I have yet to see the movie of the controversial director Darryl Yap “Maid In Malacanang” but I already have an opinion more or less on what to expect based on the various assessments of those who already saw the film. For me it’s good to see a movie showing the minute side of a 36-year-old controversy that has long divided the people of this country. In my honest opinion, this is not historical revisionism and/or distortion as what Marcos’s critics want to prove.
As we all know, there are three sides to a controversy – your side, the other fellow’s side, and the right side. The whole narrative will remain incomplete unless we see and hear all the sides. To be able to arrive at a fair conclusion, we must look and listen at least, to both sides of the story. I guess that’s how democracy works. Nobody has the monopoly of a story pertaining to a particular controversy. Even in our justice system, both parties are given their day in court.
For the longest time, we have been hearing and reading stories from the yellow-turned-pink camp. As pointed out by PBBM in one of his vlogs during the last elections, their family have been and still are, being defamed, cursed and continuously maligned by their political rivals and by people who were not even born during his father’s rule. Let’s give the Marcoses time to air their side, after all, they are the main characters in this decades-old controversy.
As I ponder on this, I can almost hear the late American singer Connie Francis exhorting her song’s refrain “you listened when they said I cheated, you listened when they said I lied, yes, you listened to all of their stories, but you didn’t listen to my side”. See? This part of the song fits well with how the opposition treated the Marcoses for more than three decades. How can the people intelligently decide on what and what not to believe if only one side is being fed to them?
In the Teaser(s) of the aforesaid movie, Gizelle Sanchez was shown playing mahjong with nuns purportedly depicting the democracy icon of the yellows. This prompted Sister Mary Melanie Costillas of the Cebu Carmelite Monastery to issue a statement condemning the movie which to me is uncalled for considering that there was no mention of Carmelite nuns. And so, what followed next? Photos inundating FB walls showing former President Cory, the late Senator Ramon Mitra and others apparently playing mahjong while a group of nuns were watching.
If action speaks louder than words, pictures paint a thousand words and tell a thousand tales depending on how you look at it.
Melinda Bagsic Evangelista
I was born to write and I believe that’s my calling. I love writing because it brings me to the realm exclusively of mine. It is also my opinion that “immortality” can be achieved not by searching for the Holy Grail and drinking from it but by living your life worth-writing or writing something worth-reading. Since I cannot promise you a life worth-writing, I keep myself busy writing something worth-reading. I am thankful to God for giving me the talent and skill to see life in different perspectives not seen by many and the courage to share it to my readers. This first ever Tutubi Digital News Magazine is a perfect avenue to bring you the many facets of life that you can ponder upon in this time of the pandemic. Enjoy reading all the articles.
