There has always been an understanding that words, once spoken, can never be taken back. The moment the words leave your mouth, you no longer possess the power to control them. Some become apologies, while others become regrets. Very few of them become headlines. We were never taught that they were meant to disappear the moment they are questioned.

Yet, somewhere along the way, certain individuals seemed to have found an exception—a privilege where the words spoken are discarded. And the Vice President of the Philippines seems to have perfected it. Perhaps we should thank her for this groundbreaking discovery. Why should public officials be burdened with taking accountability for their assertions when they can just be discarded simply because they have the power to?

Somewhere behind the polished office doors, several folders are quietly awaiting administrative approval. Employees carefully organize the stack of papers—discarded statements are labelled according to the severity of the public’s reaction. Minor remarks are classified as ‘’to be rewritten and republished’’, while controversial statements are categorized as ‘’to be taken back and repackaged into a new context.’’

Welcome to the nation’s greatest administrative achievement—where yesterday’s declarations are processed into today’s headlines before returning as tomorrow’s misunderstandings. An ordinary citizen could only imagine what it would be like if everyone was given the same privilege of redefining our words after they’ve already been heard.

If the entire world had the privilege, a boss could fire an employee for an accusation, then call it a ‘’misunderstanding’’ once the damage was already done—the job is still gone, and the words are simply revised. A partner could cheat on their partner and walk away without punishment as long as they remember to say that it ‘’wasn’t what it looked like.’’ A politician could promise newly built institutions—then call it a ‘’miscommunication’’ once it’s publicly scrutinized, as if an entire country had misheard them. Fortunately, such comfort could only exist in fiction. Someone should tell that to the Office of the Vice President.

But then, what does a nation learn from a leader who has mastered the art of being misunderstood? Context is no longer an explanation, but an executive privilege. And apparently, only the Vice President is qualified to be misunderstood in command. Citizens would no longer stand in line for the truth—we would just wait for the next press release, each word altered until they fit whatever shape the moment requires.

The only thing we’re left to do is to thank the office for successfully changing accountability into an optional procedure. Statements are produced, released, and returned with revised explanations before the public even finished registering what was spoken. The statements have all been corrected, but it’s a shame that our standards weren’t.

The Frontman