Loi

Dear folks, I know I should stay out of politics. But since I am not eligible to vote here this perhaps will be of interest to the RP voters......! Here's one true account of the ex-First Lady's booh-booh, now a senatorial candidate in the coming May elections. She is no different from the rest of the hypocrites of the Estrada administration.

I work as a programme officer for an international, charitable organisation providing funds for the treatment, rehab, and education of disabled people. In December 1999, this organisation celebrated its 25th anniversary of service in the Philippines. We invited Loi Estrada to "grace" the event. Many people came partly because the First Lady was the guest of honor. But her presence turned to be a shame -- a disgrace.

The occasion was opened by a candlelight ceremony. Loi proudly breezed in through the heavily secured entrance, followed by at least half-a-dozen bejewelled amigas who did not realise they looked like goffers and stupidly out-of-place and undeserving to be in an honorable occasion celebrating 25 years of noble service for people with disabilities. These amigas, glittering and taking centre stage next to the First Lady, rattled the event organisers, by sending them off to different directions, to get "rubbing alcohol" (so that the First Lady could cleanse her hands after expected hand-shakes), to clear part of the room (so the First Lady would have some room), to fetch this kind of chair (so the First Lady could sit comfortably), etc. etc.

Her Excellency, managing to twitch her facial muscles to produce a semblance of a smile which almost cracked her fully made-up face, went directly to the candles and lit them. You'd think Loi would have said a few words, even insincere, like the usual thanks for having been honored to grace an important occasion for her poor followmen, blah, blah. But.... nothing. She just proceeded to the next number, without so much as saying Hi to the crowd! (By the way, the candle was handed over to her by a totally blind girl, carefully dressed up for the occasion, who had nervously practiced several times, without cane or assistance, walking back and forth, ensuring she would not trip as she found her way to Her Excellency, to hand over the candle. But Her Excellency did not seem to so much as notice the blind girl. Loi just didn't care.)

The next number was a choir from the Philippine National School for the Blind. Blind students serenaded the First Lady. After the songs, you'd think--or hope, in my case--that Loi would have uttered some words of appreciation -- after all, this was a choir of BLIND people. But.. nothing... I don't even remember having seen Loi applaud or at least nod. The rest of the programme followed: a presentation of posters depicting the work of some 30 organisations doing non-profit work for the disabled, a display of handicrafts by indigent disabled people, a demonstration of howto produce Braille books so they could be "read" by blind persons, a display of Braille watches so that blind people could tell time, and so on..

Many people watched the First Lady in awe, some in wheelchairs, others in crutches, some deaf, others blind guided by chaperons. All of them squeezing their way through the thick crowd, trying to get a glimpse of or hear some words from the First Lady -- Her Excellency, the woman they only heard of or seen in the papers, the sincere, 'sarado-Catolico,' pro-poor First Lady; the woman whom everyone felt sorry for, for being so kind and good-hearted and religious, yet so abused by a philandering president for a husband. The programme lasted less than an hour. And through it all, Her Excellency did not say a word. No "How nice!" or "That's good..." or "I've never seen anything like this before.." or "thank you" or..."I feel honored to be here" .. or "it's nice to be with you." Not even something that comes through her nose... just plain nothing. The Great Dame did not address the crowd which welcomed her, waited for her, many of whom came from Mindanao, the Visayas, the Bicol region.. many of whom came, BECAUSE/BECAUSE the occasion was to be graced by the Honorable First Lady. Can you ever imagine, or have you ever heard of, a guest of honor, gracing an important occasion by NOT saying a single word to the waiting crowd, but instead ignoring the whole crowd? Well, now you have! The Great Lady had gone, as quickly as she came, without so much as a nod, or a wave .... How disappointing!

And we were left, I was left, trying to give acceptable answers to the many questions that followed me, as to why the First Lady did not say anything, acknowledge the event, address the crowd. Deep inside, I'd been wondering. Why on earth did this poor-excuse-for-a-pro-masa-woman come to the occasion? And the answer?....... PUBLICITY. Camera men were in all corners... cameras were flashing here and there. And the exposure was good for Loi's First Lady Ng Masa show on RPN 9.

And indeed it was shown...the papers during the following days flashed with "Ang First Lady Ng Masa Para sa May Kapansanan" stuff. How nice to see the idol, gracing an NGO celebration of service for poor disabled persons! When I see Loi now--as she tours the country, campaigning for her senatorial candidacy, widely smiling and sweet-talking the crowd, making them believe she's the pro-poor person she is not, once again making fool of the mass--my blood boils.

NOW she has to TALK, say as much as she can, and work hard at getting back that power, so that Erap can again take control of the reigns, so that the Estrada family can again milk the people, and Loi herself at the end of it all can again revel in the glamour and importance of being First Lady. Loi, her brittle smiles, and her entourage of goffers. The consummated actress and hypocrite ex-First Lady. Please tell your maids, your drivers, their relatives, your neighbors, not to get fooled for one second.

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Please send us an e-mail, what you think of the former First Lady