A leopard can’t change its spots

“It is not the quantity but the quality of knowledge which determines the mind's dignity.”

-- William Ellery Channing

By Alex P. Vidal

THOSE who think, believe, and expect Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao to master the King’s English and argue like Cicero just because he became a presidential candidate may be nuts.

Not all presidential candidates are intelligent; not all intelligent are presidential candidates.

And those who ridiculed him in the social media for his disastrous performance in the recent Comelec 2nd PiliPinas Presidential Debates 2022 may be jokers.

Shaming Pacquiao in TikTok and other platforms for “shaming himself” in the debate won’t change anything in as far as his identity as a struggling speaker and his chances of winning are concerned. 

Pacquiao continued to lag behind in surveys whether his critics have succeeded in humiliating him after the second Comelec debate. 

Since when did it occur to everyone that the 42-year-old former 8-time world boxing champion was a good speaker and debater? 

Why express shock and awe when the ex-pugilist failed to satisfactorily answer the question of moderator Ces Drilon during the “live” debate on April 3? 

Did some of us really expect Pacquiao to speak and play with words like JFK or Benjamin?  

Without underestimating Pacquiao, we all know his background; we are aware his primary skills are in the square jungle, not in the rostrum; so why bother whether he can answer the debate question impressively? 

-o0o-

Yes, it’s his fault when he once dared fellow presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to a one-on-one debate when the latter snubbed several past presidential debates.

But it was ostensibly more of a case of hubris for the retired boxer; a grandstanding in an effort to look big even if he is diminutive in the arena of the smart alecks.

The Tagalogs call it “pakitang gilas” or “pang gulat.”

When you’re a midget wanting to be someone not your height, you don’t pick up a fight with a dwarf.

The truth is pitting Pacquiao in a one-on-one debate with the more intelligent Marcos Jr. is like asking Will Smith to slap Hulk Hogan, or coercing Harry Roque to engage Vice Ganda in dirty dancing. 

Pacquiao became international superstar for disfiguring the faces of tough Mexicans as a prizefighter. 

He was never in the class of seasoned debaters and great thinkers even before the presidential election.

Just like a leopard that can’t change its spots, Pacquiao can’t change his talent and reputation overnight from a ring monster to a university lecturer and extemporaneous guru only because he was “allowed” to run for the highest position in the land. 

-o0o-

If radioman Salvador “Jun” Capulot did not file his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for Iloilo City mayor in the May 9 election, reelectionist Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Trenas would have joined the eight other mayoral candidates in Iloilo province with no opponents.

An unchallenged mayoral candidate during the election is normally being looked up to in the national level and respected by his peers in the League of Cities in the Philippines (LCP).

But Capulot spoiled the party. Having an official rival in the election means a mayoral candidate will have to shell out campaign funds and “take good care” of village officials.

We can’t blame the likes of Trenas to be pissed off if the likes of Capulot surface during the elections. 

Everyone, including those with no sufficient personal and campaign funds, has a chance to run in a free election. This is the beauty of democracy. 

Even if their chances of winning are nil, the likes of Capulot all over the country can give the incumbents—or the political Goliaths—plenty of trouble mentally, emotionally and financially. 

The eight candidates in the Iloilo mayoral race considered as “sure winners” are: Jett Roxas of Ajuy, Kenneth Alfeche of Alimodian, Suzette Mamon of Badiangan, Nielo Tupas of Barotac Viejo, Mark Palabrica of Bingawan, Janette Colada of Guimbal, Liecel Seville of New Lucena, and Trixie Fernandez of San Enrique.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

   

No logic in linking Treñas to Capulot’s arrest

“Logic is the technique by which we add conviction to truth.”

—Jean de la Bruyere

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

MY sympathies will always be for colleagues or former colleagues in the mass media when it comes to controversies involving libel or cyberlibel cases regardless of who the complainant is.

I have been there; I mean, I know how it felt to be harassed through libel cases by onion-skinned and crybabies who pretend to be elected public servants.

Politicians who easily get pissed off by a slight criticism from any member of the Fourth Estate don’t deserve a minute longer in public office. 

They are worse than Omicron because their actuations are tantamount to muzzling the freedom of press and expression in a democratic society.  

No journalist will criticize a public official with intention to destroy the public official’s reputation unless the journalist is “double-edged” or a person working as a media practitioner and at the same time dyed in the wool extortionist (we acknowledge that in every paradise there is serpent and in every forest there is snake.).

So, if a politician receives criticism from a working journalist (newspaperman or broadcaster) it should be job-related or constructive criticism meant to call the politician’s attention for his shortcomings and transgressions, not because the journalist harbors a personal grudge and wants to get even by inventing lies and hitting the politician below the belt out of spite and retribution.

 

-o0o-

 

The arrest of Iloilo City mayoral aspirant Salvador “Jun” Capulot by operatives of the Iloilo City Police Station 3 (ICPS3) led by Captain Eduardo Siacon, Jr. at the parking area of a building along B. Aquino Ave. in Mandurriao, Iloilo City on February 17 made him more popular and like a whipping boy.

In the eyes of his fans and political supporters, the former radioman from Bacolod City, who is running for mayor against incumbent Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas, was a victim of persecution.

Seeing Capulot in handcuffs made them think he looked like an underdog, and someone being made to suffer from injustices for being a small fry.

And Ilonggos always loved the underdog, especially that Capulot appears to personify the image of a poor man with brown complexion and who looks like an ordinary servant and victim of oppression.

Fans and political supporters won’t give a damn about the cases that made members of ICPS3, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Iloilo City Field Unit, and the Iloilo City Mobile Force Company collar Capulot especially if they see him act like a normal person being arrested and manacled by a group of numerically superior lawmen for stealing a bread to feed his starving family.

