Vice President Jojo Binay caused a popular morning radio commentary program to go off the air until Jan. 5, 2015, after he “invited” himself to become one of its regular hosts.

“Karambola” of dwIZ has four regular hosts—Cely Bueno, Thelma Dumpit, Joel Paredes and Jonathan dela Cruz—who discuss current events and how these affect the citizenry and the nation.

ADVERTISEMENT

Binay, hounded by charges of corruption and ill-gotten wealth, was invited to guest in the program last Wednesday to give his side on the issues against him.

On Friday, the Vice President returned to the program with his son, Makati Mayor Junjun, to the surprise of Bueno, Paredes and Dela Cruz. (Dumpit was absent for one reason or another.)

During the program, Binay thanked the hosts for making him a regular on the program, to their consternation.

At this point, Mayor Junjun said he also wanted to be a regular on the program but his father cut him short, saying they might be accused of having a dynasty on radio.

Binay, along with his son, was expected to appear on Karambola yesterday but the show was replaced with another program without notice.

I learned that the hosts decided to go on vacation until Jan. 5 to avoid an ugly scene with the Vice President; by then, they would know whether the program would go on.

It was the first time Karambola went off the air since it began its broadcast in 2005.

* * *

The Binays should be told that being a talk show host is like attending a party—it is by invitation only.

ADVERTISEMENT

They are probably used to showing up at the wakes of poor people whose relatives welcome them with open arms since it is an honor to have the mayor and his entourage for guests.

But a commentary program like Karambola is not like a wake where the dead are visited and there are relatives to extend one’s condolences.

Gate-crashing a private party or an invitation-only affair is not done by people in a polite society.

Also, in a polite society, people don’t covet other people’s goods.

* * *

Let’s sympathize with the relatives of Carlito Lana who was beheaded in Riyadh for murdering his 65-year-old Saudi employer.

But the government should not feel saddened over Lana’s death because that’s overacting or trying hard to please his family.

A murderer by any other name is still a murderer, to paraphrase Shakespeare.

Lana killed his employer, Nasser al-Ghatani.

The suspect himself described al-Ghatani as a “very good man.”

After shooting the old man, Lana reportedly ran him over with his own car.

* * *

Vice President Binay, apparently to win the votes of overseas Filipinos, sounded alarmed and irate when he learned of Lana’s fate.

“I am the residential adviser on overseas Filipino workers’ concerns and yet even I was not notified about the execution,” he told reporters.

Mr. Vice President, you may be a big man here but to the Saudis, you are a nobody.

Pardon my saying so, dear readers, but to most Saudi Arabians, the Philippines is just a nation of slaves.

* * *

A lawmaker has proposed that unclaimed lotto winnings be forfeited in favor of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The altruistic proposal should be considered thoroughly because it would benefit thousands of victims of natural calamities.

But the recipient should be the Philippine Red Cross instead of the DSWD.

The Red Cross has a better distribution system and its leadership is not answerable to any politician.

Read Next

EDITORS' PICK

MOST READ