Do we take it hook, line and sinker?
That is a question that fishes do not ask. Indeed, the question came from an undersecretary tasked with communications under the present administration. The query was aimed at the presentation from Maria Ressa of Rappler. The systematic and researched facts and numbers, manually counted at certain points, tracked web sites from where false information were coming. The slides illustrated how the sites converged and share on characteristic—a link to pro-government persons.
The presentation was impressive. It was a rare occurrence in public hearings where sound and fury are favored over the empirical and observable. Except for Sen. Grace Poe who constantly referred to it, there was no significant reaction and response from the gallery. I was anticipating an uproar from the crowd, but I guess I was in a different universe during those moments.
I am not saying we cannot touch the presentation of Maria Ressa. Far from it. In fact, we should ask many questions about the sources used, the methodology mentioned. As with any empirical acts, they can be replicated. And replicate them, we must.
In this land, the empirical can never strike back. The metaphorical the rhetorical, and the sentimental always win.
As the hearing progressed, the questioning became even more vague and obscure. We can go back to the video of the said event and review the transcript to discover how questions were never answered fully. The person responding would react partly to a question and would veer into the touchy-feely regions.
As the hearing regressed, some people talked about moral ascendancy. This was an area no one has an expertise in. In fact, someone could have challenged those in the gallery to stay if he or she felt or he or she did possess moral ascendancy
Years ago, I was managing a developmental non-governmental organization into education and microfinance. In one of the general assemblies held in the thick of a presidential election, a father of a child who was a recipient of the education grant rose. He spoke about how we have tried already the intelligent and the educated, it was about time to try the uneducated. I could not help myself then and immediately asked, without hiding my irritation, why was he sending his child to school?
As in that meeting and in the Senate hearing, the elephant not in the room was not the assistant secretary who placed Mayon Volcano in the city of Naga and not in Albay. The elephants not in the room was education.
As for the location of the volcano, there are two streets in Naga parallel to each other: Mayon and Isarog. Still, I do not claim moral ascendancy. Geography is basically amoral.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano