Sleepless in Times Street

If I were Noynoy Aquino I'd probably shit my pants upon hearing President Duterte's announcement that the Mamasapano case was to be reopened. The prospect of spending the rest of your eligible solitary life in jail for some catastrophic clusterfuck that happened during the tail end of your term as President is actually quite scary, especially when you thought you've successfully pinned the blame on some poor schmuck you used as a scapegoat, and wasted a lot of political capital cleaning up the tracks that could lead all the way to your retarded incompetent ass.

But Karma, they say, is a cruel and merciless bitch. She knocks at your door when you least expect it, paying you a surprise visit without the benefit of a fair warning, sending all the evil and despicable shit you did to other people back to you with warm regards and gleeful vengeance.

Resisting her is futile. She's a relentless, contumacious stalker from which no escape is possible. And the only available choice you have, really, is to usher her in when she comes.

We all reap what we sow.

Instead of simply enjoying the peace and comfort of his sanctuary in Times Street, Noynoy surreptitiously invested himself in his party's subliminal maneuvers to undermine the present administration, salivating for a return to power, basking in the illusion that power and political dominance are his inalienable birthright, and struggling to accept the harsh reality that his family's hallowed legacy has crumbled. Their hypocrisy and pretense unmasked in all its glorious dupery and subterfuge.

The recently declassified CIA documents have exposed his mother's true nature, seeking help from a foreign power to bomb the living shit out of her countrymen. All because they wanted her out.

Her son Benigno Simeon III is no different. Now marginalized and out of power, Noynoy and his ilk are desperately engineering a comeback, sowing intrigues in the foreign and national press, and summoning the might of the Catholic church to destabilize Digong's reign. It hardly matters if the country suffers, the only thing that matters to them is their desire to reclaim power. Truly, the fruit does not fall far from the tree.

Noynoy has staked his reputation on being a strong leader dedicated to his "Daang Matuwid" or "Straight Path" - advocating swift reforms anchored in a platform of honest governance untainted by corruption and all the ills that plagued the previous administration. Yet his actions and behavior since taking office have instead exposed a different persona - that of a hollow, pretentious, incompetent, and egocentric politician unequipped to grasp the intricacies of his occupation.

Noynoy's disastrous failings would have been easily forgotten if not for the heavy cost they entailed. As a result, 44 policemen lay dead while the whole country inched precariously into the brink of civil war. His refusal to take accountability in the light of mounting evidence pointing to his culpability further exacerbated the problem and constituted a grave insult to our collective intelligence. His inflated ego reinforced by a false sense of historical entitlement and an apparent delusion for a legacy that is truly undeserved.

Instead of explaining in detail what role he took in running the operation and why his buddy Purisima was still in control despite being suspended, Noynoy took the public on a wild roller coaster ride by telling stories about his family's tragic misfortunes and pinning the blame on his unfortunate subordinates. His gestures were perceived by many as an attempt to disguise his actual role in the bungled operation and sweep things under the rug. His decision to skip the arrival honors for the fallen 44 and his odd facial demeanor while addressing the nation only made things worse, showing a genuine lack of empathy and sincerity which is about the only thing he could have given after the fact. His weird and totally misplaced facial expression gave truth to the adage "He who smiles in a crisis has found someone to blame."

Noynoy should pay for what happened in Mamasapano. His arrogance and ineptitude has cost the country 44 valiant souls. Fed into the lion's pit and sacrificed in the name of stupidity, greed and sheer incompetence.

Let him grovel and choke on his own medicine. And contrary to the experience of past presidents who suffered the same impending fate yet retained a certain level of comfort in incarceration, Noynoy must be put into an actual jail cell together with the likes of Peter Co, Jaybee Sebastian and Herbert Colangco.

That prospect alone should be enough to wipe that unapologetic smirk off his face.