Gutter talk in the Senate is good

Of course, what has been going on in the Senate the past weeks is disgusting.

But it is good that it is happening.

If the controversy over the discriminatory distribution of Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile of the Senate Christmas loot – P1.6 million for the 18 senators and P250,000 for the four whom JPE does not like namely Senators Miriam Santiago, Antonio Trillanes IV, Pia Cayetano and Alan Cayetano- the public would not have known how they are skewered by the people they are spending billions on supposedly to serve them.

If Enrile didn’t become petty and arrogant and gave all the 22 senators, even including himself, the same amount, we would not have known that they are wallowing in excess funds while millions of Filipinos survive in a hand-to-mouth existence.

God, indeed, works in mysterious ways.

After his brilliant handling of the impeachment trial of disgraced Supreme Court Chief Renato Corona, Enrile was once more on the roll. He even launched his book, Juan Ponce Enrile: A Memoir, where he re-wrote history, with his version of his role in Marcos’ Martial Law.

He enjoys a “very good” (plus 65 per cent) satisfaction rating, according to the Sept. 2012 survey of the Social Weather Station.

His popularity has rubbed on to his son, Jackie, who is consistently in the top six of possible winners in the 2013 senatorial race. That despite the fact, that until the advertisement of the United National Alliance started running on television, people didn’t know how he looked.

I’m not sure if those who said they would vote “Enrile” for senator if elections were held today knew that it’s Jackie, not JPE, who is the candidate.

I imagine that Enrile thought of nothing of this Christmas bonus controversy. He has been through worse situations before and had come out on top. And besides, who are those four who dared stand up to him? He has belittled Santiago and Trillanes in several interviews.

Enrile is quoted in Facebook as having said, “Thy cannot destroy me as Senate President. My God, I have a national following.”

Last Monday, he did another “masterstroke”, when he resigned upon learning that a coup against his Senate leadership was in the offing. He took advantage of the absence of some senators and the division in the Liberal Party.

But Enrile’s masterstroke was actually a desperate act. He knows that he is losing this war. Reyes’ radio interview was a sign of desperation.

In that radio interview, Reyes called the Cayetanos “hypocrites.”

That riled up Alan Cayetano, who told Enrile in his Wednesday privilege speech, “For every lie that you told about me, I have a hundred truths about you and Ma’am Gigi.”

Cayetano went on and on: “ “Let’s call a spade a spade. Why are you personally upset with me? It’s because you and Attorney Gigi are close to the former President GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) and the First Gentlemen” who the then congressman of Taguig-Pateros accused of having secret bank accounts in Germany.

Cayetano also said Reyes is also related to the Tingas who are political enemies of the Cayetanos in Taguig.

The exchange at Senate last Wednesday turned ugly and gutter- level.

Enrile actually used the word “gutter” which we equate to drainage or canal.

Standing up to counter Cayetano’s accusations of mismanagement of the Senate and mentioning the powerful role of his chief of staff, Atty. Gigi Reyes, Enrile declared, “I will not go down to the gutter.”

The younger Senator would not be intimidated by the former administrator of Marcos Martial Law: “You already did, Mr. President. You already went to the gutter. Your chief of staff has already gone to the gutter.”

This is good. Bring out what’s in the gutter, foul or vile. Maybe that would help clean the Senate.