For the past few days, the nation has been riveted by its latest telenovela. Nope, it was not Only You or May Bukas Pa…it is the ever-growing sex video scandal of Dr. Hayden Kho, Jr. and some members of the female species, most notably Katrina Halili. Many have called this “Hayden-gate”, “Hayden Camera Scandal”, and stuff. But naming matters aside, it has grown to proportions some might call ridiculous, and has now reached the steps of the Senate. The first Senate hearing was not without “excitement”, as it involved drama (Katrina Halili breaking down several times during her testimony), action (former police officer Abner Afuang dousing water on Hayden Kho before being escorted out of the room by Senate security), and comedy (spoof T-shirts going around).

This recent scandal has caused the previously comatose “Morals Police” (you know, the sanctimonious moralists) to spring back to life and return to their annoying ways of trying to impose their standards, as well as politicians to latch on to this issue, hoping that a “clean and upright” image generated more by bashing Hayden Kho than taking up Katrina Halili’s issue (*cough* Bong Revilla *cough*) would earn them votes for next year’s elections. Other politicians also found the soundbites generated by this issue as a way to sneak in some verbal blows against their opponents (*cough* Jamby Madrigal *cough*).

I used to see this issue as interesting, and at times funny, when the moralists howled and the legislators stumbled all over themselves crafting bills against sex videos. Then it became annoying when Lolit Solis came on board. It became unbearable when Jamby launched those rockets against Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (“inggit lang siya kasi sa committee ko napunta itong issue…”, she told a news crew). After seeing yesterday’s Senate hearing, I can only mutter to myself, “It’s getting worse”. It’s still a good drinking topic, but shouldn’t it be taking a backseat to more important (like the status of the A/H1N1 virus in the Philippines) or more deserving news (like Brillante Mendoza’s win as Best Director in Cannes and why his movie, Kinatay, has not yet seen the light of day here)?

Frankly speaking, Hayden Kho deserves to be in the slammer for his antics, and perhaps have his license revoked. But aside from that, he deserves no additional indignity or humiliation. No “water treatment”, no persona non grata bulls**t, nothing. He’s also a person, for Pete’s sake. He is also entitled to his rights.

Seriously, I think Hayden Kho was an a**hole (for taking videos of intimate moments without his partners’ consent), stupid (for thinking he could get away with it by being a celebrity boyt.. er, boyfriend), and a moron (for not keeping those videos in a safe place and allowing Eric Johnston Chua and Herbert “Bistek” Rosario, aka Brutus and Cassius, to get their hands on it). But I have to give it to him for having the balls to admit his indiscretions and face the consequences. That makes him a better man than some of his “accusers”. As for the Ecstasy use, well, Hayden should start using his Celebrity Duets talents and sing about who passes around the dope in the entertainment industry.

To Katrina Halili, meanwhile, there’s a huge chance that your career is already torpedoed by the time all of this is said and done, so might as well tell everything that you know, especially the truth. I don’t buy your statement that you never took drugs during the “video sessions”. I watched the “dancing” video (in the name of curiosity), and there is a marked difference in the tone of your speech when you give interviews and when I heard you talk on that scene. The voice was like from someone who was drunk, stoned, or both. So just like Hayden, you should tell the cops who is peddling the Ecstasy around in the entertainment biz and get the pushers busted. That issue aside, I sympathise with you and feel sorry that this has to happen. Sayang.

To Dra. Vicki Belo, well, it would be better if you cut your European vacation and go back home. The longer you stay out, the more people will believe that this whole thing was your handiwork. So much for a lover’s quarrel.

To the senators, could you finish whatever you wish to do with regards to this issue? We want to move on. Just wrap the investigation up and go on to make whatever bill you want against sex videos. Just keep in mind to emphasize that you will ban those videos made without consent, because if you start kissing moralist a** and ban even those videos made with consent, your bill would be challenged in the Supreme Court under the pretext of violation of personal liberties. Oops, I must have written too much.

To Lolit Solis, “back off!” Your continued meddling in this issue annoys everyone with a TV or a radio.

To Abner Afuang, pouring water on a defenseless Hayden Kho in a hostile environment is not just moronic and uncalled for, it was cowardly, no matter what excuse you make. Have you gone down to that level, oh legendary policeman?

Finally, to the moralists and the other “hangers-on” in this issue (I won’t mention organization names), just keep your hands off this issue. You’re not helping. Your insults on Hayden Kho, and in extension, his mother (when she did what mothers are supposed to do) are only pushing him towards the edge. What if Hayden snaps, decides to whack himself and finally succeeds? His blood will be on your hands, hypocrites. In hindsight, you have a part in propagating this “culture” of voyeurism. Decades of not having a proper sex education curriculum and pushing intellectual discussions about sex to the margins have made a generation of parents unwilling or unable to discuss these matters to their children. In the absence of a proper perspective about those issues (made worse by a continuing flight of parents abroad to work for their children), the youth are forced to look for other means of satisfying their curiosity, so they went to their peers and the media. Then this happens, and you blame others? Come on.

At the end of the day, there are lessons learned, like “don’t do something that you’ll regret later on“, “be careful of your friends“, etc. The question is; would we be able to learn them?

Iyun lang.