Hillary Clinton: A Conversation In Manila

An interesting video featuring US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton billed as "A Conversation In Manila", a town hall meeting-inspired public forum that also featured a wide array of bloggers and student journalists from all over the Philippines. From the description of the Clinton entourage itself, the forum is  described as 'groundbreaking' for its youth-oriented social media component, breaking away from the formalities of many of the globe-trotting Clinton's public events. Speaking of 'youth-oriented', Winnie Monsod and Mel Tiangco - famous celebrities in their own right, did not hesitate to make their presence felt in the audience to see to it that Clinton did not lack not-so-young admirers.

Questions for Secretary Clinton were fielded via YouScoop, Twitter, Facebook, Skype and SMS. Members of the young audience were also given time to field their questions. Among those distinguished personalities from the  audience were actress Heart Evangelista and fellow celebrities Isabel Daza and Maxene Magalona who were both lucky to have fielded their questions to Clinton. Vicky Morales and Howie Severino served as moderators while Ramon Bautista (the lesser illustrious namesake of the one who sired 75 children) made sure an audience participation became lively.

The forum largely went smoothly apart from one notable distraction courtesy of Marjohara Tucay, the editor-in-chief of the 'The Philippine Collegian' who interrupted Clinton in between discussions and held up a banner protesting the VFA thing. Despite his show of rudeness (he could have conveyed his concerns in a rather refined manner and shined given the nature of the forum), the audience instead responded in crisp laughter as Clinton repeatedly addressed him as a she. Well, Mrs. Clinton did not mean to be rude judging on the high-pitched soprano scream of Tucay that started to reverberate inside the hall before he was being led away while still frothing in anger. Hmm, not a really nice stunt to pull off for a future journalist who should have demonstrated some measure of civility without being rude and dissenting.

Hillary's Silent Rebuke - "Get Your Acts Together!"

"Corruption is corrosive in any society with leaders enriching themselves..."

While these are very strong words from the US Secretary of State, the message is quite clear. It may be a generalization, but judging from the corruption scandals this government is embroiled in, it is presumed as a direct reference to the Arroyo government.

If Gloria was in attendance, what would have been her reactions to that? I just can guess, everyone in the audience might have given her a cold stare. For it is a universal knowledge, that corruption thrives under the Gloria administration, not negligible in scale but its magnitude historical.

Those were stern words not to be ignored. Hillary is certainly no cerebral minnow. She's well-informed. But behind the curtains, could she be tough enough to whisper to this rogue little being, that her explicit exploits are being monitored? I wonder what the conversations would sound like. Or is Hillary so mean enough to be that unreasonably candid? Oh, I really don't think this scenario is forthcoming!

The last time Gloria visited the US upon the invitation of Obama, she was greeted with demonstrations and protests by the Filipino community there. Prior to her visit, a handful of prestigious newspapers in the US, were already screaming loud of her purported involvement in corruption scandals. If my history was correct, she earned the distinction of being the first Southeast Asian leader to have been invited to the White House. Being a gifted peacemaker and a gentleman himself, Obama did not intend to be accused of breach of protocol, by shutting the White House door to the Philippine contingent.

Forget about rebukes from Hillary! Our protagonist nonetheless, has been quietly busy working her way to yet another stage of political immortality. When one has tasted power that comes with unimaginable gains, it is a normal human reaction to get addicted to it. And as Sen. Miriam Santiago would have described it, the stampede of vultures with the epidermis of a pachyderm, has become a cultural phenomenon in the Philippines.

There is however little time to make amends, from the stench of corruption so flagrant to conceal. What had been laid bare could just be a fraction of the real deal. We have had enough of them. Different styles of leadership from different personalities, but with synonymous records. But do we need to be reminded all over again? I think the electorate is no longer gullible to this deception...at least in earlier polls. But the fact still remains to be seen...