MANY years ago, minsan nang pinamunuan ni Senate President Tito Sotto ang ahensiyang tumututok sa problema ng droga.
Ergo, we’re least surprised kung pabor siyang pangalanan ang dalawang celebrity (or perhaps even more) na umano’y tulak ayon sa impormante ng PDEA. Kinilalang isang singer-actress at isang TV host-comedian ang mga ito.
Tracing his roots to showbiz bago naging isang politiko, we believe that this is not an act of betrayal on the part of Sotto who—as far as his showbiz peers are concerned—should be the first to defend and protect them.
However, we can’t help but cast aspersions on the success of the nation’s drug war. Mismong si Pangulong Digong na kasi ang umamin that the drug menace in the country has worsened.
So, what successful massive drug campaign are we talking about?
Campaign in the local level has begun. Expect that candidates in various elective local posts burst with promises to address, if not end the drug problem. If those hollow tongue-in-cheek promises sound familiar, narinig na natin ‘yan noong 2016 elections, only to see them disappear like bubbles.
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At presstime, ang sinasabing singer-actress at TV host-comedian remain hiding under the cloak of anonymity.
Nananatiling subject sila ng nakakaintrigang blind item with people tirelessly guessing their identities. Mag-name names na kasi.
Hangga’t hindi kasi sila pinapangalanan ay marami pang mga inosenteng celebrity tuloy ang mapagkakamalan.
May nalalaman man kami, but it’s the PDEA which should drop their names kung paanong mala-bomba rin ang kanilang ibabagsak. But again, validation and revalidation are the key words here.
Noong inilabas kasi ang listahan ng mga umano’y narco-politicians sa iba’t ibang panig ng bansa, a good number of those on the list have denounced their implication, isa na rito ang dyowang mayor ni Aiko Melendez.
Although not legally married ay nagsilbing spokesperson nito si Aiko who for sure will make a perfect First Lady in the future.
That is, kung sila pa rin.
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Pero teka, allow us to play around with “what ifs.”
What if other previously tagged celebrities should not be on the list? Maaari ba nilang resbakan ang ahensiyang tumrabaho sa kanila para papanagutin sa hindi naman nila paglabag sa batas?
After the harm—or image destruction—has been done, sa paanong paraan malilinis ng ahensiya ang ikinalat nilang maling impormasyon?
Noong maupo si Digong, sa true lang, pumutok na ang celebrity drug watch list na ‘yan, but none on the list was made public. ‘Yung iba namang sangkot took upon themselves ang pagpapatawag ng presscon as their way to clear their names.
Nito lang muling nabuksan ang tungkol dito, after a series of roundups ng mga seized drugs amounting to billions.
Habang pinagpapaliwanag ang gobyerno tungkol sa sunud-sunod na mga kasong ito, it deflects the public attention para mabaling sa mga pulitiko’t celebrity. Mga sanga’t dahon lang ang tinapyas, hindi ang mismong ugat.