I tell ya when I was a kid, all I knew was rejection. My yo-yo, it never came back. —Rodney Dangerfield
I’m tempted to publish what I know are “photoshopped” pictures of Manny Villar with “Money Villarroyo” tattooed on his behind so I can challenge him to prove the photos are fake by dropping his trousers on prime-time news. I’m sure he’ll say, “Why would you ask me to do that when you know the pictures are fake?”
But that’s exactly what he wants Noynoy Aquino to do with the bogus psychiatric report that sources from the Nacionalista Party leaked to ABS-CBN News. He knows the report is bogus but he still insists that Aquino address its fake contents.
Villar’s foray into black propaganda is so crude, pathetic and desperate it reminded me of Mike Tyson biting off the ear of Evander Holyfield.
Anyway, since Villar raised the issue, we might as well look into his mental health. Is Villar suffering from pseudologia fantastica or pathological lying?
An easy-to-understand definition of pathological liar (let’s leave the jargon to psychiatrists) comes from Askville.com—“A pathological liar is usually defined as someone who lies incessantly to get their way and does so with little concern for others…. A pathological liar is often goal-oriented [i.e., lying is focused—it is done to get one’s way]…. A pathological liar often comes across as being manipulative, cunning and self-centered.”
Common-sense behavioral indicators associated with pathological liars can also be accessed on the Internet. Here are some of them:
1. “They change their story all the time.”
2. “They ‘construct’ a reality around themselves…If you call them on a lie and they are backed into a corner, they will act very defensively and say ugly things [most likely but depends on personality], but they may eventually start to act like, ‘Well, what’s the difference? You’re making a big deal out of nothing!’ [Again, to refocus the conversation to your wrongdoing instead of theirs].”
3. “Rage attacks after they realize you’re questioning their lies.”
4. “Distraction techniques, e.g. hanging up the phone when you catch them in a lie, playing word games or even just running out of the room. After using the distraction technique, or rage attack, or sometimes both, they will pretend that nothing ever happened. They rewrite history, so it never did happen in their minds. Normal people do it, too, but these people take it to the extreme.”
Now let’s look at just three cases over the past few months. (There are many more but this article is already too long.)
1. In an interview with Ted Failon on dzMM, Villar claimed he owned only two subdivisions along Daan Hari, a road he funded with his pork barrel. Failon went to Daan Hari and saw that it snaked through more than 20 subdivisions owned by Villar. (It’s on YouTube.)
2. When confronted with the fact that he did not include in his Statement of Assets and Liabilities or SALs the Shaw Boulevard property that he bought from the Laurels, Villar replied that Crown Asia Properties owned the property, not him. Villar owns Crown Asia. (Read Lila Shahani’s blog for an excellent analysis of Villar’s SALs.)
3. After the journalists produced documents that questioned the veracity of his claim that his brother died because his family was too poor to buy medicines, Villar gave three contradictory explanations within 24 hours before flying off into a rage against the “old rich.”
“On March 30 on ANC’s Dateline program with Pia Hontiveros and Tony Velasquez, senatorial candidate and Nacionalista spokesman Gilbert Remulla said the Villars were able to pay the hospital bills because Manuel Villar Sr. borrowed funds from an uncle. On the same day, in an interview on TV Patrol, Villar himself said that his brother’s medical bills were paid for by means of a female cousin of his father, named Nelly Cruz, who lent them money. On March 31, in an 8:30 p.m. dzMM interview with Alvin Elchico and Lynda Jumilla, the story evolved further: Villar now said that his family took his brother to Far Eastern University (FEU) Hospital because they had a relative who worked there as a nurse, and who could help them with discounts. Add to this Villar’s explanation that while his brother did get admitted to FEU, he was taken in as a “charity-ward patient.” (Read “Moving Target” by Manuel L. Quezon III)
Therefore, the question, my dear friends, is not “Is Villar a pathological liar?” but rather it is “Do you want a pathological liar to become your next president?”
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From a press release – Transcript of Interview With Sen. Manny Villar (“Usapang de Kampanilya”, DZMM):
(Emphasis mine.)
In Villar’s interview above, he acknowledged that he transferred from a public school (Isabelo de los Reyes Elementary School) to a private one (Tondo Parochial School later named Holy Child Catholic School). He even DOWNPLAYED this by saying that public schools at the time are better standard-wise than private schools.
The reason for the transfer as gathered still from the above-cited interview was because of his “truancy” as he helped his mother in the market. He even admitted he turned lazy and dropped out from public school.
I guess we’ll really have to rely on Manny’s words…
But how about Nanay Curing’s words?
[This was copy-pasted from Fish be with Nanay Curing Villar, LIFE & STYLE By Millet M. Mananquil (The Philippine Star) Updated May 10, 2009 12:00 AM]
So, it was the “boring” English class that triggered his laziness in school…
And to think “nung mga panahon na iyon, mas mataas pa ang standard ng public school kaysa sa private.”
They’re Manny’s words, not mine.
I believe Manny Villar overly portrayed himself as a “very poor” kid coming from a poor family who rose to enormous riches when all the while he was actually a “blessed” kid raised from the fruits of the labor (Read: sipag at tiyaga) of his poor parents, especially her Nanay Curing.
Well, since we cannot really take Manny’s words seriously; perhaps Nanay Curing’s narrative is more believable (Btw, I won’t take away the credit to Manny Villar for he is instrumental in helping the trading business of Nanay Curing to prosper.):
This was taken from “Nanay Curing won’t let age get in the way of business” by Margie Quimpo-Espino, Inquirer, First Posted 04:13:00 05/06/2007
…especially “HIS” Nanay Curing…
That’s why I scared of a Villar presidency.
The trouble here is: people are too rabid in defending their Candidates. When these Candidates are elected in office. You will never even see their shadows. As if the fate of the nation; depends on their being elected. How many times an Elected Candidate disappointed us; because they cannot deliver. Did we ever learn from our lessons? We refuse to learn from our lessons. This is the reason we are all stuck into stagnation…Politics is a Filipino obsession.
So, what do you propose we do?
Lessen our Obsession to Politics. Do not take those Politicians seriously. Most of them, run for offices to feather their nests. We have to do more in finding solutions to our present problems. The Squatter Problem, for example. It was only highlighted in the Media during ONDOY disaster. Now, it is shelved. Politics is now on the forefront. We have the evil trait called “NINGAS COGON”…
How?
Then do not vote EQ. Problema ba yun? Bakit mo kelangan pigilan ang mga taong gusto ng pagbabago?
PAGBABAGO is a Rotten Word already. I have heard that Rotten Word, since I was in the Elementary School. Politicians come and go. They only use that Rotten Word during elections, to get votes. Nothing change after they get elected. THE MORE THINGS CHANGE; THE MORE THEY REMAIN THE SAME…
We are all crazy to some degree, thinking our worlds are the important ones.
As an armchair shrink, I wonder as to the mental makeup of a manipulator, one who sees the end as important, and any means to get there is just fine.
Joe
You’re the shrink, Joe. I know you know. I’m no shrink, but I know too. The mental makeup of a manipulator of that magnitude is something that would look up to a very bright future for himself and his families if he sits as president of a country, brighter than any of his predecessors who held the position.