Tell it to SunStar: Hullabaloo and hearings: Who is crazier?

Why overdo things? No additional evidence is needed where the evidence is overwhelming and open to convict (in court and elsewhere) a person who is admittedly guilty of what he is being accused of. Former president Rodrigo Duterte’s publicly known “revelations” in the hearings made everyone in the session halls of Congress appear like comic priests and bishops in the confession booth. The House of Representatives’ Quad committee investigation on the “drug war” on Wednesday, November 13 and by the Senate last October 28 were futile and funny, counterproductive and zany, though the rest of their past hearings on the same topic were fruitful.

For what purpose was the appearance or presence of Duterte in the ongoing hearings of both houses of Congress when Duterte himself has been persistently and repeatedly transparent, frank, categorical, sincere and remorseless about what he did and his intentions vis-a-vis his deadly “drug war” campaign? Duterte has effectively made a mockery of them, our legislators, who are equally sincere but equally sincerely wrong as well, together with their respective honorable chambers. They have virtually given Duterte free airtime and his own show/program at no cost, with the latter as the lead actor. Who then is crazier? Needless hullabaloo.



While the Quad com and the Senate have made some good headway in the past, in their investigations of the “drug war,” especially with the bombshell of new major witnesses like Royina Garma who can serve as a star witness—the committee hearings, for their part, are now looking more and more like comedic flicks (or circus) and our legislators more and more like comedians (or clowns)—with Duterte as their invited hesitant, reluctant “resource person.” Did these committees aim to beat Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards in their blockbuster opening of “Hello, Love, Again” on the same day? Marahil ay tinatawanan lang ni Digong ang ating mga mambabatas. Pero sa totoo lang, lahat sila ngayon ay katawa tawa na, kasama ng “nililitis” nila.

Huwag naman ninyong gawin na motibo o oportunidad ang mga “hearings” upang magpakitang gilas lamang kayo sa publiko -- tulad ng mga kandidatong hayok sa Mayo 2025 na sobrang aga na nangangampanya. By the way, meron nga pala akong artikulo, dedicated para sa kanilang lahat dahil nahihilo na ako (talaga) sa aking pagda-drive sa kalsada, sa internet at radyo, at sa aking paminsan minsan na panonood ng telebisyon. Kakaibang uri ng hilo ang nararanasan ko sapagkat ang dahilan ay ang kanilang hindi katanggap tanggap na walang hanggang “kauhawan” sa kapangyarihan at ang kanilang pagnanais na “mapaglingkuran” ang bayan -- “Ngayon at Kailanman” (Basil Valdez).

The “drug war” was no war on drugs. Crystal clear. It was a war on the poor and small people—victims of society and government ruthlessness, madness and crookedness.

Alas, they made the victims, victims twice over as they made themselves hellish. Give Duterte and his “drug war” implementors and cohorts the process they denied their victims: due process. But get the ball rolling, and have it rolling quickly and seriously, fast and furious, dear International Criminal Court (ICC) and Philippine courts.

Work together as one to render justice to one and all and the motherland. Only then will the government make sense of everything that is fast becoming exceedingly funny (and grievous). What are you waiting for, dear BBM? The whole world has already made its judgment years ago, yet you, your officials and your administration seem to have yet to make the first move by “gathering evidence.

” “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.” - Proverbs 29:7.