People see things the way they want to see them.

Take the case of the controversial assault of the Iloilo Capitol by elements of the Regional Mobile Group (RMG) Wednesday. To Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, he did not see any deployment of unnecessary force. With the manner the policemen stormed the Capitol in search of Gov. Niel Tupas looking more like they were looking for remnants of the Abu Sayyaf, one can only shiver at what would constitute unnecessary force by Puno's standards.

Of course, Puno has his own standards. This is the same Puno that steadfastly maintained that the people's initiative was, well, initiated elsewhere notwithstanding his marching orders to send the Cha-Cha train off and running. It is mind-boggling that Puno was so impatient with Tupas despite advance notice about the motion seeking a temporary restraining order from the Court of Appeals that he ordered the raid on the Iloilo Capitol like there was no tomorrow.

Like a child who failed to get hold of the toy of his choice, Puno now resorts to other charges like resisting arrest. Get serious. The only way to survive in this administration is to defend yourself at all cost because you cannot expect the law to be respected. No one else will fall for Puno's disclaimers that there is nothing suspicious about the spate of dismissals and suspensions on the eve of the election period. Even rabid GMA loyalists like Gov. Erico Aumentado who heads the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines and the League of Provinces of the Philippines did not mince words in describing it as the “massacre” of local chief executives.

Of course, there has to be a distinction between erring local officials and those who are merely persecuted because they refuse to toe the administration line. For instance, there are those who construct buildings on prohibited zones and reassign policemen just because they are serious in investigating rape-murder cases. They deserved the boot a long time ago but they have managed to stay in office.

It is also not entirely right to say that this “massacre”, as Ulap and LPP described it, is political. Otherwise, why are pro-administration officials like Batangas Gov. Armando Sanchez been included in the list while opposition mayors are given adequate protection? There is very little time left to correct the injustice done to citizens like those in Panglao whose cries for justice have long been met with inaction by the very government that they look up to. Hopefully, Puno and his people will be able to make up for it the next time.