ILIGAN City ― People by nature tend to make comparisons about things or happenings. Take what is happening to Sri Lanka. Hungry and angry people took to the streets. And then to the palaces of their President and Prime Minister. And succeeded in ousting them from power, these days.
So, people here compared it to what happened to the Marcoses 36 years ago. And then, someone commented on social media that a few years after, “this will all be tsismis!” Referring of course to some actresses’ comments about this country’s history.
But the Marcoses have come back. And another Marcos became President.
And this country will become “kamcraft” again? Look at what is happening to the peso; it has sunk to over P56 to the dollar these days. And the PBBM administration is again seeking more than a couple of trillion dollars in loans. Even if he hasn't warmed himself in the seat.
Yet we must give this administration the doubting benefit. For maybe it might be very necessary at this point? Well, hmm…let’s not be very judgmental at this point. For it was very necessary for the past administration of Rodrigo Duterte to get into the loaning mode. Because of Covid and because of the “Build Build Build” program. In order to build infrastructures, thus stimulating the economy. That really has to be stimulated. For it has sunk, sunk, sunk. to shocking levels And now, it has to be pulled, pulled, pulled up.
So one of the major steps being undertaken by PBBM is to focus on agriculture. With him as concurrent Secretary of Agriculture. And maybe, one of its thrusts might be “plant, plant, plant!” Using, among other things, the loans, what else. And maybe some more loans in the process? And then more loans? As in loans, loans, loans?
This brings to me mind some joke about some well, pretty, pretty, pretty woman who has become very very very selective in choosing a lifetime partner. And one of her suitors said: “Select, select, select until you become unselected!”
Well, the guy had a point. What happens when a woman grows old in the process of selecting “the right guy?” Lino, one of my friends said that at some point, “that” woman might say: “Give me a man, dead or alive!” Complete with a “ha ha ha.”
Back to the subject of the country’s loans.
People tend to look back at the loaned money under the past administration. In which a huge bulk of the mollah went to some obscure company but friendly with the administration, called Pharmally. And it would not have come out in the open, were it not for the investigative prowess of some “Ribbon.” Which wasn’t really a “ribbon” but a committee headed by some knot.
No, it wasn't some kind of knot like the “Gordian” knot. But by some senator then called Richard Gordon, he who was the chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee of the Senate.
Now, it is said that history repeats itself. As in, “repeat again once more for the nth time.”
Let’s just see what part of our history will be repeating itself. Or, will a “tsismis” be just repeated, repeated, and repeated once more by some “Marites?” And then by another “Marites?” And by another?
(Email: norasorino2@gmail.com)
