President Rodrigo R. Duterte has an uncanny way of communicating what’s on his mind. He excites us like a rumormonger. His revelations are either half-truths or half-lies that leave wondering if he is joking or he is telling the truth.
Yet, most of what he says are earthshaking as it is scandalous. It titillates our imagination. He did it again.
Last week, Duterte announced that a presidential aspirant is into cocaine. That this presidential aspirant was never caught because he takes his doses on board yachts and airplanes belonging to equally prominent individuals with whom he shares his vice.
The President did not identify the person he was referring to but left some indelible clues. And, based on these clues, we are left with our speculation to decipher who he was pertaining to.
The clues he gave regarding the identity of the aspirant who is into cocaine are: he is male; he comes from a prominent family; he derives his popularity from his father; and he is a weak leader.
The first clue immediately disqualifies Leni Robredo for obvious reasons. She is a female. The second clue removes from the equation Manny Pacquiao and Isko Moreno since both do not come from prominent families.
Their prominence came only due to their respective achievements in their chosen field.
Pacquiao has gained his wealth and popularity from boxing where he established himself as among the all-time greats.
Moreno became popular as a movie personality and later distinguished himself as an able mayor.
That leaves Panfilo Lacson, Bong Go, and Bongbong Marcos.
Lacson is a stickler for discipline. His profile as a police officer makes it improbable that he uses cocaine. Moreover, he has distinguished himself as a senator in good standing with a long list of laws that seek to eradicate drugs.
No, no, it could not be him. Neither could it be Go, who is the President’s personal candidate and a very close ally. A confidant and a clone, in fact. To link him to substance abuse is like a death knell on the President’s ego.
Yes, there are other presidential aspirants other than those enumerated above, like former Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella. There too is Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. who is running as an independent. There are two others in the list.
However, for sure, Duterte must not have been referring to them since they are not among the more prominent candidates. These aspirants do not have an outside chance of winning the race. So, why will the President mark them if they do not pose a threat? They are not the one. That leaves only one.
Marcos does not feel that he is being singled out by Duterte. He does not feel that it is him being alluded to. He insists that without the President giving away his identity, it is not him. If not him, then who?
All of the others have been stricken off by means of logical elimination. Besides, who comes from a prominent family? Who takes his popularity from his father? Unless the cryptic clues are wrong, the first thing that crosses our minds is that, there can be only one.
This is not to say that what the President alleged is true. That remains to be seen and be proven.
April 25, 2024
