Primetime's mendicancy: The return of Willie R.

For the record, I am not a fan of Willie Revillame.

It was, however, interesting to watch his new show titled "Willing Willie" on TV5.

The show runs for 3 hours - from 6:30 - 9:30 in the evening. And Willie R is the only host (with Mo Twister on the sideline acting like an emcee for a beauty contest). What's new with the show? Nothing. It simply is a take from the defunct "Wowowee". New sets don the new home studio, but it looks like the same crowd. The sexy dancing girls are gyrating and doing splits to the various music that's bombastically barraging my eardrums. The endorsements are endless and so is the cash!

The take here is that the show runs smack against two major networks' news shows - GMA 7 "24 Oras" and ABS-CBN "TV Patrol". It trickles into the reality show of GMA after 8pm and a telenovela of ABS-CBN.

And here's the kill.

"WIlling Willie" is mass-based. I was telling my mom over dinner that this is one show that the masses will get enticed to watch. Not only because the show gives away money to studio participants, but to home viewers as well. It's like, for 3 hours, you see so much money being given away. This doesn't of course include a jackpot price of a car, a house and lot at Camella Homes (developer is Sen. Manny Villar who happens to be Willie R's business partner for his Wil Towers) and P1M in cash - all in one prize pot!

True enough, 5 minutes after I discussed my take on the show with my mom, Willie blurts out "bakit pa kayo manonood ng news, eh dito sa atin, may pera na nakakatulong pa"! (Why do you want to watch the news when in my show, we give away money and we can help you financially?)

The studio participants are mass-based. They are those who belong to lowest quintiles of society - the C, D and E. They're also his greatest and most loyal fans. They follow Willie wherever and whatever TV channel he moves to. Like the paupers on the streets of Manila, the mendicants will always be avid followers of those that give dole-outs.

But the C, D and E classes make up more than 75% of Philippine society. The segment of society that is most neglected by both the rich and the government.

It is the same class that bands together in order to preserve their existence in the urban jungle. They are rabid and will never understand why mendicancy is a crime altogether.

Never mind if they will look stupid or crazy or dance like a chicken or crow like a lunatic in front of the camera. Never mind if they will share their life story of hardship and financial disarray or broken homes and tragic lives. For the money they can bring home, even if it means licking and sucking up to Willie R, it will temporarily provide food on the table.

After all, the Filipino is used to being beggars in their own nation. During an election period, people will exchange their votes for a measly amount of money in order to provide food or medicine for their family.

While there is nothing wrong about giving money away (I like that thought), the thought that the way the show is being aired leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Today, Willie R talks about the rising ratings of his 3 days old show. Indeed, a 33.8% share of primetime is impressive. And I am sure both Channels 2 and 7 honchos are scratching their heads on this.

Why is that?

It's simple. The ratings game commands sponsorship (TV commercials). The higher the rating of the show, the more commercials it gets. Which means that the show of Willie R can demand a higher fee for a commercial slot eventually. With limited resources, why do you want to put a commercial on a show that has a dwindling follower?

Interestingly, is how the two giant networks will now have to focus on re-inventing their news program. I mean, what will make every Juan de la Cruz interested in having to hear people dying from a bus falling off a ravine or some SK official getting shot during a poll violence or some starlet having a lurid affair with a boxer? Is there money for me in all these cheezy news? Nope! Will it make me P10,000 richer overnight? Nope! Would I care less if the mayor of some pathetic town rolled over and died? Nope! Will it matter to me if somewhere in Paris, the French people went up in arms against their own government? Nope! In short, what would interest the 75% of the viewing public is now focused on what they can gain from the show of Willie R.

If the trend continues, the next 3 months will be crucial. Slowly but surely, there will be a large chunk of TV viewers that will shift gears to watching a game show than watching some dreadful tsunami pummel a country. The latter, after all, does not concern them and is a one time event. If the trend on the TV ratings continue, there will be a change in time slot for the news shows and they will need to replicate a show that will go head to head with Willie R.

At this point in time, it would be interesting to see the turn of the tide. Only two things can happen. Willing Willie will flop and lose it's following and Manny P would have gambled for naught. But Pangilinan, at this point, is willing to stake his balls for the jugular against two giants in the industry. And Willie R is his secret weapon. Why else put him right smack head to head against two institutional giants and primetime news at that?

