Stupid as stupid does

House Quadcom swashbucklers are painting themselves as crusaders of good governance and protectors of rights when, in reality, their records reveal nothing but opportunism.

A key figure in the ongoing House probe into former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs recently dismissed as “stupid” the allegations that he is a turncoat with ambitions of joining President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Cabinet.

The Quadcom has been hammering away at the conduct of the former administration’s signature anti-narcotics campaign, parading former allies of the former president who seem eager to ingratiate themselves or save their necks amid the House of Representatives’ ongoing telenovela-like proceedings.

The current crusader against Duterte’s anti-drug drive is nearing the end of his term next year and is actively lobbying for a Cabinet position, primarily as head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

“Just because I condemn the killings, does that mean I’ve changed my stance on Duterte’s war on drugs? No. Those who believe I’ve changed my stance are nothing but pea-brained individuals,” the alleged chameleon said.

“I’ve never, nor did I ever, say that Duterte was guilty. I haven’t said anything yet. That’s why we’re investigating,” he added.

A review of his previous dealings with the Duterte administration shows that his fondness for switching sides, like the star fruit (balimbing), can’t be hidden.

In May 2019, the legislator rallied support for the war on drugs, vowing to work on improving funding for law enforcement agencies.

“The country is very fortunate to have a president whose advocacy is to fight the problem of illegal drugs,” the House leader proclaimed at a gathering of government officials and anti-drug groups.

“I would like to emphasize that this war is not an ordinary war. We can have a series of arrests, drug busts, and laboratories being dismantled here and there, but if we don’t support them by providing the right information, this war may become a failure,” the Janus-faced congressman said.

Worse, he went overboard and expressed hope that the leader after Duterte “would continue the effort against the illegal drugs trade,” even supporting a term extension for the President, which was not provided for under the Constitution.

There was, however, a move at the time to revise the Charter and change the system of government from presidential to parliamentary.

“People have nothing to fear when a leader has nothing but the country’s welfare on his agenda. He is not only concerned about the present but also the future of this generation,” the sycophant continued.

The pretender presented himself as a nemesis of narco-politicians and even demanded that members of the House of Representatives and their staff submit to mandatory drug testing while filing a resolution for a “drug-free Congress” in support of Duterte’s “total war” against drugs.

His claim then was that “narco-politicians” used their unlimited resources to fund their election campaigns.

A year later, when Bikoy, or Peter Joemel Advincula, made his revelations about the narcotics trade, the Quadcom point man dismissed the exposé as political opportunism, while he now praises similar figures “for their courage” in allowing themselves to be used as exhibits against officials of the previous regime.

The clear takeaway from the current Quadcom hearings is that fickle-minded politicians have no qualms about exchanging principles for political survival and that they view voters as gullible and stupid, much like themselves.