YPS

While there is a gnashing a teeth and beating of breasts over Romulo Neri's apparent back tracking on his "promise" to tell all ,I think its important to understand that the truth comes from two places; from those who answer questions and from those who ask them. Now Im no Clarence Darrow, but for some of the Senators to call the repetitious bombardment of questions an exercise similar to cross examination would be to insult to those who truly practice the art. To blame a witness, who for all intents and purposes should have been treated as hostile, for being slow, reluctant, and even refusing to tell the truth, is testament to the fantasy that these Senators entertained prior to entering the Senate hall.

Did they expect that on the first question Neri would break down and spill his guts? Even before that blessed day, Neri himself had been quoted as saying, and I paraphrase, that if he were asked the right questions his answers would have significant repercussions.

As far as Im concerned, most senators lacked even an iota of a plan of attack, stemming of course from a lack of knowledge ( I believe) in the very basic technical concepts and even worse, the inability to logically construct and string together coherent lines of thought. Some preferred to wing it ( Joker can you hear me?). Some preferred to rely on their staff for great questions with nary a clue on how to proceed once an answer was received ( Im not even going to ask Jamby if she can hear me as it appeared she couldn't even hear herself). And some even lesser minds went via the tried and true tabloid journalist style where the drama comes from the accused physically pointing to a felon as "proof" of guilt ( JInggoy, youre the man).

Of course there were some rays of hope. Pia Cayetano's systematic inquiry to the panel and to the audience at large on who had ever heard of that anecdotal "discreet investigation" the President had mounted was very clever. Mar Roxas's focusing on the role of NEDA, while slightly belabored and off tangent was acceptable. And yes, even Miriam's histrionics and racist remarks at least served some purpose if only to point out that despite the noble in aid of legislation moniker, that this Senate hearing was also a clear case of squabbling over lost kickbacks.

Perhaps this is why Senate hearings take so long. It's the "ill beat the truth out of you" approach that's only one step shy of torture. All that hall needed was a hot spotlight and pair of exposed live wires (which would have made two of our senators feel very at home). Ahh but we do long for the days when a mans scrotum was the way to his deepest secrets.

Of course I may be wrong since I only watched ten hours of this unfunny.

Let me know if I missed any other golden moments