It does not take a genius to see this interesting battle for primetime supremacy.

Will Willie R have the last laugh?

As they say in showbiz...ABANGAN ANG SUSUNOD NA KABANATA! (to be continued...)

[Photos from Pinoy Gossip Boy and pep.ph]

Ampatuan, Arroyo and Agra

Aside from the fact that these three people have the first letter of the alphabet (A) in common, they also have a common denominator - ass**le.

Ironically, I guess the Filipinos have been in a state of apathy for so long a time that they wouldn't care less about how these three idiots ran the whole justice system in this country.

The banana republic has received so much flak, not only with respect to the issue of graft and corruption, but to the issue on the kind of judicial system we run.

With the way things have been going for this country, it is not really a far-fetched idea that justice in the Philippines, has literally gone to the dogs.

The massacre in Maguindanao, a result of the dynasty-driven thoughts of our politically appointed and elected officials, is the perfect example of justice that has all gone awry in the country.

With Acting Justice Secretary Alberto Agra stepping into the foray and clearing both suspended Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan and Maguindanao Vice Gov. Akmad Ampatuan of complicity in the historical Maguindanao massacre, the public outrage over this decision has become the central topic in media.

Ironically, Agra is in a precarious position. He is both the solicitor general and acting justice secretary. This "dual designation" has been questioned by many lawyers and the Supreme Court has ordered Agra to explain why he "should not be removed as concurrent solicitor general for supposed violation of the law against holding multiple positions in government." Noted is the fact that in the 1987 Administrative Code, the Office of the Solicitor General and the Department of Justice should be "independent" and "autonomous". Obviously, at the rate Agra is deciding on matters, it seems that he is part of the "clean up" team or as Malacanan would call it - "transition team" - when they finally burn all the skeletons in their closet before they dearly depart (hopefully they would).

It is not surprising that Bishop Oscar Cruz has called Agra simply a 'clerk' and that his 'boss' is allegedly behind all of Agra's decision. Of course, Malacanan in the statement of Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza is that "Ms. Arroyo always respects the decision of department secretaries because she considers their own expertise and their own competence on their own field of interest."

And what, pray tell, did Mendoza mean by that? This nincompoop comes up with such a pathetic excuse as this. He is passing the buck back and forth, when we all know that when GMA becomes incensed with decisions of department secretaries not to her liking, she finds a way to replace them, just as she had done with those that do not espouse her kind of thinking, in the past. Somebody should slap Mendoza to keep him awake.

I have a strange feeling that most (if not all), the spokespeople of GMA are always high on drugs. They are incoherent, poorly knowledgeable, and if you put them actually in a corporate environment, these are the kind of people that would be the security guards at the doorstep of your office. They're only good for getting you your cup of coffee for the day. All of GMAs allies should undergo drug testing every week to check what kind of drug they are getting. Dang these people!

The sad part is that as a people, we have become so callused about the events that we refuse to budge from our seats.

A friend once told me that I should not be too vocal about what I feel, especially against the government.

I retorted - what is there to fear? It's not that I'm like Miriam Defensor-Santiago that I would be willing to eat bullets for breakfast. I am just angry at what is going on. And if you don't feel as much anger, at least feel as much pain as the people whose families were buried, all in the name of money and politics.

And that's the problem with this country.

As long as your kids are going to school and no one is hurting them, as long as you're earning relatively well and have a roof over your head, as long as you can afford to have some simple pleasures in life, then it's okay. Other people's problems are not yours.

That's where I disagree.

I wouldn't give a sh*t if GMA read this piece and feels offended. And I guess she wouldn't give a sh*t as well to what I feel.

But you can tell that this is the very reason why there is so much pain among our countrymen. The poor do not get the opportunities as those who have money. Or those who are in power. Corruption and greed is the very reason why this government thrives and why we have so many politicians who kill to stay in power.

And many of us wallow in our own world, not even caring about so much indignation, except being a spectator the the scene. It is not only when such hideous crime occurs in our own backyard are we willing to move. And we expect to get sympathy when once upon a time we refused to give sympathy.

The world is a circle...

