Jerry Treñas’ video

By Alex P. Vidal

“We have two lives, and the second one begins when we realize we only have one.” — Confucius

WE aren’t worried that Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas apparently lost weight in a recent 35-second video he posted on Meta, formerly Facebook, days ago.

For somebody who has been undergoing chemotherapy and is reportedly recovering from a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, it’s normal.

Health authorities say cancer itself can cause an elevated metabolism and inflammation; thus, a patient undergoing chemotherapy can lose weight largely because of side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and even loss of appetite, not to mention changes in taste.

We worry after noticing Treñas’ uncanny mannerism in the video of repeatedly gripping the kneecap of his left leg while speaking.

Some quick-thinking therapists could suggest that it is often a subconscious response to knee instability, discomfort, or a feeling that the joint might “give out.”

It frequently happens during moments of prolonged sitting, acute pain, or heightened anxiety in video contexts.

Many physical therapists tell us that if the kneecap, or patella, is not gliding smoothly in its groove, it can create a grinding, clicking, or unstable feeling.

Gripping provides artificial compression and stability.

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The father of incumbent Mayor Raisa Maria Lourdes Sarabia Treñas-Chu seemed OK despite dealing with several illnesses over the past few years, except for his rather drab and hoarse voice.

Ebullient and smiling, the 69-year-old former law professor, who taught in the years before the 1986 EDSA Revolution and before he became a full-time politician, belted out, “Ti, kamusta na kamo? Ako nahidlaw na gid sa inyo. Kamo nahidlaw man kamo sa’kon? Ah, kamusta na mga kabataan ta? Magpakaboot kamo. Ang inyo nga aah deretso subong nga magtuon gid kamo para nga mag-ayo ang inyo mga grados. Ang akon pangabay nga magpakaboot mga kabataan ta kag magbinuligay kita para sa aton ciudad.”

(How is everyone? I miss you all. Do you also miss me? How are the children doing? I implore you to be good and to study hard so that your grades will improve. My only request is for our children to be good and for us to help one another for our city.)

Treñas’ attire in the video — suspenders, or a pair of straps worn over the shoulders to hold up pants, and Foster Grant McKay Multifocus-type reading glasses — reminded us of the late CNN broadcast legend Larry King when he declared, “I thought I was just going to bite the bullet. I didn’t want to live this way.”

Winston Churchill once said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”

Long live and more power, Mayor Jerry Treñas.

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We now understand why so many private lawyers were in a mad scramble to volunteer as prosecutors in the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio.

Since the trial is being watched by millions of Filipinos all over the world, whether through a live telecast or replay, the appearance of any legal practitioner can be equivalent to an instant shot at fame and fortune.

FAME. Whether the vice president is ousted after the impeachment trial, lawyers from both the prosecution and defense panels will be thrust into the limelight and become instant celebrities.

Look at how social and mainstream media glamorized the lawyers from both sides who clashed in the first three hearings.

FORTUNE. After the impeachment trial, those flamboyant lawyers will be in demand when they return to private practice, and the law firms to which they belong will definitely attract attention from well-heeled litigants.

Some of them might even receive juicy offers to join the government and land lucrative posts in public offices or corporations.

Others may attract instant offers to join leading political parties and run for office in 2028.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines. — Ed.)