Showbiz-nate? Why not?

By Alex P. Vidal 

“Comedians and impressionists used to be two different showbiz animals entirely, but now there’s no such thing as a comedian who doesn’t do impressions.” —John Podhoretz 

WE must welcome the likes of Philip Salvador, Willie Revillame, Manny Pacquiao, Robin Padilla, Lito Lapid, Jinggoy Estrada, among other comedians and stuntmen in the Philippine Showbiz-nate.

Times have changed, and we change with them.

If there is one thing the Filipinos should be proud of, it’s their being consistent in the eyes of the world in always electing sports and entertainment characters both in the lower and upper chambers of the national legislature.

Consistency is a solid identity. Identity—and being unique—is strength.

No other Southeast Asian—or even Asian—country for that matter holds the same distinction like that of the Philippines in as far as giving electoral mandate to serve as lawmakers to gung ho and run-of-the-mill personalities with incredulous cock and bull backgrounds.

As the oft-repeated slogan states, “Only in the Philippines.” Unique, interesting, colorful, entertaining, and enthralling!

Here’s a situation where our supposed embarrassment becomes our leverage and muscle.

They are actually in the right place at the right time—those reality TV and social media show and sitcom ruffians.

If the senate, or showbiz-nate, will be packed once again with noontime TV show hosts, movie action stars, basketball and boxing stars, cult fanatics, TikTokers, traffic enforcers, coffeemakers, macho dancers, bodyguards, Filipinos hold your heads up high and be counted.

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At least that’s how the people around the world will always remember who we are and what kind of voters have we become.

No need for them to look anywhere else. Presto, just Google the Philippines and the country’s electoral system, as well as the Filipinos’ temerity to choose nondescript legislators.

If Robin Padilla and his ilk will continue to transform the showbiz-nate into a bullfighting arena and “live” comedy bar, it’s because they are delegated and programmed to act that way.

The system provides and promotes the mechanism for Padilla and his fellow scumbags to institutionalize idiocy and skullduggery right in the august halls of showbiz-nate and nobody and nothing can halt them. So instead of being embarrassed and distressed, sit down and relax; let’s accept this gnawing reality.

That’s the “beauty” of our constitution. Anybody has the opportunity to serve in the legislative body through the electoral process. The right to be elected in congress or in showbiz-nate is not limited to the elite or the holders of PhD and master’s degrees.

The constitution allows even ordinary individuals, including the misfits and scoundrels, to sit in congress or showbiz-nate and legislate laws. Ditto for other national, regional, and local positions where the candidacies of boorish, vulgar, uncultured punks are footloose and untrammeled.

The caveat is, if we elect quality legislators, we get quality laws. If we elect shoddy and rotten legislators, we get rotten and shoddy laws.

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No one can tell what will happen next after news spread around the world as reported by Vatican February 22 that Pope Francis was in critical condition after suffering a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis while being treated for pneumonia and a complex lung infection.

As Catholics, we join the millions of faithful around the world in praying—and hoping—that the Supreme Pontiff will withstand the terrible ailment and survive.

Pope, 88, reportedly remained conscious and received “high flows” of oxygen to help him breathe. He also received blood transfusions after tests showed low counts of platelets, which are needed for clotting, the Vatican said in a late update.

“The Holy Father’s condition continues to be critical, therefore, as explained yesterday (Friday), the pope is not out of danger,” the statement said. It was the first time “critical” had been used in a written statement to describe Francis’ condition since he was hospitalized Feb. 14.

The statement also said that the pontiff “continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair although in more pain than yesterday.” Doctors declined to offer a prognosis, saying it was “reserved.” Let’s continue to pray for Pope Francis.

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