When the very figure head of this country allows this kind of travesty, whether that decision is an individual's decision or not, you know that this country is doomed. A good commander-in-chief will always be one who is willing to be the captain of the ship. Steer the ship through a storm. Be accountable. And in the chain of command, be answerable to the sins of all her cabinet members.

The mere fact that Malacanan is giving us the run around and passing the buck back to the sacrificial lamb, just goes to show you the kind of president we have had in the last 9 years.

A few days from now, we will troop to the polls to choose our next president.

It is with fervent happiness that I look forward to see the little rat finally step down from her beloved throne.

It is with fervent desire that I pray that we make the right choice in electing the next president and other public officials who shall help steer this sinking ship in a different direction.

Never in the history of Philippine elections have the people become more involved in the campaign for the next president and other public officials, as this coming May 10, 2010 elections.

As to whom and how we vote will be the final shining moment when we come together as a nation, to save a country, and provide Filipinos hope for a better future.

Family affair and the backdoor

So what's wrong with all the politicians looking for a job in the government?

The more well entrenched they are, the harder it will be to get rid of them in the long run.

And that is the reality of Philippine Politics.

In the upcoming elections, there is a joke circulating that the Lower House (Congress) will be the House of Arroyos as Ate Glue makes a comeback, this time as congresswoman in the 2nd district of Pampanga. Her son, MIkey, will give up his current position for his mother (talk about mama's boy) and will run under a party list called Ang Galing Pinoy. Ironically this latter party list, represents the marginalized sector of security guards in the Philippines. Watdfuk is happening to this country?!?!!? Sanamagan banana republic!?!?!!?

The Comelec declined Ladlad, a party list that supposedly would represent the marginalized gay and lesbian sector of Philippine society. Fine! Whatever! The Comelec said they are not marginalized. Fine! Whatever! But to decline Ladlad and approve security guards as a marginalized sector, dang! Toink! Gadzooks! It makes me wanna puke big time! Will somebody please shoot the politicians? As in NOW?

I will not want to discuss this any further. I guess you can figure it out for yourself. Anyone to the defense can roll over and please, just die!

And so the party list system is the new backdoor for the exiting congressmen or administration candidates who still want to steal the thunder in the political gymnasium of the Philippines.

So presuming Ang Galing Pinoy wins in the upcoming election, then their nominee for congressman, Mikey A will become their representative. And that means that there will be more Arroyos in congress. Not counting her in-laws who are running for specific posts in their respective provinces as well.

But is Ate Glue all to blame?

In this banana republic, the political scenario is actually a family affair. It's a family business. Most of the luminaries in politics stay in politics. You can actually draw a family tree and mark those in the family tree who have political backgrounds! Children and grandchildren grow up wanting to become politicians - not to improve the plight of the Filipino people - but to make sure that the financial coffers in their generation continues to grow. And grow it does.

Marcos, Yulo, Binay, Chongbian, Lapid, Recto, Aguilar, Cayetano, Estrada, Biazon, Aquino...and the list just grows longer each election period.

Among the crafters of our constitution were lawmakers. And had vested interests as well. They all took the vested interest into consideration. These slimy scum of the earth people were not serious about their view on nepotism. Nepotism is just another word. And because it is used so loosely and not clearly defined, because some people seem to not want to define this term, is the reason for its being abused in the political arena.

Mind you, it's not only nepotism that was forgotten in the constitution. Creating this so-called Party List was actually a safety guard for the lawmakers whose terms were ending or who would have been displaced after their terms in office. It became a reason for wanting to stay in public office.

It is not so much that in the banana republic, there is no decent job for the Pinoys. It's just that there seem to be vacancies in government that the Pinoys seem to want to hold on to. And never let go. So the list of families in government service has ballooned disproportionately.

Out of curiosity, if there is no money in traditional politics, why does everyone want to seem to fight and die just to be a public servant? Hogwash! There is money from greed and corruption. And the more seasoned the politician is, the easier it seems for him to be able to get away with so much graft.

And you should see how much their wealth has grown each year and even the BIR (Bureau of Internal Robbers) do not seem to be running after them or their families. How can you explain such ostentatious display of wealth? Please, don't make us look really stupid. Darn!

