Editorial, The Bohol Chronicle, May 31, 2009
Those who studied Latin know that "persona non grata" literally means an "unwelcome person". Many of our elderly priests who took Latin know this.
The broadest use of "persona non grata" is on the diplomatic front where a host country declares any of the foreign embassy staff (for grave reasons) as such under the rules of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, Article 9.
It could also be used as a "tit for tat" retaliatory weapon between bickering countries especially during the Cold War between the democratic and communist nations.
In 1984, Italy expelled as "persona non grata" the First Secretary of Syria suspected of espionage. So did Bolivia President Evo Morales to USA Ambassador Philip Goldberg for allegedly conspiring against his government in 2008.
Just January this year, Latin American Venezuela protested the Israel offensive in the Gaza strip and declared Israeli embassy officials expelled and then Israel also termed all "Venezuelan embassy staff" persona non grata in a classic "tit for tat".
In non-diplomatic terms, the police philosophy declares an officer who does a Chuck White (whistle-blow, squeal) on another officer and breaking the Blue Wall as "persona non grata " in the police force. A club member who speaks against the principles or officers of a club can also be declared as such.
In the Philippines, it can take a slightly different meaning, however.
Everyone understands why Palawan, the other day, home province of bold actress Katrina Halili, the alleged victim of the Sex Video Scandal (subject of a national voyeurism) declared Dr. Hayden Kho Jr. as "persona non grata". The beauty-surgeon-doctor has admitted to be the camera man and actor of the sex film - and damn him who disgraced our native beauty, so Palawan declared.
But Bohol, known for its religious fervor and piety among the folks, beat Palawan to the draw by a few days and stunned the national audience by declaring Kho as "persona non grata". Of course the calls were split: one part claiming Boholanos are "holier than thou" pretenders while others respected the province for making a stand.
The piece of legislation by the Bohol Sangguniang Panlalawigan declaring Dr. Kho as "persona non grata" caught the national attention because the Kho-Halili Sex Film is a continuing story of romance, betrayal, sex and drugs - you know the stuff that makes a killing at the movie tills.
Mincing no words were the provincial lawmakers in condemning the beastial (not human) and highly unethical and dishonorable behavior of the suspected Adonis - Exhibitionist – Dr. Hayden Kho Jr. The condemnation was especially brutal because he was taking advantage of his profession as a Doctor - prying on the weaknesses of his patients and video-taping them for his Diary of Sexual Conquests. Truly a conduct unbecoming.
The legislative sentiment was to preclude Kho, who is romantically linked to a rich beauty consultant, from doing his "retreat and remorse" in Bohol and perhaps infiltrating the mindset of many conservative Boholanos. The hunk-doctor admitted he had carnal shenanigans with several women of different ages and 40 of them in video tapes scheduled for uploading - if the price isn't right. The NBI smells of "potential blackmail" by those who are in possession of these highly sensitive tapes.
But it seems a large majority (88%) of Boholanos when surveyed in "Radyo Merkado" over sister Station DYRD yesterday, while condemning Kho's unethical conduct, deplored the judgment call of the SP as an "over-reaction" over what is just another tabloidish piece of news feasted upon by TV, newspapers and radio all over the country.
But we surmise the hot survey response could have been colder if this was not preceded by a ridiculously similar stance of the City Sangguniang Panlungsod - recently declaring broadcaster-critic Batchoy Alba as "persona non grata". This stemmed off an alleged Batchoy tirade against a Catholic Church project in Dauis town. Ninety-three percent of Boholanos surveyed condemned the unreasonable stance.
The city legislators have painted themselves into a corner - accused of making legislation out of political vendetta against a critic of their patron - the City Mayor - without a formal complaint against the subject. Even His Immensity was red on the face - because his massive effort to drive an imagined rift between Station DYRD and the Church over the same issue did not even merit a one-sentence statement from the Church. For the nth time, the City Mayor was caught hallucinating again.
Many Tagbilaranons are hoping that the Top Honcho's 27-day self-imposed "disappearance" from his mayoralty duty (as elected by the people) will help clear his muddled mind this time.
Bottom line is - maybe let's not be too liberal with anointing persons -especially as a legislative act - as "persona non grata". We might lose the true meaning of the term.
Otherwise, too, people will develop paranoia over the term "persona non grata" as they fear they may be next to be so un-gloriously canonized. Maybe it is good to reserve them for those who truly deserve to get hit by the full import of the meaning of the term - that literally means "an unwelcome person".
Let's pasture the phrase "persona non grata" to the archives for now is our suggestion.
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