Letters to Noy

There is a place in Italy, in Varona more particularly, that I've always wanted to visit. A hopeless romantic, the Casa de Giulietta is among the entries in my (edited) bucket list of places to see and things to do before I turn forty. It's said to be the home of the Capuleti family, and of course, Shakespeare's famous fictional ill-fated heroine, Juliet Capulet.

The book and movie Letters to Juliet showed how tourists from everywhere, especially young lovers or those seeking to find love, flock to Verona and post their love letters on the wall of this famous house. In the movie, the character played by Amanda Seyfried travels to Italy and ends up responding to an unanswered letter to Juliet normally answered by "secretaries of Juliet." Although I'm not quite sure if the answering of letters by these secretaries is done in real life or if it was just a creative addition to the fictional motion picture, but if it is, that's quite a journey from Shakespearean romance and tragedy to modern—day romance and efficiency. You just gotta love the whole idea—a lot like Santa's elves.

Speaking of romance and tragedy, let's shift our focus to 'Letters to Noy.'

Since Noynoy Aquino assumed the presidency in 2010 (by the way, only a little over 800 days left before he steps down—yipee!), several important letters (or other forms of communication) have been sent to Mr. President  that were left unanswered, and have, in the process, caused a lot of trouble and/or embarrassment.

One wonders how, despite having practically three communications departments, a gang of communications or press secretaries and spokespersons, and despite being the undisputed king of spin and propaganda (and black propaganda against his rivals), the president has failed to answer some very crucial letters addressed to his office. Most of them, the Palace claims, they never received.

Donald Tsang, chief executive of Hong Kong announced through international media that he repeatedly tried to get in touch with President Aquino at the height of the Hong Kong tourists hostage crisis in Manila but he was never patched through so both leaders could speak at that very critical time.

Later on, the Palace, through its spokesperson speaking to foreign and local press, adding insult to injury (more like, adding insult to casualty), belied Tsang's claims and insisted Hong Kong never called.  And who are we to believe, aber? If you were Hong Kong, it's all over the news, you won't even bother to call?

Then there was the letter from the family of the late Sultan Jamalul Kiram III who led the revolt to restore Sulu's sovereignty over Sabah.

In a letter sent to President Aquino in 2010, Agbimuddin Kiram, crown prince of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo, expressed his clan's stand on the Philippine claim to Sabah and the peace process in Mindanao. After congratulating the president and expressing his clan's support for his administration, Kiram informed Aquino about the "creation of the Interim Supreme Royal Ruling Council (ISRRC) under the sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo as a result of the series of consultations in Simunul, Tawi-Tawi; KM-4 Indanan, Sulu; and Kawit, Zamboanga City, on June 20, 25 and 26, 2010."

"With highest esteem, may we inform His Excellency that during the consultation process, we asked our supporters what action, under the guiding light of your administration, the ISRRC of the sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo would take or adopt anent the Sabah issue, which became the national contract between the government of the Philippines and the sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo pursuant to the filing of such claim in the United Nations against Great Britain and Malaysia in 1962," Agbimuddin wrote in his letter.

But the letter got lost, or so the Palace claimed. Jamalul subsequently wrote to the president in 2011 and 2012. Getting no response from the president, the Kiram brothers and their followers took matters into their own hands. The failed bid resulted in the death of at least 62 people, on top of the international mess it has become.

Then there was the president's statement that he was not invited to the Sinulog (the one held right after the illegal and unjust suspension of ex-governor Gwen Garcia that culminated in the 40-day standoff at the Cebu Provincial Capitol). Like a spoiled brat, he had to mention on national television that he wasn't invited to Cebu to attend the largest festival in the country (he could always go wherever, he is president after all).

When Mayor Mike Rama clarified that an invitation was in fact sent to the Palace, the president was quick to retort that it might've gotten lost in the piles of letters they receive each day. If I'm not mistaken, he said they receive thousands upon thousands of letters. If that's the case, cognizant of the sheer volume of incoming mail, and cognizant further of the Palace's confessed inefficiency in cataloguing and responding to each, why complain that you weren't invited?

Enter Olympian Michael Martinez. After publicly contradicting the statement of Michael's mother that she sent the president a letter asking for support for her son's historic Olympic bid, insisting no letter from her was sent to the Palace (and after trying to shame her by claiming she never mortgaged her house, contrary to her statement), Palace officials then justify that Mrs. Martinez's letter might've gotten lost in the "spam mail." Horror of horrors. This excuse makes one go hysterical, homicidal in fact. A 5th grader can come up with something infinitely better.

Those are just some of the Letters to Noy that have been left unanswered or claimed to be "unreceived" by the Palace. Susme.

What is curious and interesting is that when Janet Lim-Napoles wrote to President Aquino in April—way before the pork barrel scam burst into national consciousness—asking him for his help, complaining against harassment by the NBI agents who were investigating her, the following day, right away, those agents were replaced. To think she and the president supposedly don't know each other. "I've never met her, I would remember if I have," or something to that effect, was what Mr. Aquino said in relation to Napoles.

The request was granted with such speed and expediency that can only come with familiarity.  The letter might've been sealed with a kiss.