‘Dear Gene’ (Part I)

Thank you very much for your letter. I am not after any medical affirmation of Noynoy’s incapacity to lead our country. But I am sure you can share your wisdom and knowledge of Ninoy’s son at the time when you were in Newton (CNP: Newton is in Boston, Massachusetts where the Aquinos lived in exile).

 Ninoy’s apprehensions about his son are well known and that is what I reported on.

Unfortunately before I wrote about that, two psychological reports came out of the Ateneo. One, I think was a preemptive release to discredit the authentic one that was expected to be released.

Frankly I think, the discussion on whether it was signed or not is not the point. The contents are in so far as it can be corroborated by his own acts and personality difficulties that his own father was concerned about.

My source that you were close to ______________, was ___________another Upsilonian.  I think the psychological reports sparked a debate on whether or not Filipinos have a right to information that will affect their decision on who to vote for president. That debate itself has raised the awareness that a presidential candidate should not just be 100% healthy in body and mind. He has to be 150% to be able to pull the country together into better times. I hope to hear from you for any other details you may want to contribute to the discussion. If you want to google my article that sparked a debate you can google it in Philippine STAR. The title was “The Clincher.”

I would also ask your permission to print some parts of your letter for my column on Saturday.

Best regards. Thank you.

Carmen N. Pedrosa

*      *      *

Dear Ms. Pedrosa,

Thank you for this attention...tho’ undeserved... but I would rather not be another ‘witness to corroborate’ the imperfections of Noynoy.

I believe we have enough evidence in the open to convince a nation that Noynoy should best be left to himself...not running for president...and certainly not be used — not by his sisters, not by his relatives, and not fussed about by the media.

Unfortunately, the RP media abetted this yet another political aberration. It’s our culture and habit to promote the bizarre and the incompetent, e.g. Erap, Lapid, Revilla, etc.

We prefer to be entertained, it seems that  way. And this might sell newspapers, but it carries no responsibility.

 I could not believe,  for instance, the headlines that came out from both The Philippine Inquirer and The Philippine STAR  newspapers. They actually hailed the dramatic internal struggle of Noynoy to make a decision for the ‘big plum. Is there a movie about their cashing in on a huge political inheritance?

That’s right...the media played a big part in making Noynoy attractive to the millions of impressionable voters. (Gene: Please excuse my complaint, this kind comes naturally to me.)

Of course, it’s not lost in me that we (you & I?) might be that child yelling to the crowd that the king is shriveled in the head, and has no clothes.

But do we have to look back some 30 years ago. How much can we rely on Pinoy “kantiyaw” humor...things said in anecdotal bantering of small party of friends?

In MA (CNP: Boston, Massachusetts) then, I remember asking why...”itong anak ni Ninoy ang layo kung sumagot.” (CNP: translation: This son of Ninoy’s answers are so far-fetched)  but not in the presence of Ninoy, of course.

And the answer I got was: ...”kasi may kulang.” (CNP: something wrong with him)...which was consistent with what I thought was a missing bolt in his head. (It never occurred to me that he would run for president, let alone his mother, Cory!...years after. Cory, I think, was a disaster for RP.)

Thirty years since...I repeated the incident, and the answer I got was: “Ikaw naman...! ‘di naman gano’n ang ibig sabihin ng “kulang”. (CNP: That is not what lacking means).

And what did it mean? The explanation was that...he was “kulang sa pansin ng tatay”(CNP: lacked attention from his father) ....because all the attention was given to the (spoiled) youngest, Kris.

And this, supposedly, had a big impact on the “kid.”

I see...but not quite. I may get into EXPLANATIONS, but still this is not the DISCUSSION I want to get into with my friends. So I left this matter to rest.

Besides, it is a 30-year-old personal observation of a “kid”. Times have changed I’m often chided. Even some people are able to get out of cancer, so I’m reminded.   Today, I am further reassured, “Have you heard Noynoy speak lately? He KNOWS how to speak in public now.”

And is this why â€˜that kid’ is urged to run for president?! 

Regards,

Gene

*      *      *

Dear Ms. Pedrosa,

  Just when I think of giving up on RP...because it doesn’t want to be helped...I meet someone of your high stature — who is into saving RP (from dud leaders?). I am naturally encouraged again.

I am very pleased to receive a letter from you. Unfortunately, I have not met your husband,

Brod Bert’50, (who happened to be in the same batch as Ninoy in the Upsilon), but as a brod myself, I have heard a lot (good things) about the Pedrosa family of Upsilonians.

Brod Ramon’49 had sent to me some reassuring words before (in the Upsilon websites), and in my last short trip to RP last December, I had a long fun lunch with Brod Lito’62, who has been a good friend since our UP days.

To go to your inquiry, I am sorry to tell you that I do not have any medical information about Noynoy.

Seriously, I don’t hope to go into that route. I have always relied on my own (personal) observation and inference in evaluating a person, and that is how I form my idea of someone who should not even think of being president. I’m sorry to sound preachy, but I think it is time for us Filipinos to discern that way about candidates who simply “like” public positions, but which are out of their aptitude. 

(Paragraph omitted).

Personally, I think the Agulars, (especially the late Dr. S. Agular), are apolitical. But they are very loyal to family friends. The Aquinos are one.

In politics, I am more loyal to RP. That’s why Gordon is my candidate. This kind of difference tho’ would not separate the Agulars and my family. Our familial bond is beyond common understanding. Steve and I were ‘brods’ since the campus days. We are ‘ninongs’ to each other’s children, and so with our wives. Somewhere there is a mutant bond, I should think.

(Paragraph omitted)

Sincerely yours,

Gene