When Miriam blows her top

Nobody was surprised when Senator Miriam Santiago disappeared from the panel judging the impeachment case of Chief Justice Renato Corona yesterday. It was explained that her blood pressure had shot up and she had to be brought to the clinic and advised to rest. From her performances in the two appearances she had made, so far, at the trial, it seemed inevitable that she would have a relapse from the ailment she had been suffering earlier.

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Of course it was less exciting for watchers, with nobody to scowl, holler or purse her lips and glare at any of the protagonists in the country’s blockbuster show. But she also brought it upon herself, knowing what an erratic blood pressure she had. One can just imagine how frustrated her doctors must be when they see her blowing her top at those who get in her way. I’m sure both prosecutors and defense relaxed somewhat without Miriam there threatening to scream at them.

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But yesterday’s revelations elicited from the head of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Kim Henares, seemed to make the case “worser and worser,” as Alice in Wonderland would have said it, for the Corona family. The questioning of Henares was able to dig out the fact that the family only filed income tax returns when they felt like it, or when they needed to. And what returns they did file, are now providing more ammunition to the prosecution against them.

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How can one imagine a woman, daughter of the Chief Justice, to have been able to buy a property in classy La Vista (isn’t that the same subdivision where the Arroyos reside?) for P18 million, when her income was only some P11,000, and she paid only about P400 in income tax? Isn’t that a mind blower? I got so disgusted upon hearing that, I switched to an NBA basketball game and cheered excitedly for one of the teams, until it was indicated that the game was only a replay of one that took place in 1991 yet!

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And now comes the news that the wife of a senator and movie actor Lito Lapid, had been arrested at the Las Vegas, Nevada airport for allegedly bringing to the country $50,000, which is $40,000 more than what is allowed by law. The reports said she was apprehended for that last November 27, and apparently was still allowed to return to the Philippines then. This time she was nabbed upon landing, and why she still went there with that case hanging over her head, is something unfathomable. Senator Lapid, looking distressed, said she knew that, but still left.

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One wonders if Mrs. Lapid, I think her name is Marissa, had heard about the case of the sons of former general Carlos P. Garcia, who were too lazy to report the amount of dollars they were carrying on their flight to the United States. Now they are facing imprisonment in the States, while their father, whose own case was obviously worsened by their indiscretion, is detained after having been convicted for other graft charges.

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I was saddened to hear yesterday about the death of Congressman Iggy Arroyo in London. Even before he joined politics when his sister-in-law, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, became president, Iggy had maintained his friendly relationship with the DAILY STAR. In fact, when GMA was still with the Trade and Industry Department, he arranged for her to write a column for the DAILY STAR. Before she could start, however, politics called, and she got elected vice president.

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When he became a politician himself, Iggy remained a nice fellow, very decent and never demanding. He never once tried to influences us against writing against his powerful relative nor against himself, but would only call or send an explanation or reply. His love and support for his brother and his family are legendary. Sometimes I wondered if they deserved a sibling like Iggy. I heard he was already longing to come home when he was called. Let us pray that he is now in the home the Good Lord has prepared for his children.*

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