“Unlike the masses, intellectuals have a taste for rationality and interest in facts. Their critical habit of mind makes them resistant to the kind of propaganda that works so well on the majority.” — ALDOUS HUXLEY

For all his wisdom and good faith, Aldous Huxley was not spot on on this one, at least as far as the Philippines is concerned.

While concern for the finer points of the law is virtually an exclusive franchise of the intellectuals, their recent preoccupation and obsession with the impeachment of Vice President Inday Sara Duterte opens the floodgates to doubt and suspicion.

Resistant to the kind of propaganda that works so well on the majority? Huxley definitely had in mind a different breed of intellectuals in another place and another time, but not the ones in our midst at present, with few exceptions.

That this impeachment is flawed and discriminatory, only the highly partisan and, of course, the contracted parties will shamelessly dispute. If indeed her disposal of P125 million in confidential funds is questionable, why has there been only eerie silence on the billions of confidential funds of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Speaker Martin Romualdez from these same institutions? Why apply two sets of standards?

The complete contrast in the tunnel vision for Vice President Inday’s issues and total blindness for the# excesses of BBM and his cousin tells the whole story. As the saying goes, what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, right?

It does not take critical thinking to conclude that there are unseen hands pushing the buttons for the intellectuals to bark at every perceived advantage in the Vice President’s favor. These powerful forces, however, don’t lift a finger even for the most scandalous issues, such as BBM’s stubborn refusal to undergo a hair follicle drug test and the reported drug-related death of the husband of the First Lady’s social secretary in the United States.

Under normal circumstances, these and other scandals would have sent intellectuals into a fit of rage, if not to the streets to demand BBM’s ouster and prosecution. But these are not normal times, so the intellectuals have chosen to play deaf and blind and reserve their histrionics for an orchestrated anomaly that never was.

It’s one thing for intellectuals and those in the upper echelon to be misled and deceived. It’s another when they willingly allow themselves to actively take part in the colossal deception by invoking legalese and doublespeak to befuddle the masses.

Good thing, access to technology has not only provided the masses with the information shamelessly deprived them by mainstream media, but also the platform to express their displeasure and disapproval of the connivance between BBM’s cabal and the intellectuals. Hopefully, this access will save the day for the nation.

Huxley had reason to put intellectuals on a pedestal, but he failed to foresee the monumental sellout of the Philippine intellectuals to the highest bidder.

Graham Greene had more foresight when he made a declaration that concretely describes contemporary conditions in this country: “Our worst enemies are not the ignorant and the simple, however cruel; our worst enemies are the intelligent and corrupt.”