It’s becoming a fad, coming home after running away from controversy.

It all started with the infamous Garci, Virgilio Garcillano. Right after Hello, Garci, he became scarce, and his scarcity made a farce out of our immigration and security organs. Has he ever left the country or he just knows how to hide (we’ll prolly not know, unless the fat cat sings)? Yet when the issue had somewhat been forgotten by the national consciousness (just 2 years), he surfaced, denied everything, and then made an unsuccessful run for the House in 2007. Of course, nothing came out of Hello, Garci.

Then we have Jocjoc, Jocelyn Bolante, former undersecretary of Agriculture Department, a Rotarian like Mike Arroyo. Right after the fertilizer scam was exposed, Jocjoc went scarce, evaded Senate summons and arrest warrant, and flew to the United States. Unluckily for him, the US did something with his visa, so he was detained in Chicago. He filed for asylum, claiming that his life is forfeit here. His plea was denied and was promptly deported back to the country. You saw him wheeled in a wheelchair, and brought out in a stretcher, and made several stretches at the Senate hearings. Nothing came out of it, and he is now comfortably ensconced in his Ayala Alabang home.

And now we have former associates of Senator Panfilo Lacson, Cesar Mancao and Glenn Dumlao, who are tagged in the Dacer-Corbito murder case. Both are about to be extradited from the US, they fled the country when the heat turned uncomfortable. Recent news reports state that Mancao is due to name their former boss as the brains behind the murders. Dumlao might say the same thing, too.

The difference between Garci and Jocjoc on one hand, and Mancao and Dumlao on the other, is that Dumlao and Mancao will definitely face criminal charges when they get back (why then did we have to file extradition for the two). I cannot say the same for Garci and Jocjoc.

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There are lessons to be learned in this fad of flights and returns. One, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen, and return when the heat has dissipated. Two, crime does not pay, unless you hold the money bag and have the law under your control.