Opposition social media “activists” have recently been up in arms over the portrayal by a popular comedy act of Opposition Senator Leila De Lima who is in prison on charges of drug trafficking. In last Saturday’s episode of Vice Ganda’s It’s Showtime, Ganda and singer Jugs Jugueta made reference to De Lima’s incarceration with Ganda kicking off banter with Jugueta by commenting on her appearance on the show saying “Nagmukha kang si Leila de Lima na bloated. Parang hiyang ka sa loob. Ano message mo kay Trillanes?” (Translated: “You look like Leila De Lima only bloated. It’s like prison suits you. What’s your message to [Senator Antonio] Trillanes?”)
In response Jugueta quips, “Hoy hinihintay na kita dito!” (Translated: “Hey, I’ve been waiting for you to join me here!”)
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Netizens were, as expected, quick to denounce the sketch as one “mocking” De Lima’s supposedly serious predicament. Inquirer columnist Gideon Lasco issued a statement on Twitter condemning it as “unacceptable”…
Senator Leila de Lima deserves utmost respect as a woman of courage: one who boldly went against Duterte’s drug war at the height of his popularity. Any attempt to make fun of her, especially in light of her current predicament as a prisoner of conscience, is unacceptable.
Other Netizens chimed in to cite the recognitions De Lima had received from international “human rights” organisations and reports on her plight published by major prestigious media organisations such as the New York Times as evidence that she is not a person that deserves to be “mocked”.
Therein lies the point De Lima’s defenders seem to be missing — that despite the supposedly awesome “support” she is getting from the “international community”, they worry her reputation and the supposed nobility and moral ascendancy of her quaint “activism” could be eroded — even undone — by a mere comedy skit. The fact is, De Lima and her pal “senator” Antonio Trillanes are public figures that are not entitled to the kids’ gloves treatment. For one thing, De Lima hasn’t exactly kept her nose clean enough to mitigate the risks associated with going up against a popular political figure such as current President Rodrigo Duterte. For his part, Trillanes himself sports quite the rap sheet of military adventurism punctuated by the use of deadly military resources against a duly-elected civilian government.
If anything else, De Lima should consider herself to be in good company. Jesus Christ himself was the subject of far more mockery over many centuries — and continues to be fodder for thousands of comedy sketches. Yet he remains at the centre of vast religious empires that continue to grow in wealth and power. Indeed, rather than get comfy with this latest opportunity to play the Victim Card, what De Lima should really be doing, if she really believes in her advocacy, is to assure her followers that comedy sketches by popular Filipino comedians do not concern her.
The Prince of Peace portrayed in Mel Brooks’s 1981 comedy film History of the World
It is quite obvious that the Opposition De Lima fandom remain convinced that De Lima cuts a big figure (in both literal and figurative senses) in the “human rights” activism industry. In that regard, they should just get a life, tune in to Vice Ganda’s show and have a bit of a laugh over what really is a rather funny skit.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Vice’s show itself is unfunny. The reaction of delima fans – now that was comedy.
I’d be a hypocrite if I say I didn’t guffaw at the hearings conducted by congress with Ronnie Dayan as guest…
If you are against Duterte’s drug war, then what do you call yourself?
Every country that tried to ‘fight’ drugs has failed so far. Why does the Philippines think it will work in their back yard? Trying to invent the wheel again? They are masters in that, I must give you.
It’s dumb to fight the drug war. Waste of time and lives and money. It empowers police to be more authoritarian and invites creeping DICTATORSHIP!
In advanced countries , they employ smart solutions. In germany and canada they give needles for addicts. Canada legalized weed. Thailand will do the same.
Uruguay has decriminalized drugs for 40 years and are a BOOMING LatAM nation vs Mexico who went to war for drugs and now is a murder capital
Only pea brains who are ignorant (of the history of LatAM, experiences of europe etc.) think this is a good idea. There is no excuse for ignorance now Joeld because of the internet. It is your choice to be stupid.
It’s dumber to ignore drug-related crimes. Another way to waste lives and money, this time with criminals. You’re grasping on straws with your nonsensical ‘DICTATORSHIP’ shilling.
Yeah, they employ smart solutions because they even made study and research about it. Marijuana is legal yet it’s tame compared to the likes of cocaine and crystal meth, where the two exhibited dangerous effects.
And yes, Uruguay decriminalized drugs for 40 years, BUT here’s the thing:
The Philippines is different because we have drug syndicates and narcopoliticians involved in using illegal drugs AND manufacturing and selling them. The latter represent more about why the drug problem is rampant here.
BTW, perhaps you’re ignorant about the history of Colombia about why its bloody drug war greatly affected one nation because of one drug lord. And with the way you said there is no excuse DM THE YELLOW, that can be said the same to you. When the time you stepped on this page, you’re exposing yourself for being stupid in the first place with your EMO-induced rants and personal attacks.
Vice instigated the ruckus between Aga and Trillanes’ minions. Now, (s)he is doing it again on De Lima. The difference is Vice is a yellow minion and whatever (s)he promotes for and against a fellow yellow is ok. Hence, Aga, once a a fellow yellow, got the brunt of the yellow ribbons’ ire and hypocrisy. Expect Vice to persist and provoke disagreements. H(is)er show is nothing but pure ‘KABAKLAAN!
It. Vice Ganda is an It.
“Prisoner of Conciense”, what at joke!…Leila de Lima is a crook, a nymphomaniac and a drug dealer. She is a joke as a Senator. I believe she is even elected to the Senate thru the HOCUS PCOS and SMART SWITIK.
A sitting Senator, who had a love affair with her married Driver, deserves no respect. She should be disbarred, as a lawyer, for immorality.
Leila de Lima, was the cause of our Shabu drug problems, that is now rampant thruout the country. She , as Secretary of Justice, thru her enormous power, used the National Bilibid Prison, as her “main headquarter”, for Shabu distribution. She used criminals/prisoners as her drug distributors. The National Bilibid Prison, became a “Las Vegas Entertainment Center”, under her watch.
New York Times is a purveyor of Fake News. You can buy those international organizations, to give you awards, you don’t deserve.
Remember how many awards, Pnoy Aquino received ? With all those awards, he is still incompetent and the worst crook, that we ever had in Philippine politics.
Human rights ? What human rights…I also have the right not to be sold and hook on with the drug Shabu; sold and distributed by the drug dealers of Leila de Lima. I have the right , not to be held up/robbed by drug addicts, who are looking for easy money, for the next drug fix !
One should be respected for accomplishments. That is why Noynoy is a joke since he never accomplished anything yet he saw himself as the best choice for president. Well in the end he did accomplish things by violating the constitution and giving some experimental vaccine to school children by using “alternate funding:.
When one comes out in some infamous underground video that is not available in Odyssey or Astrovision yet the video itself does not accomplish what videos of that ilk usually accomplish, in some roundabout way that itself is an accomplishment. It goes against the grain. When something can not be unseen, I guess that is an accomplishment.
The only thing I can give him credit for is the K-12 switch, but even then, the implementation was horrible and rushed, I don’t hear him bragging about that or even the Liberals/Yellows praising him for it, because the education system is still terrible.
is pnoy’s amnesty proclamation 75 for magdalos a ‘ex post facto’? secondly, is the civil courts has jurisdiction over trillanes case?
Telling an introvert to go to a party is like telling a saint to go to Hell.