The way the cookie crumbles

If you have not seen much of Edwin Lacierda these days, it is probably because Noynoy Aquino has zipped his mouth up. And if you have not seen much of Abigail Valte either, it is probably because Noynoy did the same thing to her, but for a different reason.

Lacierda and Valte played key roles in explaining Noynoy to the people. But not only did Lacierda and Valte fail in explaining Noynoy to his bosses, with the end in view of either winning people over as friends or at least neutralizing those who cannot be won over, they instead made Noynoy many enemies.

Lacierda picks fights with anyone who is not for Noynoy. To Lacierda, the rule is simple -- if you are not for Noynoy then you are against him. This is the surest formula for making enemies. It sweeps the table clean of any possibility that those who question Noynoy probably don't hate him but merely need to be heard.

But since Lacierda is unable to make such distinctions and ends up picking a fight with anyone who asks a question, then those who truly hate Noynoy end up hating him the more, while those who did not hate him but merely sought to be heard end up hating him.

Not that Noynoy's plummeting "popularity" is the fault of Lacierda alone. No, far from it. Lacierda merely helped nudge it down, perhaps unwittingly. The real culprit for Noynoy's declining "popularity" is no other than Noynoy himself.

First of all, Noynoy was never popular, hence the quotation marks around the word popularity above. What "popularity" has been ascribed to him is borrowed from his late mother, just as his presidency is. Noynoy was never a hot item for the presidency until his mother died and changed everything.

That Noynoy was never cut for the presidency ensured that what "popularity" he had would eventually come crashing down. Just as an earthquake would rearrange the landscape, so would reality rearrange perceptions until they become believable.

Thus, it sure does not come as a surprise that the "popularity" of Noynoy would come crashing down because it was meant to come down to where it belongs. The real surprise is how it managed to stay up for so long. But then that can be explained by the fact that people truly wanted redemption, from wherever it comes.

But since Noynoy was nothing to begin with, he needed to be inflated constantly to keep himself from wilting. Enter the propsmen. Why he needed three when one used to be sufficient with other presidents is evident. The more propsmen he had, the stronger the prop, or so he thought.

In a way, it could have worked, if only his propsmen did not depart too far out from the shore of reality. And if they did not forget that they were alter egos of the president and could therefore be confused with the principal instead of just trying to explain him where needed.

Presidential spokesmen are no different from public relations men. In fact, because they are the p.r. men of the highest official of the land, it follows that they can also be called the top p.r. men of the land. As such they should be a cut above the rest. They should be able to hold the dignity of their principal high.

But as said at the outset, Lacierda is a very quarrelsome fellow. He quarrels with Noynoy's critics and makes snide remarks about them. This ensures that he gets hated by those he puts down. But when people hate him can Noynoy be far behind?

Valte, on the other hand, lacks any real credibility. And it is not just because the way she talks is annoying but because it is annoying for her to talk and not say anything. Spokesmen are supposed to deliver the president's message. Valte does not know what message to deliver.

Now Herminio Coloma has been brought forward to take over. Coloma ought to have been left in the background. Up front he is flat, dry and unappealing. He has no charm and only serves to diminish further what appeal Noynoy ever had.

And oh, there was also that chap called Ricky Carandang. But he never had anything on him when he stepped on board. Noynoy's media implant was a baggage from the beginning, his credibility shot because of his true role for Noynoy while still in the media. Noynoy is now very alone.