"Men in public life may suffer under a hostile and an unjust accusation; the wound can be assuaged with a balm of a clear conscience." (1918 Supreme Court ruling on the United States vs. Bustos case)
If my grand uncle and great nationalist Jovito Salonga were alive today, he would have never allowed any ranking Liberal Party official to become an agent of misinformation and disinformation. That a former elected official cum broadcast journalist could commit the egregious blunder of purveying fake news on social media mirrors the sad state of the once glorious political party. While anti-government rhetoric is an accepted political reality, I believe the late Senate President would have stood against normalizing the politics of hate, anger, and resentment within the LP ranks.

Knowing One's Onions

To be fair, former congressman Teddy Baguilat, Jr. has issued a Twitter mea culpa over a knee-jerk reaction to a bogus quote card attributed to Ilocos Norte Representative Sandro Marcos. It has to do with the retail price spike on red onions, a product of seven towns in Marcos' home province. According to the agriculture department, the Ilocos region is the country's second biggest onion producer.

The fake quote alleged that Sandro had advised consumers to buy white onions instead of the pricier red variety.

It is a good thing that the young Marcos is not onion-skinned. Rationally, he debunked the fake information with dispatch. His conscience is clear after all. And it will always serve as Sandro's best defense against any disinformation that seeks to injure his reputation.

The incident shows the politics of hatred that the opposition and anti-government forces have condoned through the years. Providentially, the reductive modus operandi of discrediting popular pro-government personalities has led to resounding defeats for the LP in three election cycles. Since 2016, the writing has been on the wall but the party leadership and membership refused to see it. It seems they suffer from an impairment or learning disorder.

Thankfully, most voters have refused to buy the "hate stories" being peddled by these politicians. I am glad that the electorate has consistently rejected those who demonize our democratically -elected government. I reiterate that people look for competent leaders with problem-solving skills. They need officials who can provide immediate and long-term assistance to Filipinos affected by inflation, pandemic, and natural disasters.