She may have the credibility and charisma, but still lacks the "masa- image that Erap, through years of playing protector of the oppressed on film, has effectively cultivated. Thus the drama of life-imitating television unfolds.
The signs that our politics has entered the age of TV are upon us. There is said to be, two leading contenders for presidency "Fernando Poe Jr, and Noli De Castro, who does not seem to be bothered by the political pressure at all. Their anointment comes from the mass media, not the political parties. Media have allowed them to develop charisma. It is an important aspect of image, but not the only one. .
A great deal of the adventurism we see today in politics is made by the advent of modern mass media. With television, images replace substance, and media exposure substituted for solid performance. The judicial proceedings and congressional hearings of the Jose Pidal case acquire a new dimension that shapes the outcomes of these processes. This is a new terrain that politicians are mastering faster than society can find ways of preventing its abuse. Lacson's intriguing accusations on Mike Arroyo's million dollar bank deposits in the name of Jose Pidal contributes to the drama of it all. But regardless of who holds the truth, I think what is more essential in this issue are the values that should come out of our culture. Politics should be ruled by basic decency, and politicians should be deterred from improper behavior. If these values are weak, politicians advance their interests by finding loopholes and exploiting unfair advantage that are not seen by the existing administration. This is what Lacson is pulling through. He has self-destructed and provoked the disgrace of the Filipino people.
Meanwhile, the Kris and Joey love affair only added up to the murkiness and silliness of Philippine politics. Joey's loyalists see Kris's accusation as a political propaganda against their beloved Mayor, to prevent him from making it to the Congress next year.