The irony is, even with the violence in elections, the sheer number of family members makes it practically impossible to wipe out the "enemy". As you can see, the Ampatuans tried doing that against the Mangundadatus. But it was impossible to wipe every Mangundadatu from the face of the Republic of Mindanao.

It will not only take a political will to break down the barriers in the political system in the Philippines. The families that form various stakeholders in the dynasty game plan are the most resistant to change.

Even if someone like Noynoy would win, there will still be the majority who will be resistant to tearing down their dynasties and clans or use the backdoor, to remain in power.

God save us!

Aw Cmon!!

It's one of those days that I picked up the newspaper to read. I normally don't like ruining my day by starting off with the news, but getting caught in the traffic rush during the holidays makes you decide on whether to look outside your car window with the mendicants chanting Christmas songs or just opening the papers. The lesser evil was to just go ahead and read.

Here's my take on the headlines:

"Gloria goes to HK for holiday retreat" - so GMA went to Copenhagen to attend the UN Climate Summit. And in 2 days time she was out of there! Because of the debacle in Denmark, where the delegates could not agree to anything, La Vida Glo suddenly made a quick exit. Her excuse? Mayon Volcano is about to erupt and her country needs her. Well, so much for her bleeding heart. And the plane touches down in Manila and in less than 24 hours, she is out of the country...in Hong Kong...reportedly on vacation with her grandchildren whom she promised to take on vacation. No surprise at all at GMAs actions, but come on...Malacanan should avoid making excuses for her pompous lifestyle. None of the Filipinos would care if she went to Hong Kong to meet up with the maids there or Mickey Mouse. While she is entitled to go on vacation (not that she has not gone on any using the money of the Filipino taxpayers), transparency does not seem to be in La Gloria's vocabulary. She reportedly will spend her Christmas holiday in Pampanga this year. Alongside with the idiots who will be voting for her as the next Congressman of their district.

Pork hiked in budget, says solon - The national budget for 2010 is reportedly up by P35billion, with pork barrel insertions in rush meetings last week. The government is already facing a P300billion deficit this year and would face another P300billion by end of next year (or greater). Of course, administration congressmen Edcel Lagman and Danilo Suarez are on the defense. Suarez says that some of the lawmakers (or they should call them law breakers) asked for the increase in infrastructure funding for the rehabilitation of their districts, especially those devastated by the string of typhoons and other "acts of God". Come on...natural disasters are the joy of those in public service. It's the best excuse to put their hands in the cookie jar, so to speak. Fyi, if each congressman received P70million for project allocation, and that would ALL be put into proper use and accountability, there would be no need for asking for more. Unfortunately, I still don't see where my taxes are going to. Sa totoo lang - hindi lang kayo ang may karapatan yumaman! Mga dupang talaga!

CHR slams journalists for attack - Innocent until proven guilty. That's what Leila de Lima, chair, Commission on Human Rights said regarding the unruly behavior of the journalists towards Andal Ampatuan, Jr last week. According to her, even suspected mass murderers have rights, too. De Lima wants the journalists investigated. Come on...they're just venting out their anger. Even ordinary people have feelings too. You need to make them grieve and express their anger. It's human nature to do so. We go through stages of anger, depression, bargaining, before acceptance. No matter how trivial or tragic the event, it is a human process we go through. I guess next time, someone should just go massacre the whole clan of de Lima. Let's see her reaction.

