‘Digs’ finally shuts up, retires from politics

After losing in the Senate elections and telling all and sundry to shut up, outgoing Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen is packing his bags in Congress and getting ready to exchange political bombast for some peace and quiet.

The controversial opposition legislator said he is now seriously considering permanent retirement and has advised the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) not to pursue any other protest actions to stop President Arroyo from assuming a full six-year term on June 30.

Dilangalen gained prominence in media at the start of the congressional canvass after his irate reaction to a note passed to him from the gallery by a supporter of Mrs. Arroyo.

The note contained the words — "Shut up" — which Dilangalen repeated over and over again, shocked anger forcing the words out of his mouth in a heavy southern Filipino accent.

The Maguindanao lawmaker’s peeved outburst was triggered by the refusal of other members of the House of Representatives to punish the woman who sent him the note while he was speaking on the floor of the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City.

Dilangalen’s tantrum of privilege was carried and replayed over all the news programs on national television.

Enterprising merchants later jumped at the chance to come out with novelty items, including t-shirts immortalizing Dilangalen’s outburst addressed to Deputy Speaker Raul Gonzalez: "Shut up, Mr. Speaker."

Weeks later, however, during the voting on the canvassing committee report, Dilangalen kept his explanation of his vote against the approval of the report short, for which he earned rousing applause from the gallery.

When asked by reporters at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) if he was indeed shutting up now that he is mulling retirement from the political arena, Dilangalen smiled and said he wants to spend the rest of his life in peace.

Dilangalen was at the Comelec yesterday to assist opposition mayoralty candidate for Cotabato City Neng Juliano file an affidavit in connection with an election case.

As for the KNP’s election protests, he said he is discouraging their presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. from making any more election protest. The KNP is claiming the administration coalition cheated in the last elections.

"I would not advise (Poe) to go the presidential electoral tribunal (to protest) because it is an exercise in futility," he said. Dilangalen said the process would take too long and cost too much.

"We already came out with our complaints but we would not be heard. It is always noted," he said referring to the terse and lukewarm response of "noted" made by administration lawmakers who chaired the joint canvassing committee to their complaints.

"As for me, it all stops here. I do not know about (Poe). But if I were to be asked, it’s over," he added.

Dilangalen, however, clarified that he is not conceding defeat and he even raised the possibility that a new people power revolt could still oust Mrs. Arroyo.

"But I would not advise people power because it is unconstitutional. It is mob rule but, according to the Supreme Court justices, it is okay. That is how their mindset is. I am now leaving it to the public," he said.

Dilangalen, who ran and lost as an opposition senatorial candidate, said he is unsure what he will do next but said he is yearning for a peaceful life.

"My life is really a quiet one. It is only in Congress where I make all the fuss," he said.

Dilangalen said there is a "70 to 30 percent" chance at the moment that he will never return to the rowdy world of Philippine politics. "There is little time left in my life and I want to maximize it."