TRIBUNE: 2 EXTRAVAGANT PEAS IN A POD
[PHOTO - (from Google): meal shared by many filipino families inside their homes, not at all a le cirque ambience and dinner]
MANILA, JANUARY 16, 2011 (TRIBUNE) Gloria Arroyo and a big number of congressmen accompanying her on her trip to New York who dined at the posh Le Cirque a little over a year ago, received a severe bashing — mainly from the Yellows who were keeping tabs on Cory Aquino's last days — with accusations of Gloria's extravagance, luxurious living and insensitivity amid the poverty gripping the Filipinos.
The dinners didn't even amount to P4.5 million that Noynoy Aquino splashed on a German sportscar, a Porsche, also in the face of growing poverty and hunger among Filipinos; the flood-stricken victims who have been displaced, with some 40 persons already declared dead; high gasoline prices, higher light rail transit fares and overall higher prices for goods and services. Yet the Yellows aren't into flailing Noynoy for his extravagance and his gross insensitivity. Talk about double standards they always engage in, when it is their anointed who does just what Gloria did.
[PHOTO (from Google): dining area where Arroyo enjoyed her meal at Le Cirque]
Noynoy and his Malacañang aide quickly defended his purchase of the Porsche, which suddenly has become "third hand" and an "old model."
As his spokesman, Edwin Lacierda said there was nothing wrong in Noynoy buying the depreciated Porsche since he spent his personal money to buy the sportscar, not government money and the people should make that distinction between private and public funds.
But if such is the Palace argument, then why were the Yellows — including Lacierda — bashing Gloria for her dinner at Le Cirque, since the money spent for that dinner, according to then Malacañang reports, came from a private source — a Romualdez architect based in New York?
And if that was private money, as the Palace now argues, what then was wrong with that lavish dinner, and for them to have kept up with the bashing of Gloria?
Weren't the Yellows bashing her for her dining extravagance in the face of poverty stricken Filipinos and the many disasters that befell the country?
The issue is not that Noynoy has such an extravagant taste in cars and buying a Porsche for P4.5 million with his personal funds. The issue clearly is his insensitivity amid the poverty and the continued increases in prices along with the disasters in the provinces which left too many homeless and desolate — and with Noynoy not even bothering with this problem that has been going on for weeks. After all, the floods were not in Metro Manila and presidential attention is usually not bothered with when tragedy strikes in provinces.
For Noynoy, splashing on a luxury car and speeding it up on the road is relaxation, and a time to smile more. Presidential style.
He defended his fetish for cars amid criticisms over his purchase of the P4.5million Porsche by invoking his right to enjoy some pleasures in life as an individual.
He defended his purchase, saying: "If we feel refreshed and relaxed from time to time, I guess that helps us to make decisions, I don't think anyone would object if I would have something to make me smile from time to time in the course of all the problems that were left for me to address right now. What's so wrong with having the ability to drive such kind of a car when, by the time I step down, or in 10 years from now, we might not have the same reflexes anymore. So that's (the principle) there and besides, I don't think anyone would expect me to go and play videogames instead just to experience that."
But didn't Gloria, in the Palace then, need to relax and smile more, too, but that was wrong, and now right for Noynoy?
Besides, Noynoy waged a campaign against luxury cars, even issuing an order to government officials banning their use of luxury cars, yet there he was, with his luxury car that makes him smile in the "course of the problems" for him to address, sp he claims.
Why then begrudge his officials for traveling in luxury cars if only to make them smile amid the many problems to be solved?
Yet even without the Porsche, Noynoy has not done anything by way of resolving the problems the nation faces, as there is not even policy decisions nor a blueprint and he has been in office for seven months. So what else does he need, a Maserati, another Porsche, a Lamborghini to make him come up with a blueprint?
But Noynoy, as usual, doesn't get it. And will never get it.
He and Gloria are no different. One shows it, the other tries to hide it.
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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