Phillip matindi ang ‘pagsamba’ kay Duterte; umabot na sa ‘kamatayan’ level

FANATICISM comes in varying degrees.

Exactly a week ago ang ikaapat na SONA (State of the Nation Address) ni Pangulong Duterte, more than halfway through his six-year term.

Ang napisil para magdirek—trying to get the best angles of the entire proceedings—ay ang film director na si Joyce Bernal.

As expected, the political attendees including their spouses (and nearest of kin) sashayed on the red carpet. Kanya-kanyang pabonggahan ng kasuotan—barong for the men and Filipiniana (with a twist) for the women.

Isa sa nakakuha ng aming atensiyon was a lady whose name only her family and friends would care about. Ewan kung isa siyang kongresista o asawa ng isang pulitiko, but she basked in minutes of instant fame flashing her most photographic smile.

Terno ang suot niya. Asul ang kulay ng tela hanggang bodice na may cut slightly above her waist na mala-sinunturunan what looked like a one-inch material with native prints. Pero hindi ‘yun ang “punchline.”

Ang nagsilbing skirt niya sewn her torso ay mala-bolgang tela na tadtad ng mga litrato ng mukha ni Digong which came in different hues and angles.

Kung hindi pa ba namang sobrang kapanatikuhan na ‘yon, we don’t know what is. But while that lady was stupendously proud of the President, she sort of invited the world to come laugh at her.

Sa kaka-scroll namin sa Facebook digging up SONA-related news ay nagsusumigaw naman ang isang balita kung saan si Phillip Salvador naman ang bumibida. An article picked up practically by all news outlets, na-quote si Kuya Ipe sa kanyang sinabi patungkol sa mga kritiko ng Pangulo.

“Mamatay na kayong lahat!” was how the veteran actor ended his statement. Ginagawa naman daw kasi ni Digong ang lahat ng kanyang makakaya para sa bansa, pero binabatikos pa rin daw ito.

Kuya Ipe’s defensive stance offers no surprise. Simula’t sapul, even before Digong ascended to the Presidency, ay inilantad na niya ang kanyang kulay.

Kahit naman noong tumatakbo siya bilang Bise Gobernador sa Bulacan, he didn’t support his party’s presidential endorser as he should.

At nito ngang nagdaang mid-term elections, Kuya Ipe was on the Duterte-endorsed party side gayong kaibigan niyang matalik ang isang Bulakenyong kandidato.

Ewan nga lang what has become of their friendship, na hindi pala nagta-transcent where politics is the order of the day.

Nabigla lang kami sa “Mamatay kayong lahat!” line ni Kuya Ipe. Parang malayo kasi ‘yon sa abot ng pagkakakilala namin sa kanya albeit on a superficial level.

Parang (o, tanggalin na namin ang parang?) un-Christian of him to say he’d wish the anti-Duterte dead gayong panay pa naman ang basa niya ng Bibliya.

Si Kuya Ipe ang pinakahuling taong maiisip naming may kakayahang magbitiw ng ganu’ng salita. His vast showbiz experience na kakambal na ang mga puna’t bira should have broadened his perspective about life in general.

His present age should have come with wisdom; his Christian faith, all the more.

Isn’t that close to being genocidal?