The gospels
tell us that Pontius Pilate was convinced that Jesus was innocent, but
condemned him to death anyway because the scribes and the pharisees --
and the common people they had propagandized -- demanded Jesus's crucifixion.
This is the scene that Rep. Antonio M. Diaz of Zambales tried to evoke
last Friday, when he delivered a privilege speech in which he portrayed
himself as a present-day Jesus and pleaded with Speaker Jose de Venecia
“not to be another Pontius Pilate.”
Mr. Diaz
complained that he has been the object of a vilification campaign mounted
by some of his colleagues (including some “nitwits in the ethics committee”)
and many crooked mass media people who practice AC-DC (attack and collect,
defend and collect) journalism.
Mr. Diaz
might be criticized for the presumption of comparing himself to Jesus,
but in fairness to him, we must point out that there are certain similarities
between him and Jesus.
Just as
Jesus fed huge crowds of people by miraculously multiplying bread and fish,
Mr. Diaz also fed hordes of people with far more expensive sushi and sashimi.
But the
miracle Mr. Diaz performed was somewhat different from what Jesus did.
Instead of multiplying the food, the congressman reportedly multiplied
the number of persons who shared his table at the Furusato and other classy
restaurants. This miraculously bloated number of eaters was reflected in
the receipts he submitted for reimbursement, chargeable to the Mt. Pinatubo
relief funds.
Though
the differences between Mr. Diaz and Jesus are far greater than the similarities,
the Zambales congressman honestly believes himself to be God's beloved
son, in whom the Heavenly Father is well pleased -- so much so that God
himself will smite the congressman's enemies.
Declaring
that the anti-Diaz journalists were led by the late columnist Luis D. Beltran,
Congressman Diaz said that Mr. Beltran “by a seeming act of God, died on
the first hour of my birthday while the bishop of Zambales and half a dozen
priests were celebrating a mass in Zambales in my honor.”
The congressman
also warned that “providential forces of natural retribution and poetic
justice will soon overtake” the mercenary journalists who have been attacking
him. He described them as persons who “sell themselves for 36 pieces of
silver and feast on steak and canned goods from duty-free shops.”
Here, Congressman
Diaz made a factual error: Judas betrayed Jesus for 30, not 36, pieces
of silver. Charity demands that we attribute this mistake to a slight lapse
in Mr. Diaz's memory and not to an instinctive tendency to add a 20-percent
commission to the cost of any transaction in which he is involved.
It is understandable
that Mr. Diaz regards these journalists as present-day Judases. When the
congressman found himself under attack for the Furusato miracle, he reimbursed
the money in question. But in spite of that, people still condemned him
for stealing money meant for refugees. No wonder he has felt terribly betrayed
-- so much so that he lashes out even at the dead.
Like Congressman
Diaz, who returned the money that he had received under questionable circumstances,
Judas tried to return the 30 pieces of silver to the temple priests who
had bribed him. When the priests did not accept the money, Judas threw
the coins into the temple and left.
But unlike
Mr. Diaz, who feels that returning the money absolves him of any guilt
or responsibility, Judas remained desperate and despondent -- so much so
that he went out and hanged himself.
People
who hate Congressman Diaz will urge him, “Go thou and do likewise.” But
we feel differently. We are satisfied with repeating what Jesus said, “Go
thou and sin no more.”