RP poor tax take worries WB - Bert Hofman, WB country director for the Philippines, said in a briefing that a 13% tax effort in the country is worrisome. The tax effort, a closely watched economic indicator, is the proportion of tax collection to the total value of goods and services produced by the economy - measured in GDP (gross domestic product). It indicates a government's ability to generate more taxes as the economy grows. A drop in the tax effort shows a declining efficiency in tax collection. The anemic tax collection according to the government is due to laws in providing tax relief - exemption of minimum-wage earners from paying income tax, cut in corporate income tax rate from 35 to 30%, and tax incentives on select businesses. Both Hofman and the government have got it all wrong. Hofman is barking at the wrong tree by squeezing out the last penny of every good paying citizen. Enough is enough. We can't give more. Of course, we can appropriate more money to the jobless Pinoys if we get rid of the expats in this country. One expat is enough to feed 50 workers in the middle income bracket or around 200 minimum wage workers. Like all watchdogs, Hofman just sees the trees, but not the forest. He looks at it from a mediocre viewpoint and not looking at the bleeding spots of graft and corruption this government has. Look at the lifestyle of La Vida Glo! He would prefer to stand politically in the middle so that he doesn't become persona non grata. The poor cannot use the excuse of being poor as an escape from having to pay taxes. They still use the same roads we use. They get the privileges from the government for the taxes we pay for. In short, the government should find a way to tax even the minimum wage earners - which include the jeepney drivers, pedicab drivers, bus drivers, taxi drivers, street sweepers, newspaper and cigarette vendors, maids - everyone that earns no matter how little. And squeeze the very rich as well - these mall owners who charge an arm and a leg just to park in the malls, taxes for cars and luxury goods, added taxes on vices (cigarettes, coffee - yup even starbucks, alcohol), added taxes on premium gasoline, sports cars, high end retail shopping, etc. You cannot squeeze from the middle class anymore. Enough is enough. Let the rich and poor contribute to the coffers of society. Oh come on...you gotta admit that these people who live in squatters area have even more than the average Joe. Look at most of their homes - DVDs, flat screen colored TVs, refrigerators, iPods, mobile phones, and even airconditioners (which I don't know how it hangs in their walls).

Mega-Bay says goodbye to 'yaya' - Yaya Luring was 83. The family of Sharon was celebrating a Christmas party for the staff at their home in Santa Rosa Laguna when Yaya Luring had a heart attack. Rushed to the hospital, she was declared dead on arrival. Sharon was 5 years old when Yaya Luring became part of their family. The rest is history. Yaya Luring was close to Sharon and Yaya Luring, in real life Loreta Benitez is just as lucky to have been part of the family of Mega. So, yes, for those of us who grew up to Sharon Cuneta, Yaya Luring had her luck in the limelight in, albeit, cameo roles as blink-and-you-don't-see her roles in Sharon's films. But as fate would have it, she would be part of Sharon's life till the very end. Her wake is at the Sanctuario de San Antonio in posh Forbes Park and will be laid to rest at Heritage Park in Taguig. Truly, the Mega Nanny in the Mega Star's life till the very end. Oh come on...I thought this should have been the headline!

Blind faith

If there's anyone to blame in the guts and glory fight of Ate Glue on becoming the next Congresswoman of Lubao, it's the man behind the presidential figure - the little president called Ed Ermita.

The ex-general has never wavered in his support for Ate Glue. Even in an interview on her proposed plans after 2010, he has blatantly expressed that the priority of Ate Glue is charter change. In the interview, it was quoted that Ermita said that "Let's be realistic - the President is the President...because of her stature, when she gets [elected], definitely she will have a lot of clout on anything in congress...you can be sure that should she be elected, definitely she will have clout among the congressmen."

In fact, if there is anyone here who has the most power in office, it's Ermita. He calls the shots and he is definitely privy to Ate Glue's plans - now and tomorrow.

Who is Ed Ermita? Born in 1935 and hailing from Balayan, Batangas, Executive Secretary Ed Ermita finished his schooling primary and secondary schooling at the Immaculate Concepcion College then went on to pursue his military career at the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1957. His government service included being Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 1988, Undersecretary of National Defense from 1988-1992, and Congressman of the 1st District of Batangas from 1992-2001 (a total of 3 terms in office). Then he went into hiatus until the dwarf from the palace beckoned him to the most prestigious position in an appointive office. In 2004, when Ate Glue was elected into office (or reportedly stole the Presidency), the embattled dwarf found an ally in the little president. The executive secretary stood his ground and protected the dwarf from dissent in the dwarf's cabinet.

To this very day, Ermita remains loyal to the dwarf. When asked if the dwarf could be trusted not to position herself as prime minister in the future, Ermita said "We are in a democracy [and] everyone is free to do things that they wish they should do, for as long as they are within the bounds of law. Everyone has to face up to his or her future, and and when they're elected."

Except for the people in the district of Pampanga where the dwarf intends to relocate to, the rest of the Filipino people believe that the actions of the dwarf on clinging on to power is matter of addiction to it. The worst part of it is that the dwarf can utilize her resources while she is in power in order to succeed in winning again. And while it is true that we are free to do things within the bounds of law, the ethical and moral aspect of the dwarf running for a lower position in order to perpetuate power leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

You will have to agree though that there are those who follow because of blind faith. Some say that Ermita is probably as possessed as the dwarf. There's another name for it - fanatic! Hallelujah!!!

