Hyperinflation and Hyperbole

I suppose that most anyone, if 5,000 people showed up at a mass in support of him/her, would get quite a bit of an ego boost, especially if the mass was attended by political bigshots such as Cory Aquino, Frank Drillon, Alfredo Lim and JDV. Yet, understandable as it is, I do wish Mr. Lozada would keep a tighter reign on his metaphors and hyperbole.

Make no mistake - assuming that Mr. Lozada is telling the truth, and assuming that he is indeed telling the truth for the sake of the country, this is a very brave and laudable act, for which he must be duly applauded. Yet if he truly has the good of the country in mind, I respectfully submit that the last thing he should be doing is lionizing himself, or making himself out to be a savior of the nation - and it's hard to interpret "I didn't know I was saving the soul of the nation" as anything but that, whether he intended this or not.

Why so?

First, because it assumes too much. For all the fuss and bother at the Senate, nothing concrete has yet to come from his testimony. What that testimony did was to give more evidence to a belief held by a lot of our countrymen that, surprise surprise, the government is corrupt. The particular individuals accused of impropriety remain fairly well entrenched in power. Even should they be removed, the structural problems that allow for that corruption still remain. Make no mistake the testimony is helpful - but primarily only insofar as diagnosing the problem is concerned... as far as creating a solution... not so much.

Second, because it gives him too much credit. Again, consistent with the assumptions above, Mr. Lozada has done a good, brave thing. Yet even should a solution come about, it would be improper for him to claim even a majority of the credit. Should he play Chavit Singson to GMA's Erap, he would have been instrumental in her downfall, but would hardly be considered its singular cause. And again, even a change of administration will do nothing if the underlying causes are not addressed.

Third, because it plays straight into the hands of the administration for Mr. Lozada to set himself up as a hero. The administration has adopted the strategy of making the ZTE issue seem to be about Mr. Lozada's virtue and character... something even Mr. Lozada has admitted to be far from spotless. Statements like those he gave at the mass only serve to galvanize the administration, and aid in their attempts to divert attention from the truth or falsity of the allegations. Mr. Lozada's greatest gift to the country is, if truthful, his testimony. Any attempt to use public sympathy for his plight to heighten his personal stature only serves to divert attention from that testimony, in favor of an idol with feet of clay.

Again, I should repeat, that given the usual caveat as to truthfulness, Mr. Lozada does deserve support and affirmation. But the moment he gives in to the urge to make this about him, and not about his testimony, the moment he engages in the hyperbole and rhetoric of a 'hero' - at that point, he ceases to do service to the nation.