ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider Res Ipsa Loquitur

Res Ipsa Loquitur

Published Apr 18, 2023 04:01 pm

OFF THE BEATEN PATH


The thing speaks for itself. Lawyers have a way of expressing disbelief when what should be patently clear suddenly morphs into a re-interpreted state of being.  Such is the case of the much talked about ₱6.7 billion drug haul video. Amazing how one man, DILG’s Secretary Benhur Abalos can throw the PNP leadership into a tailspin by simply saying “cover up.”  I have never seen as many grown men in uniform stutter in what looks like righteous indignation, as they each deliver long winded explanations that only fuel more doubt into a narrative stretched to its limit. The police will investigate as they usually do, but unless their math starts to make sense and our attention is re-directed to the 990 kilos instead of the missing 42 kilos then no denial or dodging will overcome the power of what our eyes clearly saw. The video.
The man speaks for himself. I have met Secretary Abalos on several occasions and one thing stands out about the man. Puts his principles at the front, back and center of policy and governance.  A friend to many but a foe to be feared by those who insist on their wayward behavior. It is almost unthinkable that as DILG Secretary, he would put the PNP in the firing line of public accountability if he had no basis or proof. Again, the video.
I wouldn’t be surprised if in the coming days, more cleverly crafted stories (notwithstanding credibility or incredulity) will surface in attempts to re-interpret or discredit the video. But now, one fact is more evident than ever. The power of technology to capture even the most elusive of truths can finally trap the guilty (or free the innocent) in the absence of a confession or a guilty conscience. All one needs is a smart phone or a well-placed CCTV to reveal law enforcement at work or at its worst. \*\*\* Off Beat. I have been receiving requests for bike-related tips and trends. Will be sharing a few soon! Just keep your questions coming and email [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). Sharing a mix I did last week. A trip back to the 80’s.  Playlist: 1. I Can’t Go For That - Hall & Oats, 2. Head Over Heels - Tears For Fears, 3. Feels Like Heaven - Fiction Factory, 4. Leave It – YES, 5. Secret – OMD, 6. Breakout - S.O.S. Visit the link to listen: [https://www.mixcloud.com/goyolarrazabal/tuesday-tunes-w-goyo-larrazabal-80s/](https://www.mixcloud.com/goyolarrazabal/tuesday-tunes-w-goyo-larrazabal-80s/)

Related Tags

Atty. Gregorio Larrazabal OFF THE BEATEN PATH
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.