"Amusing But ..."

(DOJ on Gloria-gate Ringtones)
(see related article, "Whatever Happened to Independence" on the left)

This morning, we asked Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez to listen to the widely circulating ringtone with the supposed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's voice combined with 50 cent's "In D'Club" or something.

"(beat) ... Halloh ... Garci?! ... (beat) ... Halloh? Halloh? ... So I will still lead by more than 1 million? (beat).

While he was listening, we don't know if he was amused/amazed/appalled at what he was hearing. Politicians, I think have a way of camouflaging their real emotions.

So I asked him: "Do you find that amusing, sir?" I was fishing.

"Well, at the start that was amusing," Gonzalez said, left eyebrow raised in sarcasm/dry humor.

"But I'm interested about the source," Gonzalez said.

"But will you file charges against those using and spreading it?" we asked.

"Well, you asked me if there was a violation (of R.A. 4200 or the Anti-Wiretapping Act of 1965) and there is," he said.

"SO will you file charges against the users?"

"The end-users, no," he answered.

"As I said, you can't prevent this people from doing what they want to do. But the government has to strike a balance. You know what they say, if you prevent certain things, it only whet their appetite. But if a law is violated, and you don't punish those who violated it, there's something wrong with that also," he explained.

We pressed on.

"So okay lang sir if we use it as our ringtones?" I asked.

"Meaning, 'pag nag-ring, 'yun ang lalabas? ... Bahala ka," said a chuckling Gonzalez.

Was that a threat or consent?

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For those who want to hear the ringtone, you can listen to it via www.pcij/org. Sabihin ko na lang ke Lolo (Raulgon) kung san location n'yo para sa subpoena. Hehehehehe