The Gaga and Lady Gaga

The president has a penchant for luxury. And her ministerial entourage will always try to defend the luxurious spending, whether it is people's money or it is their own. The latter is rather indistinguishable considering that you are in government and that politicians have a difficult and iffy time trying to discern which of the money in the coffers or in their pockets are theirs and which belong to the people. Of course, the majority of our government officials have very poor arithmetic background, so it's a "one for you, one million for me" rhythmic chant when counting money.

Scandalous to say the least on splurging on caviar, champagne, lobster and steak. Why not? After all, she happens to be president. But there is a limit on what you can eat. Never mind if it is out of your pocket, but if it is from the average Juan de la Cruz, whatever she's stuffing into her mouth has got to be counted not in terms of caloric intake, but in terms of the peso contribution of the average Juan. The rah-rah boys and girls should just shut the f**k up if they want to defend her. They have been incarcerated for the longest time and have no morals anyway. A calloused nation is what we are and we are either stupor dead in the expenditure extravaganza of this administration or have joined the pig stye. In Pilipino, we call that "Gaga".

We seem to be so masochistic that we do not even have the time nor energy to get involved in having the assholes kicked out of office. Never mind if we kicked out former president and movie star Erap, but to get the Pulse Asia survey that we would want him back in office is damn rightfully deserving for the Filipino crap that is suicidal in nature. We should just go ahead and hang ourselves or have ourselves castrated.

And for the house speaker to comment that Infomercials of the government branches are okay with the various agency secretaries who are planning to run in the 2010 election flashing their ugly faces on the screen is a no-brainer for NogNog. Shameful. That's all I can say. No morals, no ethics. No Laban! With the passing away of Cory Aquino, the devils have won this round and they continue to desecrate the face of the Philippines by explicitly being the sadists that government officials are.

On a lighter note though, I needed to take a break from all this political hogwash, so off to the Lady Gaga concert I went last Tuesday. It was a 1 hour show. The front act called Pedicab was pure noise. I don't know why some people in the audience went gaga over the songs they sang, but it was pure noise. The youth can call it anything they want. It was like watching a bunch of drug addicts bang on their thingies and prance around like chickens being f**ked by a really big d**k. I was telling my partner that I think they were actually security guards from the mall who were asked by the management to dress up like punk stars and just bang the instruments and nobody would care. The keyboard player in particular was dancing strangely, that I thought someone had a fist up his ass.

Then Lady Gaga came out at 915pm. The crowd went wild and rightfully so. Her songs, her antics, and yup her stage presence was worth the ticket price. She's some gutsy lady and had the balls to call a spade a spade. I gave her two thumbs up and a standing ovation the whole show. You've got to hand it to her. She carried the 10 songs well and the last song Poker Face came in two versions - acoustic and rock. Too bad it lasted just an hour and ended promptly at 1015pm.

Only two Gagas in a week? How lucky could one get? As if to it I thought that only the government had gagas, the Araneta Coliseum was another gaga. We bought DQ ice cream outside and tried to bring it into the event place. We couldn't bring the ice cream inside because there were DQ outlets inside and you needed to buy from there if you wanted to eat it in Araneta. Just goes to show you that the Araneta management deserve the last song of Lady Gaga - Poker Face! And if the owner of Araneta Coliseum was around, I would have shoved the whole DQ store up his ass.

The boob job

Okay, so it's none of our business that Ate Glue had a boob job some 20 years ago. For whatever reason it may be, whether it was due to an underlying illness or for aesthetic purposes, we have no business in the boobs she bears.

What is eating the public and the unfortunate attention that it has been given is the fact that it was discovered through a leak (no pun intended) through some blabbermouth who just couldn't keep the giggles off the lid.

My take on the situation:

- while there is a patient-physician confidentiality that binds the doctor and the patient, the "on-lookers" during a procedure are usually the leak in information and are not bound by the same confidentiality agreement. I've always said that when only one person knows what's going on, it's a secret. When two people know it, it's not a secret anymore. I agree that when it comes to some degree of 'secrecy' that went on behind the boob leak and the boob job, it was no one's business.

