Colors, Penitence and Wine

Colors, Penitence and Wine
Ronald Roy

We are all psychic in varying ways and degrees. In my case, the preternatural gift is not of the usual sort in that I have no control over it. The “vision” appears in either of two instances: when my dream between 2 and 4 in the morning is in vivid color, and when, at any hour of the day, my nape sweats with the rest of my body being dry. It was some time in October 2010 when I told Koko Pimentel that he had won in the 2007 senatorial race. Initially thinking that I had some solid evidence of his victory, he must have instead been disappointed to receive a psychic’s zany “proof” of his victory. (Paranormal information is not the kind of evidence that is recognized in a court of law, albeit it may contain some clues that are seriously used in crime detection).

I explained to him the paranormal image of him taking his oath of office in formal barong – his right hand raised while reading from a piece of paper held high by the left – with an unmistakable mix of blue, white, red and yellow staidly draped over a wall in the background (the Philippine flag, no doubt).

My bosom friend Christian Monsod and brother-in-law Gilberto Duavit are among a number of witnesses who can confirm the uncanny accuracy of my oft-disturbing extrasensory episodes. And as I write this piece– it is now August 5– I sure hope to supernaturally track down the mysterious whereabouts of Mr. Jose Miguel Arroyo.

As usual, people are now feverishly preoccupied with speculating as to the reasons behind Migz Zubiri’s resignation and Mike Arroyo’s unannounced flight (escape?) to Hong Kong. Both the resignation and the flight did not surprise me.

Let me hazard a hopefully educated guess that, by the time you’re reading this column, Zubiri’s resignation has already been accepted by a great majority (if not all) of the members of the upper chamber, thereby paving the way for Koko Pimentel’s proclamation as the twelfth placer in the 2007 senatorial elections.

The encomiums heaped upon the resigned Zubiri were not unexpected from senatorial colleagues associated in a culture of fraternal camaraderie. However, I was not impressed with the melodramatic farewell speech. He should have resigned over a year ago.

In any event, it was time that he did, given the mounting testimonial and documentary evidence of large-scale poll anomalies particularly in Maguindanao and Cebu. In my opinion, his resignation was a face-saving stunt and conceivably a strategy to return to the senate with clean hands via the 2013 elections. Be that as it may, I do wish him well in his future undertakings of private life.

In the case of former first husband …oops … former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, again, by the time you’re reading this, he may have already returned to the country. But I would be shocked if he did, given his notoriety for getting sick whenever probers go upbeat on his trail.

In fairness to Mr. Arroyo, however, let me share with you a rumor that portrays him as a Good Samaritan. I ask if it’s true that he recently donated a pint of blood to the Philippine National Red Cross. If so, we thank him for his generosity. At the same time, let us praise him for braving a possible ignominious medical finding that his sample could’ve tested positive for HIV. Let’s pray everything went well. After all, even the purest of heart can be afflicted with the dreaded virus.

As a member of the Bar, Mr. Arroyo knows that nobody can escape the long arm of the law, especially amid the clangor of an increasing number of whistle-blowers. It’s futile, Mike, come out like a man, an Atenean, and spill the beans on Gloria and her lackeys. Already, we are making preparations to celebrate your anticipated patriotic penitence with a spoof based on the last verse of Blue Eagle the King as follows:
Fly high that’s what you’ll do right after you’ve spilt the beans on them / they’ll go to jail and you will be hailed with wine song and mail.