July 23 lessons

Nora Soriño .

ILIGAN City — They say lessons in life are learned early in kindergarten. I only partly agree with that one because some lessons are learned long after kindergarten like in a “Sona,” starring the President — especially if it is of the Du30 kind — although there are lots and lots of “also starring” curiousities.

Take the last state-of-the-nation address.

When there was a report that the mace was missing, I wondered what this thing was which at that moment seemed to be a big deal.

Where was it then?

Then I came to learn that this was no gavel. If this was, they could have used a “martilyo” instead. As what happened years ago during a Congress session, they used one because they could not find it. I mean the presiding officer used it and they were then called “The Martilyo Gang.”

The mace then, which was one lesson this writer learned posthaste, is a symbol of authority. Without it, a session is not a session or not valid.

The honorables behind this session wanted to knock out somebody. That somebody wasn’t a nobody. He was the Speaker of the House, Pantaleon Alvarez.

As I saw on TV then, some familiar-looking lady in red was seen at the rostrum shouting something that even a sharp lipeader could not decode.

I texted another mediaman, Frank D, informing him that Alvarez was about to be ousted. He asked me earlier about what was happening.

No address yet of the star of the show, Du30 and it was almost 5 pm. So, I changed channels in the meantime.

And then Frank texted: “Na-technical sila ni GMA and Co.!”

What? The object of a technical knock out, if it was in boxing, was doing the knocking out instead? How strange!

It was suspected that it was the daughter of Alvarez who maneuvered the losing of the mace.

So, Alvarez was the one who was seen with Senate President Tito Sotto as the late, late show of Du30 unfurled. Not the “lady in red.” Some lyrics of “lady in red” wafted through my mind with all the drama: “Lady in red/ …I’ve never seen so many people want to be on your side….” It was Chris de Burgh who composed and sang it. But Martin Nievera is my choice of singer of the song.

Later though, the “lady in red” became the Speaker. But only after the Sona.

And this occurred after another mace was found in the archives, thus rendering the session a real session because of the presence of the mace this time. Of course, during that session when the honorables did not have the mace, they had already the numbers for some  ousting. But where was the original mace? And did the carrier of the replacement have the authority to carry such?

A legal mind would answer probably: “That’s moot and anemic.” I mean, “academic.”

So, what’s the lesson here?

It could be that the House, or any other house for that matter, before doing some ousting, must do some monitoring of the mace or other symbol of authority. And if it’s lost, scout for some replacement in the archives or elsewhere. Posthaste.

Some commercials then or “kaunting kaalaman:” We do not say, “take oathing” but “oathtaking.” So, do we say “knock outing” instead of “knocking out?”

I wander though. I mean, wonder. It’s time for a break though as some of life’s lessons could be boring. And to get bored is the worst thing that could happen to a man. Or woman…