Two-Faced Hari

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, irony is defined as “the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning”.

And according to the Collins Dictionary, irony is “a subtle form of humour which involves saying things or doing things that you do not mean”.

They are also events that seem deliberately contrary to what one expects, and are amusing as a result.

The image above shows how Hari Ruki greeted Senator Leila de Lima, who was languishing in jail for a crime she did not commit. He said, "Happy anniversary on your first year of detention. May you spend the rest of your life in jail."

He said differently when he was detained for 24 hours, and he was obviously singing a different tune: "I will not wish even to my fiercest political opponents, to be deprived of their personal liberty and freedom."

Well, it is ironic that he said that ... and he has forgotten how tart and acerbic his greetings were to de Lima, who was one of his political opponents he disliked.

Does that mean that if you haven't experienced jail time, you can say the most vile of greetings you can think of without thinking how sharp your tongue was and how selfish and insensitive you become?

And when the tables were turned ... you suddenly came to your senses? Does being placed behind bars make you see the bigger picture and, from this altered vantage point, made you realize things that hadn't occurred to you before, which allows you to put things together differently so that your life once again makes sense to you?

Here are more of these situations in Hari Ruki's lifetime:

1. Ayaw umuwi ni Roque, (he is overstaying in Hague Netherlands) ... kasi WALA DAW HUSTISYA sa Pilipinas.

Pero dapat daw umuwi si Digong  ... kasi makukuha niya ang  HUSTISYA sa Pilipinas. DAW!

2. Hari Ruki is said to be a human rights lawyer. He provides legal counsel and advocates for individuals or groups whose human rights were violated. 

How time flies as he is now a defender of a former president who is allegedly notorious for trampling on human rights tenets and principles.

3. His accolades include his long-drawn battle when he fought for the dignity of comfort women who were forced into sexual enslavement during the Japanese regime. 

Too bad because the last time we knew, he turned himself into the watchdog of an ex-president and legitimized his actions, well known for cracking demeaning rape jokes and making sexist and misogynistic remarks.

4. Hari Ruki's advocacy is defending the constitution at all costs. He upholds, defends, and promotes the principles and provisions outlined in our constitution. This includes ensuring that the government and its institutions operate within the bounds of the constitution, protecting individual rights, and advocating for constitutional reforms when necessary. 

Now it is okay with him if his colleagues (the Senator-Judges) are skating on thin ice and making a mockery of the Senate, like Bato making a motion to dismiss impeachment complaints, Cayetano's DEMANDing a REMAND, Robin Padilla flexing his senatorial arrogance and ignorance, Marcos and Villar refusing to don impeach robes, and Escudero delaying the impeachment trial and ignoring the meaning of forthwith.

5. And how can one forget him when he championed the cause of the 58 victims in the Maguindanao massacre? That was the height of his career. Everybody revered him like a hero at that time.

It's all water under the bridge now as he made a 90-degree turn, showing apathy and disregard for the plight of victims of tokhang.

6. Hari Ruki was also the former chairperson of the coalition in the International Criminal Court. No one has complained of his appointment because he specializes in International Law and was teaching the same at UP.

In a staggering reversal of roles, he had supported Digong's sinister plan for the Philippines to break up with the organization. He later found himself coming back to Haque as the self-proclaimed lawyer for Digong in all of Digong's ICC woes.

7. As part of his impeccable portfolio, he also defended 16 fishermen hassled by the Chinese navy in the Philippines EEZ, and because of his fire and zeal ... he even ended up suing China at the United Nations. He castigated the Chinese intrusion and denounced it as a blatant violation of the fishermen's rights.

In Duterte's regime, he has a tamed version of himself - his mouth was zipped, and he stayed silent ... too subdued and domesticated, he dared not badmouth the aggressor.

8.  Hari Ruki also advocates for press freedom and the right to speech. He works to protect journalists and media outlets from reporting on news without interference and censorship, and raising awareness about the importance of a free press in a democratic society. 

That was before ... until he became a high priestess of fake news and the alleged fabrication of videos to smear the president.

Hari Ruki is indeed an enigma and the king of ironies. You will never know what comes next of his mouth. And what will he do?

Pula ... Puti! Para siyang yong singer sa doble-cara. Two-faced, and you will be forever second-guessing what person will come out next ... gugulatin at bubulagain ka.

I once applauded him for his advocacies ... but things got worse when he shifted his passion  from being the defender of the oppressed to being an enabler and a bootlicker of Digong.