Defenders of the President

CITO BELTRAN

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Former presidential spokesperson Jerry Barican once said, “The shelf life of a spokesperson is one year and after that they become stale.”

In the case of Atty. Claire Castro, it can be said that she has done the job expected of her and, love her or hate her, she is doing her job. Unfortunately for Atty. Claire, “the job is now doing her in.”

She has of late become more combative, losing her cool and seemingly bitter in her disposition. In all honesty, without judgment, it has been painful to watch her “perform.”

I have never commented about her but one morning I suddenly thought of her and these words from the Bible came out of nowhere: “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16: 26)

This unsolicited verse and the thought of Atty. Claire concern me because I deem it as a “word” or shout out from God. I prayed for a confirmation and last Sunday during the church service at Victory, one of the verses flashed on the screen was from 1 Peter: 2:1 -“ Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind.”

If Atty. Claire’s job is hard, imagine being a messenger or courier of good news or dire warnings from the Bible. As the prophet Jeremiah wrote: “So, the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say I will not mention him or speak anymore in his name, his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”