Dogbert’s Whip

Scenario: For the past month, two cubicle rebels — my self-proclaimed techie officemate, the Queen of Pain and Tardiness (QPT), and I, the Geoscience Hunk Wannabe (GHW) — have had clashing views regarding the wire-tapping issue we all know as the Gloriagate Scandal. While I have always been pro-status quo, QPT, on the other hand, claims that she is “pro-truth.”

Yesterday, QPT sent an e-mail (Title: “TO THOSE WHO ARE INTELLIGENT ENOUGH - jueteng allegations and wiretap conversations”) that lists most of the personalities that are critical of the Arroyo administration. It details each person’s shady background and his or her possible personal motives. The document also made a thorough analysis of what makes a credible witness (i.e., Sandra Cam vs. Clarissa Ocampo) and why it is moot and academic to discuss election fraud in the 2004 National Elections.

The e-mail somehow defends GMA by asserting that no concrete evidence from the wire-tapped conversation could prove her supposed guilt. I, for one, have mentioned this over and over. But in the end, what the article is trying to point out is the seemingly obvious selfish intentions of various factions to topple the current leadership. Suffice to say that the motivation for the ongoing investigations is not all about principles, but is mostly for the lust of power.

After reading the e-mail, GHW sent a short response to QPT. This would turn out to be a scathing exchange of tirades that reeks of strong political, albeit personal, convictions. Below is the transcript of the short exchange, copied in toto –

GHW (3:18 PM): HA! And I’m vindicated. J

QPT (3:18 PM): Not quite :p

GHW (3:20 PM): Time and again, I’ve espoused these views. It feels so good when you realize that a lot of people also think the same way. Woohoo! J

QPT (3:23 PM): That’s what you think. Let me clear up your perverted views :p It doesn’t mean that if the character of the accuser is shady, you ignore the whole thing. That’s what the blindfolded lady in the judicial matters is all about. She doesn’t care about race or gender or previous tainted records. She continues to pursue justice regardless of all these.

GHW (3:30 PM): But when the perceived guilt is corroborated only by illegal wire-tapped conversations that prove nothing and by various testimonies of shenanigans and ambitious power grabbers, then we’re only dragging the country further on the muck of misery. As far as I’m concerned, the retention of the status quo will be best for the country. If you adamantly think that the current leadership is the root of the problem, then aren’t you also part of the problem by being overly pessimistic?

QPT (3:39 PM): How can I be overly pessimistic? Am I not supporting fair investigations by constitutional means? And how can you say the wire-tapped conversation prove nothing when we haven’t got any case yet to prove or disprove the thing. As far as I’m concerned, all I wanted is for my country to be led by legitimate and principle-centered leaders and I won’t go as far as cheat for those I like in the office because it defeats the very purpose of upholding democratic principles.

GHW (3:49 PM): I guess you’re overly pessimistic since you believe that the longer the status quo prevails, the more divisiveness that this will bestow upon the land. Wouldn’t uniting together by supporting the current leadership be a better option rather than prattle through endless dialogues and inquiries by filibustering fakers? Support a constitutional inquiry if it has strong legal basis. As I mentioned before, those tapes will not succeed in proving GMA’s guilt. You can scream to the high heavens that she cheated; you can mutilate yourself in the process to prove your point. But one sad face remains: you will never succeed in proving your point when all you have is illegal and shoddy evidence that is clearly half-baked. :p

QPT (4:01 PM): Why don’t you go tell that to the people? Tell them to forget about the evidence of the president’s calculated plans to win the elections illegally. You can scream to the high heavens that we must move on and rally behind the president, you can castrate yourself in the process to prove your point. But one sad face remains: you cannot build a strong republic with a president whose legitimacy is questionable. Because you always neglect the profound implication of an evidence that is of magnanimous national interest. Furthermore, you cannot expect the people to rally behind a person they don’t trust and to some, is only there because there’s no other choice. Now tell me, what exactly did GMA do to make this country a better place?

At this point, I realized that the conversation was getting too heated up for comfort. As a declaration of a truce, I refrained *hard* from sending another e-mail and decided to call QPT instead.

QPT (picks up phone): Hello.

GHW: Si Dennis ito. Ang sama mo! What do you mean by castration?

QPT: Well, you started it. You were first one who mentioned something about mutilation.

GHW: It was just my way to make my arguments more passionate. And by mutilation, I did not intend for you to cut off essential body parts. And why did you have to copy what I’ve written?

QPT: Well, I just though it would be funny if I wrote something about you castrating yourself.

GHW: Ang sick! Anyway, I think we have to stop talking about this. I guess we get too fired up with such topics.

QPT: Yeah, we’re probably just too adhered to our political convictions.

GHW: But we had an interesting exchange, huh? I’m thinking of turning it to another blog entry.

QPT: Same here. But the conversation was too short.

GHW: Yep, short but insightful.

That’s about how our conversation ended. By posting this blog entry, QPT and I would like to think that despite our recurring bored state in the office, we’re doing some sort of service to mankind. After all, it’s never boring to let people know that you’re aware of what’s happening around.

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To view QPT’s version of the story, click here.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 11th, 2005 at 5:39 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.