlines on the primetime news. Meaning, the people’s interest started to wane down. The marketing strategies of the broadcast moguls started to be focused on other products/news which would sell… (like Grace Ibuna, the partner of Rep. Iggy and the former partner of Gabby, the actor, father of KC and the love interest of Mega some decades ago…)

That’s the problem with us, we forget easily. The stench of death in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro is still as putrid as nightmare yet we started to feast on other issues. But, why not? Aren’t we trained to be like that? How could we linger on these realities when in fact there are other things to face? And how could we remember when the TV is broadcasting on what they consider as the latest news which could be the foundation of our ideas and opinion?

You notice that there’s a slow demise of independent views on issues and even the creation of new concepts and ideas since we rely mostly on TV and immerse on the pre-conceived talk shows. The newspapers are struggling to survive since the young people are now browsing the news websites rather that holding the printed material. Independent thinking could only be developed if there’s an intellectual will to gather and dichotomize information. When we listen to the students in high school, they find it difficult to make stands on societal issues. If ever they could glibly say something, it comes out as secondhand information.

So how could we not be screamed at on the likes of Sen. Miriam who probably devours every law book in print? How could we not be among Vice Ganda’s “Madlang people” when we ourselves patronize the album of Jovit who did covers of Journey than the album of Noel Cabangon who tries to revive the lyrical genius of OPM through “Byahe”?

“You should have prepared a trial brief!” So goes the anger of Sen. Santiago… “Do your assignments!” So shouts the brilliant Chemistry teacher. And so you must.

You need to grab that book on the bedside table to exercise your brain rather than being catatonic on the pre-digested stuff on TV. You must introduce your brother to Patricia Evangelista this Sunday through the PDI.

And best, you need to face a personality as stressful as Miriam and be assured not to be said: THIS COLLOQUY MUST END!

(photo: egyolk.com)