Enough Already!

Dear Marlene,

I’m not going to judge you as a mother and on your unconditional love for your son. But please stop it, Marlene, because you’re beginning to look like a nut case, at best. At worst, you’re making Kris Aquino look timid.

If you don’t want trial by publicity, then stop it. Your son is innocent until proven guilty, I agree. So let the wheels of justice grind. Let the courts decide.

You’ve managed to fool some people before your son allegedly shot the hapless Mr. Ebarle, Jr. But let us set the record straight. Gabriela Silang, Teodora Alonzo or Melchora Aquino you are not. Forgive me, Mr. Napoleon Abueva, you’re wrong on this one. Ms. Loida Nicolas Lewis, I admire you no end as a woman, mother, entrepreneur, civic leader and philanthropist but Marlene got you fooled. You said, “The woman is a live wire.” I say, “She may have some loose wires.”

All I know for sure is this. Someone was shot and killed in cold blood because of road rage. Your son is the prime suspect. He fled. You plead on national TV for him to surrender (with a qualified “if you’re guilty”). Twice the authorities went to your house; twice you denied knowing his whereabouts. You also told them that you received an email from him claiming he was in Hawaii. The third and last time they paid a visit, he was found in a secret hiding place inside your house and shot it out with NBI operatives. Fortunately, no one was killed. You professed your unconditional love and that no matter what he did you love him with all your heart and soul, or words to that effect. I understand. You would even take a bullet for him, you said. I say, why did you not? During the shootout, I saw you crawl and run instead, as the footage will bear out.

And you have been hogging the limelight with your posturing and your unbelievably wild conspiracy theories.

In the meantime, another mother is quietly grieving the untimely loss of her only son. She has avoided the glare of publicity with much poise and dignity. (Note: you might want to take this as a teachable moment.) But we can feel her undying and well-deserved unconditional love for her son. Well deserved I say because Renato Ebarle, Jr. probably got some tough love along the way. Did Jason?

Let it play out in court, Marlene, not in the media as if you're promoting yourself and your book. You’ve been hounded by the U.S. Government because of what you wrote in your book, so you claim. And Jason is being framed up as a way of getting back at you. Wow! Well, make sure that his lawyer asks Your Honor to mark it as defense Exhibit G, J or KK. (Sorry, but Sergio Apostol is running for Congress and therefor not available.)

About your book, Warriors of Heaven, is that the one you published yourself? Was it because no respectable publisher would take it? And how many copies did it sell? I’m just curious as to why, whatever it is you wrote, it would be a threat to the U.S. Government, and more importantly, how many read what you wrote.

Lately, you came up with this harebrained concoction of a tale insinuating that your "British bodyguard" is the real gunman. Good plot for your next book maybe but will not likely get your son off the hook. The truth of the matter is, from day one, you have been trying so hard to put the blame on everyone. Everyone except your son. Enough already!

And then you want the U.S. Embassy to take custody of Jason, and protect him as a (U.S.) citizen and soldier who served in Iraq. Last time I checked, the U.S. Embassy in Manila is part and parcel of the U.S. Government. So, Marlene, you want the same folks trying to frame him, for a murder you say he did not commit, to protect him? Hmmm…

Sometimes I think you’re milking the situation for your own media exposure. One of us is sick. Could it be me for thinking it, or could it be you for doing it?

At ang tanong,

“Nanay, ba’t ka nagkaganyan?”

At ang iyong mga mata'y minsan lumuha

Ng iyong pinipilit

'Di ka nagsisisi kahit pa

Nalaman mong ika'y nagkamali.

I know the title of this very popular song by Freddie is “Anak.” (1)

Without permission, I’d like to change the title to “Nanay.” Sing it again, Marlene!

Sincerely,

Jesse

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Notes:

(1) The original lyrics of the Freddie Aguilar song "Anak" quoted above goes like this:

At ang tanong,

“Anak, ba’t ka nagkaganyan?”

At ang iyong mga mata'y biglang lumuha

Ng 'di mo napapansin

Nagsisisi at sa isip mo'y

Nalaman mong ika'y nagkamali.

Freddie Aguilar, renowed Filipino singer and composer, is the brother of Marlene Aguilar-Pollard.