CORY THE CUTE
WE got Word that we have gone from being the alternative press to the Cory press; that we are lyrical about the lady, given to blushing prose where she’s concerned.
The Word fleshed out its concerns: While we cheered for days after Cory of the People opened wide the gates of Malacanang to the poorest of the poor, the Mafia, of the SGV and the Jesuitic models, the Council of Trent and other suspect groupings made their moves, consolidated their position and are now inextricably rooted in the center of power; while we strained for the precise word to describe Cory’s salute during her maiden appearance at the Philippine Military Academy, former Trade Minister Roberto Ongpin was taken off the hold list and flew off to parts unknown; and while we rhapsodized about the little stories that make Cory Cory such as her daily 20-minute ride to and from Malacanang stopping at all the red traffic lights, the Binondo Central Bank went back to business as usual.
In our Cory fixation, it is being said that we have been sidetracked from our duties and responsibilities in media. That may well be true. But it is also true that last February alone or in a month’s time which is hardly time at all, we went through the snap elections, the Revolution, People Power, the downfall of the dictatorship, the inauguration of a government without Marcos and the writing of new ennobling chapters in our history.
We have yet to quit marvelling at the splendid suddenness of it all. We plead for time to smell a bit longer sweet victory and freedom, to sip, to whirl about the mouth and to smack our lips at the taste of its goodness. After 14 years of another form of self government, give us time to heal from the pain that was inflicted us. Give us a break, guys. We are tired of writing between the lines and of not writing at all. We are tired of our long-playing role as adversary press. Let us be, as we wallow in the thick of our “sweetheart” relationship with the First Lady of People Power. And by the way, we are still singing hossanahs to Col. Gringo. So there. To each his own euphoria. For now.
We have only been into the Cory government for less than two months, Give the lady a break, too. Just as the Marcoses did not loot us dry overnight (It only seems so), Cory, direct from home and garden, needs time and our patience to get it all together. In the meantime, we must refrain from destroying those who are re-building our land from the ruins of the Marcos regime.
Some of those who pontificate about the role of media in a free society (“Criticize, attack”) are incurably alarmists. Every act seen (or not) by government is judged by Cory standards (sorry about that) rather than human standards. There is a spark of larceny in all of us and without it, we would have a boring even if free society. Who wants to sleep through the most exciting and appetizing phase of our history? Besides, there is no clear-cut evidence of wrongdoing in government today. Anyway, the evidence is not all in.
We do understand the genuine concern of those who perceive that certain sectors in media today concentrate only on Cory, the Cute. Without the vigilance and the fiscalizing of the Fourth Estate, there is real fear that our free society today could turn Marcosian at any moment and we would revert to being a nation of sheep. We have known what’s that like and no way will we let it happen again. Have no fear for as long as the press stays free, we’ll come around — in due time to measure performance (Cute Cory’s, too) to the hugeness of our expectations.