 

-o0o-

 

Incidentally, Capulot’s arrest came at a time when he was candidate for city mayor.

This made critics of Treñas, as well as Capulot’s political backers, to link the arrest to the former broadcaster’s political career. Enemies of Treñas have found a good opportunity to lash him for “persecuting” Capulot. 

If you hate Treñas, the issue is swashbuckling; it’s a perfect time to finally unleash the molotovs against a “vindictive” mayor, who has been receiving heavy criticisms from Capulot himself, who still maintains a radio “blocktime” program and a hard-hitting Facebook account even after he has “left” the broadcast industry as employee to focus on his new-found career.

But if we look beyond the trees and examine the entire forest, blaming Juan for Pedro’s actions would be illogical and unpalatable, to say the least. 

Capulot’s warrant of arrest for six counts of alleged violation of Republic Act 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012) docketed as Criminal Case Nos. 22-3519 to 22-3524 was issued by Judge Rosario Abigail Magay Dris-Villanueva of the Regional Trial Court Branch 65 in Jordan, Guimaras on Feb. 15, 2022.

And the cases were filed by former Guimaras lone district representative and 2022 gubernatorial candidate JC Rahman Nava.

Guimaras is not only a separate congressional district, it’s also an island province with separate courts and jurisdiction. 

Some whip smarts asserted that because Nava belongs to the National Unity Party, where Treñas is a member, ergo, the city mayor could be behind the arrest.

Why would Treñas “flex” his muscle that far for an opponent he can easily beat? And what power does he wield against the court?

Why would the court allow itself to be influenced by a politician if the cases had merits?  

The link is totally preposterous if not right away freakish.

(The author, who is no based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why city hall shouldn’t take Jun Capulot lightly

 

“Never underestimate the capacity of another human being to have exactly the same shortcomings you have.” 

--Leigh Steinberg 

 

By Alex P. Vidal 

 

WE aren’t saying that hard-hitting Iloilo broadcaster Jun Capulot is a “big threat” to the reelection bid of Iloilo City mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas. 

Of course not.  

In terms of organization, intellect, wealth, personality, educational attainment, experience in public service, mayoral candidate Capulot pales in comparison. 

Since Capulot doesn’t belong to a known political party, we doubt if Treñas himself is taking the gutsy radioman seriously. 

There are people in the city mayor’s circle who might think Capulot’s candidacy is a joke; therefore, it’s not worth paying attention to what he has been saying against the Treñas administration. 

They think he is just another fly in the ointment, a “nuisance” candidate who doesn’t have the capability of mounting a city-wide campaign. 

And because Capulot, in their thinking, has no political background, ergo, he has no right to instantly become city mayor.  

 

-o0o- 

 

The basic principle in any political combat is to never underestimate your opponent. 

Since the disparity between Treñas and Capulot is so glaring and nerve-tingling, we can’t blame the Treñas camp if they will ignore this principle and throw a monkey wrench on Capulot’s candidacy. 

But the more they belittle Capulot, the more that he will be emboldened to step up his campaign and give the incumbent plenty of worries. 

While Treñas appears to be “safe” from being dethroned, he may not be spared from the fusillades that would expose him to shame and humiliation, in one way or the other. 

Capulot is not a mild and harmless Mel Carreon, who can never dent Treñas’ reputation in a one-on-one showdown. 

Unlike Carreon who doesn’t verbally torture his adversaries (he had filed his candidacy for congressman, senator and even president in the past elections), Capulot is a tongue-lasher. 

His job has been to torment and lash at public officials, among other ruffians and dolts in society, even before he became a mayoral candidate Capulot. 

 

-o0o- 

 

Unlike Carreon, or any other “nuisance” bets in the local election for that matter, Capulot was active and regular broadcaster before he filed his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for city mayor in the May 9, 2022 election. 

And he is battle-scarred, having sparred for 20 or more rounds against some of the most dangerous underworld heavyweights like the late suspected drug lord Melvin “Boyet” Odicta alyas Dragon and his deadly minions in the illegal drugs and other illegal activities, and emerged unscathed. 

In other words, Capulot has cemented his reputation as having “feared no one” in his death-defying crusades.  

And “he has nothing to lose, but always has everything to gain” since he isn’t really a career politician or somebody who needs to protect vast business and political empires. 

Until today, he has no qualms in admitting he has no college degree and doesn’t own a piece of property, thus his opponents, political and otherwise, are clambering in utter confusion to locate his Achilles heel to smash him to smithereens. 

 

-o0o- 

 

While dyed-in-the-wool politicians hire “blocktime” radio propagandists to smear their rivals during the election campaign, Capulot doesn’t need one as he himself can singlehandedly pull the trigger that would place a rival, in this case Treñas, in a difficult defensive mood. 

In fact, even if Capulot doesn’t spend a single centavo for a “blocktime” program, he has been reportedly effective, so far, in lambasting the Treñas administration in his Facebook “live” commentaries that have generated thousands of viewers. 

The “expose” Capulot has unleashed in his bombastic Facebook tirades may not be enough to sink Treñas’ titanic, but, somehow, it will, in one way or the other, change the way some Ilonggos regard the city mayor in terms of invincibility and being “immaculate.”  

Thus, even if Capulot can’t convince barangay officials and a large fraction of the electorate to rally behind him in his attempt to topple Treñas, he can reduce Treñas’ reelection win into a “Pyrrhic victory”, or an election success that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it will be tantamount to defeat.  

A Pyrrhic victory, like an election win, will take a heavy toll that negates any true sense of achievement or damages long-term progress. 

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo—Ed)