Political Potshots

Normally, I don't talk about politics as I get enough of that at work. (Though I'm seriously thinking otherwise now.)

However, it was fascinating-- like rubbernecking a car pile-up-- to read the recent tiff between some local bloggers. On one side was the outspoken anti-media Sassy Lawyer and her entourage while on the other was Manuel Quezon III of the clan Quezon as well as one of my former bosses at Manila Times (Katrina Legarda era) and now INQ7 editor John Nery. The topic? Whether or not the Philippine Center of Investigative Journalist was really in danger from a recent government legal action.

Now I've know Sassy Lawyer and her group are a bit contemptuous of local media-- I still remember their treatment of Joey of INQ7 after he made the mistake of being too-enthusiastic over blogging-- so this was no surprise to me. However, after Quezon and Nery made their opinions known, Sassy Lawyer fired back and a little blog war was born in their respective comment threads. Interesting enough, I found the little wars have been going as seen by this thread that got Dean Jorge Bocobo banned from Sassy Lawyer's blog for "being abusive".

Geez, looks like it's not only the US bloggers who get hot around the collar when they talk politics. Though it's not like we're aping our Western counterparts but rather, it's good that there are voices of dissent and debate on the local internet.

Besides, unlike US politics, the political blogging scene in the Philippine still revolves around politics of personalities. And maybe this is why debates sometimes gets a bit personal in the threads?