While the accusations against Vice President Binay are extremely serious, especially that he is running for the highest office of the land, and while he must answer these in the proper fora, I am extremely curious (and anxious)-what is Trillanes up to?
In a video that has since gone viral, the senator is caught on tape attending the opening of the Batangas farm he now attributes to the Vice President, but in this video shot not so long ago, he congratulates Tony Tiu as its owner (not the VP), praising his "good friend" Tony Tiu as a "visionary in the agriculture sector." He now alleges that the same Tony Tiu, his good friend, is just a front, a dummy for the beleaguered vice president.
Tony Tiu, if his prestigious TOYM award (The Outstanding Young Men) - given in the presence of President Aquino himself - is a barometer, seems to be quite the upstanding businessman. I also heard from a very reliable source that Mr. Tiu was part of President Aquino's delegation when he visited Spain recently.
So one wonders what the backstories are, because there are always backstories to these things, twists and turns not reported in the media. I've lived long enough, known a lot of wrongfully condemned and wrongfully praised prominent people, so I am always skeptical and wary of these attacks which may be either true, politically motivated, or both.
And the character behind most of the attacks against the vice president makes things even more suspect. I've never trusted Trillanes. You can see the duplicity and hunger and treachery in his eyes. He always reeks of ambition; you know the kind that doesn't care whom he steps on en route to the top. And my golly, this guy has a serious case of messianic complex and megalomania (just like his bossing PNoy), but with very little to show for except for the title senator and being a treasonous Magdalo.
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On President Aquino's statement explaining his refusal to attend Jennifer Laude's wake:
"In general, I don't attend wakes of people I don't know," Aquino said. "I'm not comfortable in trying to condole with people who don't know me," the President added.
I respect people's individual preference in attending wakes (to go or not to go) of people they don't know. It's a very personal choice, and no one should be forced against their will if it makes them feel uncomfortable. In my case, even when I'm very superstitious, and I'm no politician, I still try to make it a point to pay my respects especially to the departed loved ones of friends or colleagues, even if I don't know them personally. But that's me.
It may be seen as 'epal' when politicians attend wakes, but I know it somehow helps people get through things.
The thing is, the case of Jennifer Laude has become a matter of national interest, some lobby groups have, justly or unjustly, even exploitatively, dragged her death to discussions on national security (VFA, EDCA). (Anti US groups politicizing her death may also be seen as disrespectful as, or even more disrespectful than the president's insensitive remarks.) And Noynoy Aquino is President of the Philippines after all. The President attending her wake to give assurances of the Philippine government's intent to bring her killer(s) to justice would have gone a long way in giving comfort to her bereaved family especially in the face of vitriol from a lamentably judgmental people.
But I digress. Again (and I will say it again because people, especially the Aquino diehards, have the tendency to not read things properly and focus on their default defense of His Royal Infallible Majesty), it's not about him going or not going. I agree, the President's job is not to attend wakes and such is a personal call made in relation to one's duties, if it makes sense doing so. But the issue here is his statement. Again, his statement (so don't give me that "kailangan niya ba puntahan lahat ng lamay?" retort). It is reminiscent of his obtuse and uncaring comment toward a Yolanda survivor nearly one year ago, remember this: "Oh, buhay ka pa naman, di ba?"
And though not attending is really up to PNoy, giving a statement like this - seen as honest and forthright by some - to me, is callous... and smacks of insensitivity, arrogance, and disrespect.
Your boss was murdered, lest you forget. Don't attend the wake if you wish but just shut the hell up will you?