Tongue lash tango

Half of me could not be bothered to watch or listen to Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Senator Juan Ponce Enrile engage in their passionate “Tongue Lash Tango” simply because there were more pressing concerns after Typhoon Yolanda.

The other half of me felt uncomfortable at being a gawker because for people raised in “polite” or conservative manner, watching such public “slander” is equal to being party to it. As they say, if you want to stay clean, stay away from the mud.

Unfortunately, after Round 2 or 3 or whatever, it has become clear that trying not to hear, not catching a glimpse or not reading about the “Tongue Lash Tango” has become next to impossible. Even “Lifestyle writers and inspirational authors and columnists have dipped their pens into the verbal blood bath between “Tita Miriam” and “Manong Johnny”. Somehow all this seems like a belated “catch-up” attempt for several who’ve found an open window to snipe at JPE or follow through with quick stabs at the already gaping wounds of the aging Lion of the Senate.

This I believe is the most dangerous revelation from Round 2 or 3 of the “Tongue Lash Tango”. After his fight with Senator Trillanes and Cayetano, after the Janet Lim Napoles exposé, Senator Santiago’s 2 meter – In Your Face bombardment seems to have given JPE’s critics the impression that the only weapon he has left is his sarcasm and terminal term as a Senator. Those who are kinder wish he had the wisdom of Douglas MacArthur and simply opted to “Fade Away”.

In my view, in spite of the fact that the Philippines ranks as having one of the highest scores for countries where women enjoy equality and opportunity in the work place, reactions to the “Tongue Lash Tango” shows that in the Philippines we are still secretly uncomfortable about “Intelligent women with an opinion”. Even more disturbing are women who are; intelligent, have an opinion, and shares that opinion, especially when they are right or proven right!

Public reaction to Senator Santiago’s very public accusations hurled at Senator Enrile further revealed that by and large our society is most uncomfortable about women casting off all sham and pretentions as well as propriety to say what they know and what they believe. The reward for doing so is to be labeled “Kanto boy”, “escandalosa”, “Baliw”. Someone even raised the names of a few fierce and vocal “Visayan actresses” who are known for never backing down from a verbal brawl when offended.

There lies the irony of our so-called modern mindset. We open doors to women, when they succeed in the work place we expect that they stand on their own two pretty feet without assistance or help from spouse, male members of her family. When they find themselves having to defend a position or an opinion, we expect them to daintily sink or swim without screaming or being scandalous. But when they opt to fight back in both form and substance, even the women in the “gallery” balk and are scandalized. In essence you can play with the boys but you’re not allowed to fight like a man!

If you want further proof, consider how in movies and real life, many Filipinos portray or view wives who decide to confront “the other woman”. Ask yourself: how do you feel or react when this takes place in your presence? Yes it’s embarrassing, maybe even scandalous by norms, but isn’t it true, isn’t it unfair, and isn’t it illegal? Why are we ashamed of what an offended wife does in public but are unwilling to offend a home wrecker, confront and condemn a cheater? Why do we in great embarrassment lead the ballistic wife away from the scene while doing our best to hush them into conforming silence?

I suppose the “Tongue Lash Tango” is also very disturbing to the many male Senators and Congressmen because Senator Santiago publicly put on record what many of them have heard, known, or wanted to put out but never did, not even under personal privilege or immunity from suit. Many of them believe that you have to have a lot of balls to do that or you must be insane to mess with JPE. I suppose it’s a lot easier for them to say that Miriam is crazy than admit they have long lost their manhood and their balls.

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“If it’s humanitarian aid being sent by registered NGOs we send it free. If it’s care packages being sent by people to their friends or loved ones it is cargo that must be paid for.”

Several people have been asking me to make this clarification to the public because some people don’t seem to know, or are not willing to accept that there is a difference and there is a reason why cargo handlers, forwarders, even airline and shipping companies will only accept “Official Humanitarian Aid” Free of Charge.

I have to confess that when forwarders such as LBC or airlines such as Philippine Airlines or PAL Express announce that they will waive charges on cargo for humanitarian aid, I, like many individuals mistakenly assume that anything labeled or declared as “relief goods” or “Rescue equipment” falls under Humanitarian Aid. Unfortunately it’s not.

What qualifies as “Humanitarian aid” are goods and products sent by an official government agency or NGO addressed to another agency or NGO. Or goods sent by private individuals to the cargo forwarders, shipping or airline company’s foundation such as the PAL Foundation who in turn send the goods to an NGO like the Red Cross or government agency such as the DSWD. All these are handled as cargo and not as check-in baggage.

Care packages or relief goods sent by people to friends and families do not qualify as “Humanitarian Aid” or official relief goods and the shipping must be paid for since their weight and space occupies part of the total operating cost. Besides, if we care enough to draw out of pocket to help, we can also draw out of pocket to pay for shipping. That way you help your friends and also help the shippers who are helping others for free.

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I just want to commend Mr. Toto Barcelona and Harbest for immediately sending 100 family size mosquito nets in response to our article about the mosquito infestation in Tacloban City. I’ve known Toto and his company Harbest as the leading supplier and training firm for private and commercial agricultural needs. If it’s about farming, you can count on them.

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