- the initial take by an incompetent media on malice put into the minds of the gullible public regarding the boob job of GMA was unforgiving. The NBI should be investigating who the f**king idiot that began spreading the "indecent" rumor was!

- but there is the truth portion. While the boob job WAS and IS none of our business, the person's health was the actual story behind the issue. After all, as public figure, as president of the country, the people needed to know. And public figure will always be public property. This is true, not only for entertainers, but for people in public office as well. During the time of President Ferdinand Marcos, truth pray tell that the failing health of Apo Ferdie was highly talked about. Speculations were confirmed when the deposed president and his family had gone into exile in Hawaii, with the people finding out that indeed there was a hospital bed and dialysis apparatus in Malacanan. The transition of power in a democratic country should always be transparent. One can argue the case of Tita Cory, where she has supposedly refused chemotherapy and is very ill. Why does not the public barrage the case of ex-President Aquino? The answer is simple. She is now a private citizen and Citizen Cory has the right to privacy because she is not the president of the country anymore. There is no vested interest in the health of Mrs. Aquino (whom I continuously pray for strength during these trying times) because there is no National Security issue.

If only the officials in Malacanan had provided the truth from the get go, the boob job of Ate Glue would not have even been an issue. What was so wrong in acknowledging the humanity of a president?

What is wrong with the current picture is the fact that the President's men continue to lie to us. She didn't check in to Asian Hospital to be self-quarantined. There should have been no denying that the President needed to undergo certain tests because she had medical concerns. There is no infallibility when it comes to being human. After all, only God is infallible. And Gloria is not God.

Delicadeza and pardon my skepticism

Effective June 30, we celebrate our one year countdown of the Arroyo administration. One of the longest and most corrupt political career of a president, I have to hand it to Ate Glue for playing the Game of the Generals in order to survive in public office.

During her term of office, there have been so many allegations on her husband's alleged graft and corruption and the collusion with friends and families close to them in order to corner government deals or big business ventures. Then again, there are the paid cronies and spokespersons who stood by her side defending her to their grave, rewarding the military officials with choice positions in government controlled corporations or diplomatic positions in foreign countries. As if there is no other competent person in the Philippines, the choice of some lacky cabinet official was based on friendship or being neighbors at her La Vista home, rather than credentials.

For the 3 year illegal term of GMA (through some weird People's Revolution Part II and Part III), up to the time that she supposedly questionably won a 'real term of office', she has not received any accolade from the Filipino people. It has been one quirky decision to another, from one scandal to another, from one graft and corruption allegation with her husband to another, from one son to another entering public office...it has been a calculated effort at putting her family in the political circle, akin to the time of the Marcoses.

The mere fact that she was able to defy gravity at the rate she was going, and that the people particularly the middle and upper class showing laziness and ending up tired with the kind of government system that the Filipinos have been used to, leaves little to say about the respect that Filipinos have towards themselves.

When I picked up the newspaper this morning, I was curiously astonished to find out that owner of Total Information Management, part of the consortium that won the automated election bid for next year's election, is linked to the Aboitiz clan. A clan close to the Arroyo family, especially the first gentleman. Doesn't the government participate in any exercise of bidding that does not involve FG or do all these scandals happen to be coincidental? I don't think so, because the graft scandals have been so far accurate by 100% and statisically speaking, the probability of this being a chance outcome is nil.

I formally announced on Facebook and Twitter that the health advisories and globe trotting soirees of the president being advertised in whole page ads in the newspapers leave a bad taste in the mouth. This, particularly with the pictures of both GMA and the health secretary! But hey, it's free campaign material for a health secretary who is practically unknown to the community, and who has minimal knowledge of what he is talking about. I am fine with the health advisories, but to put your face on the advisory is electioneering. It actually has NO RELEVANCE to the advisory.

The presidential election is simply a few months away. There are calls for a new movement, for renewed morals, for choosing a candidate that will lead the Filipinos to the promised land.

Pardon my skepticism. But the average Filipino has no delicadeza. In selecting a candidate, the average Pinoy will always vote for someone who he/she will "invest in". He/she must qualify for the question - what's in it for me?

