Political commentator and Master of Rhetoric Rocky Gerung is back in the spotlight, dropping his signature hot takes on the lingering educational document drama surrounding Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka. Speaking on Akbar Faizal’s YouTube channel following the Constitutional Court’s (MK) October 6 ruling, Rocky offered a piece of “paternal advice” to President Prabowo Subianto: Stay away from the blast radius!
Rocky warned that Prabowo must be extremely careful not to get baited by the public or media into commenting on Gibran’s credentials. The goal? To prevent critics from stitching the “illegal partner” label onto the President himself.
”It’s a Trap, Mr. President! Pass the Hot Potato!”
Rocky’s analytical breakdown of the post-MK legal and political landscape delivers pure, unadulterated political theater:
- Don’t Let the Mud Splatter the Palace: Rocky argued that the target of public outrage is strictly the Vice President, not the head of state. “Don’t let this issue stick to the President—making it look like he has an illegal running mate when people are actually only targeting the VP,” Rocky emphasized. If Prabowo speaks up, he risks turning a VP credential issue into a full-blown presidential crisis.
- The Elegant Exit: Resignation: How to solve this endless saga? Rocky proposed what he considers the most “graceful” exit strategy: Gibran should simply resign. “How elegant it would be if Gibran stepped down. To prevent public anger, to stop the President from being linked to an illegal partnership,” Rocky suggested, framing it as the ultimate sacrifice to protect the administration.
- MK Passed a “Live Hand Grenade” to Parliament: Rocky colorfully described the MK’s ruling as a classic political handoff. By ruling the petition procedurally inadmissible while simultaneously dropping shocking notes about the documents being mere “attendance certificates,” the Court basically lobbed a live hand grenade straight into DPR’s lap. “The Court set itself up to cross years of public anxiety over to become DPR’s new playground,” he quipped.
- The Jokowi Dynasty Cumulative Effect: Rocky connected the current outrage over Gibran’s documents to the long-standing conspiracy theories around former President Jokowi’s own diploma. He warned that years of accumulated frustration over the “Jokowi Dynasty” could boil over into public unrest if not handled carefully through constitutional channels.
A Masterclass in Political Separation
Rocky Gerung’s commentary highlights the delicate psychological game currently being played out in Jakarta. By advising Prabowo to keep a safe distance and dropping the “R-word” (resignation) into the public discourse, Rocky is laying out a roadmap for how the political opposition hopes the story will unfold.
Whether Gibran will actually consider stepping down—or if DPR will even bother picking up the hot potato MK threw at them—remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure: Prabowo’s best move right now might just be sipping his morning coffee in Kertanegara, muting the TV, and letting the drama play out everywhere else!
Emha Firmansyah/Lilisatya Wati
