The Katipunan Scandal and the Neros of our Times

What is it about the Katipunan area that it evokes memories of vicious scandals?

Last Sunday, at the height of Typhoon Ondoy, Mikey Arroyo, presidential son and self-proclaimed political heavyweight, went out of La Vista subdivision and crossed the already flooded Katipunan avenue just to buy wine from nearby Rustan's supermarket. A vigilant Pinoy saw him and clicked away. Of course, Mikey defended himself, saying that he was not in Katipunan on a Saturday. He just totally erased what he did on Sunday.

Nothing wrong with drinking wine while your countrymen wail in utter agony after losing their homes, their loved ones and their very own futures. Nero did it in his time, while Rome burned itself to the ground.

Now, a few days after that scandalous Mikey incident, now this. Prospero Pichay, a close family friend of the Arroyos, feted Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with a lavish dinner, this time at the LWUA office along Katipunan. Pichay may have thought that 200,000 pesos is a pittance compared with that close to 5 million pesos spent by Mrs. Arroyo in her dinners at Le Cirque and Bobby Van's. And Pichay is very sensitive not to displease his boss. Obviously, Pichay knows that Mrs. Arroyo's palate only goes for French and American foods, but no hamburgers please (That's Mikey Arroyo speaking my friends).

In fact, Pichay even failed to satiate Mrs. Arroyo's gourmet taste. He just served "kare-kare" and local fare, a complete opposite with foods Mrs. Arroyo already accustomed herself with. Imagine, Pichay just served iced tea while Mrs. Arroyo's taste is with expensive French wines (like Mickey's---of course, what the mother wants, the son also wants).

And I'm not surprised with this, seeing that Mrs. Arroyo would probably want us, even probably silently pray, that we slowly disintegrate. Remember that in times of extreme emergency, the president has the power to declare martial law.