The soldiers barricading Glorrieta last July 26 has alarmed the whole nation. Senator Honasan’s alleged cooperation with the Oakwood rebels confused the people, along with those pictures of him having blood compact with Captain Trillanes. This is not much different to what we have witnessed in the Kris-Joey love affair, the Jose Pidal case, and GMA’s sudden change of mind about running in 2004. It is just like a scene straight from the movies. In a society where models of public conduct are increasingly taken from the fantasy world of entertainment, Kris Aquino could even win i

This should not surprise us anymore. For it has long been the case that the suitability for public office in our country is decided not by one’s credentials or experience, but rather by one’s media projection. That is why we have a large number of TV programs in which entertainment personalities are cast in public service roles, and politicians are packaged as showbiz celebrities. Analysts refer to this phenomenon as the implosion of the boundaries separating politics from entertainment.

The signs that our politics has entered the age of TV are upon us. There is said to be, two leading contenders for presidency—Fernando Poe Jr, and Noli De Castro, who does not seem to be bothered by the political pressure at all. Their anointment comes from the mass media, not the political parties. Media have allowed them to develop charisma. It is an important aspect of image, but not the only one.

Meanwhile, the Kris and Joey love affair only added up to the murkiness and silliness of Philippine politics. Joey’s loyalists see Kris’s accusation as a political propaganda against their beloved Mayor, to prevent him from making it to the Congress next year. In an interview, Kris Aquino confessed their failed relationship, and faces the camera with her famous line, “You are a liar”, referring to ex-partner Joey Marquez. In another TV show, Joey’s supporters have blatantly expressed their sympathy and disgust over the issue. Since then, people have taken sides on the situation. Now we see how our lives were molded in the society of the spectacle. Filipinos are passive spectators who watch in awe but absolutely gains nothing.

Some topics in this essay:
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