As we rejoin our story in the Philippines... A few days ago, I may have stretched a metaphor a bit by describing the latest marijuana policy news from the Philippines as a soap opera. As it turns out, the plot is thickening...
You may recall that legislator Mikey Arroyo, who is the son of the nation's president, made a statement endorsing a plan to cultivate medical marijuana in the country. This drew a negative response from his mother/president, and some of Arroyo's colleagues in the legislature lashed out at him. According to an editorial here, at least two of those legislators have had their own history of drug-related family drama:
Before they started pummeling Arroyo in the media, the mother- and-son team should have looked in their backyard. They will find it full of filth.
Most people have a short memory. They have forgotten that Jude Estrada, Jinggoy's sibling and Loi's youngest child, was once involved in a scandalous drug deal.
When Erap was still vice president, Jude reportedly beat up an old woman named Española after the latter failed to remit drug money to the son of the vice president.
I wish I had a quick flourish of dramatic music to add here, three big chords and off, but just try to imagine that for moment and read on...
It was a big scandal at that time. The story died down after Jude was sent to the United States where he studied to be a helicopter pilot. When Jude came back from the United States, Erap was already in power so Jude was made a captain in the Air Force.
Even during Erap's time as president, Jude didn't turn over a new leaf. He was reported to be holding shabu sessions with some friends.
Jinggoy should have held his horses on his proposal to have Arroyo undergo drug test to find out if he is a drug user.
When he was San Juan mayor and his father was in power, Jinggoy applied for a firearm license. One of the requirements was for the applicant to undergo a drug test. But Jinggoy refused to have one.
Will Jinggoy and Mikey Arroyo agree to take simultaneous drug tests? Will their mothers allow it? Is this marijuana proposal going anywhere, or will it simply meander from scandal to scandal, like a soap opera?
Tune in next time...
10:16:01 AM | permalink |
|
