‘Moon River’, Digong version

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March L. Fianza

BAGUIO CITY -- It was the first time that sound of music filled the halls of the House of Representatives, and the first time that a musical group was invited to grace the occasion of the State of the Nation Address or SONA delivered by a president of a country.

In other countries like in the US, oath taking of presidents are graced by musicians like James Taylor, Aretha Franklin, Beyonce who sang during the inauguration of President Obama in 2013.

During President Bill Clinton’s inauguration, 10 brass players consisting of seven saxophone heroes and three clarinet blowers occupied the makeshift stage fronting the White House.

It is “kanya-kanyang style” in running the affairs of an event. For Duterte’s SONA, I heard a presidential spokesperson say it was the President himself who requested for the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra to play our National Anthem.

After the speech that lasted 1 hr. and 45 minutes, and after the selfies and picture-taking, President Duterte found his way to the orchestra that backed him in rendering his version of “Moon River” by songwriters Henry Manicini and Johnny Mercer.

Just like the song goes, Duterte is “crossing you in style”. And so, unfortunately too, he admitted in his SONA that he might not finish his drug war before his term ends. After three years, thousands of collateral deaths and thousands of arrests; more drugs and offenders are uncovered.

The dream to stop corruption and realize Federalism during the time of the “dream maker” as partly mentioned in the song, is a “heart breaker” too. Perhaps Duterte’s dreams are as elusive as the “rainbow’s end” in the song.

Digong’s style of running his term is something his critics hate. It is incomparable to the styles of past presidents that his enemies were used to. Maybe that is what irks them, in addition to having the nerve to straightforwardly spit out bad words and expletives.   

“Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way” says the song, and so despite the curses in public, his popularity rating is still up – an indication that the masses look at his fight against drugs and corruption in government as something sincere.

He is one president who has the nerve to physically face an organized street rally consisting of student-activists, urban poor orgs, market vendors, jeepney drivers, squatters, cause-oriented groups, political enemies, and other detractors.

An unusual move he made in his first year as president is to appoint to his cabinet distinguished personalities belonging to left-leaning organizations, if only to show seriousness in wanting to end decades of a hopeless anti-insurgency war.

A musician-friend used to sing Moon River but intentionally sings the line “Moon River, wider than a smile” instead of “mile”. Truly, a smile as wide as a mile paired with a shrug is all that many of us can do now whenever Digong coughs up remarks that are no longer for the headlines.

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DJ Louis Eric Barrier once said, “Where the poison wind blows a deadly plague spreading negativity, viciously unto every city.” I hope this is not applicable in the affairs involving our new set of officials in the city.

I do hope they put forward new initiatives and seek genuine solutions to old problems that the past officials failed to resolve in their nine years of running this city.  

I wish them good sense to avoid listening to dead rumour being spread by quarters who have axes to grind against certain personalities. They only result to disagreement and misunderstanding instead of unity.

Indeed, it is rubbish to elect into office one who will act as an extension of the past and wasteful for one to believe on info given to him by people of the past administration.