Pardon my skepticism. But the average Filipino is a masochist. It's probably because we are used to the flagellations of our colonizers that we will always think of ourselves as slaves. We easily forget a crime. We feel the need for a bad spanking every day.

Pardon my skepticism. Today, they have involved the youth, hoping that this group of new voters can and will make changes for this country. They have put all social networking sites to work and are banking on the world wide web to make a difference. Perhaps this could be a strategy, but 60% of Filipinos still do not have access to the internet and live in the hinterlands where the votes can be bought and snatched and where a Garci scandal will always be ready to preserve the political dynasties in the Philippines.

Pardon my skepticism. Unless we band together for a greater cause and unless we reach out to our Filipino brothers and sisters who live below the poverty line, I do not see much change in this country in the next election. If this happens, there will be the continued exodus of OFWs, continued graft and corruption where delicadeza can always be bought for a loaf of bread, where only a few will benefit from the ties that bind the government official and the culture of corrupt practices...where the choice of heaven for one is hell for the other one.

Pardon my skepticism. But the momentum on reforms has practically died. The Filipino was the model for the peaceful revolution to unseat an unpopular president during the Marcos regime. Ironically, the Filipino is the model for keeping the devil in its place during the Arroyo administration. Scandal after scandal, the Filipino has been callused to simply live in hell on earth.

What a mess!

The headlines in the local papers are having a heyday on the various scandals rocking the GMA government.

The Alabang Boys and the drug peddling scandal of three young men from prominent families. The public outrage is to hang these boys to dry! It's actually a showdown on how the government can handle this type of corruption scandal through alleged bribes accepted by the prosecutors office or the PDEA. The barbs they're throwing at each other is like a movie that has us all glued to see who wins this round. It's a reflection of what money can do in this country. It's the kind of story that viewers watch closely as it's riddled with whodunnit theories.

Of course, this scandal eclipsed the scandal of the Generals. Who can forget the Euro Generals that led the PNP on an excursion to Moscow bringing millions of pesos in taxpayers money? While they call it legit, some say otherwise. It's ironic at how these senators and congressmen despise the "junkets" pharmaceutical companies endow the doctors, but hey, it's okay if they go on a junket using taxpayers money. I cringe at the thought of their justifying their actions. I puke at their proclamation of service to the people.

Finally, we have a new scandal on the Department of Public Works and Highways. Large construction companies which have been banned by the World Bank because of graft and corruption charges have been allowed to participate in bids for local projects not funded by the World Bank! Damn these idiots. This does not only smell of fish, but these people involved have the temerity to stand their ground in spite of the overwhelmingly voluminous proof of lies!

Only in the Philippines!

And then Ate Glue issues a statement before leaving for Davos through her mouthpiece Ermita that she will not make those people involved in the mess resign because they have her confidence.

Amen.

In another country, these lackies would have been hung in public. But this is the Philippines.

The administration officials are more brazen with graft and corruption now. Just do it! We'll explain later. The election is just around the year and they have just a year and a half to steal from the coffers. Time is running out.

Since justice in this country can take forever, let the stealing begin!

Damn.

Alabang Boys...

Who's not heard of this story of three young men from the Alabang area who were caught peddling more than 60 tablets of Ecstasy pills, and other prohibited drug paraphernalia last September 2008?

Their story just gets better and better everyday with allegations of bribery in the highest government authorities on the demand to release these boys. The bribe charges range from P3M to P50M.

What strikes me and irks me is the fact that we treat the rich differently from the poor. Had the press not got wind of the release order from the Department of Justice, the three boys would have gone scot free. Someone from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) had probably spilled the beans in order to abort the release of these boys. Much to the dismay of the parents, it was ironic that the lawyer of the three boys had "drafted" a release letter/order to be signed by the DOJ secretary! I mean, really now. Can Justice Gonzales not write or is he so ignorant that he needed the lawyer of the accused to write for you? And the lawyer of the three boys had the temerity to say "what will they charge me with, stealing one piece of paper"? Come on...give us a break.

And how stupid can one of the fathers get when on TV he admitted that his son is a drug user but not a pusher. What kind of father is that?

Drug us and abuse have destroyed not only the lives of those who use them, but those whom it is sold to. The greater sin is peddling them.

The stories of drug use and abuse are not confined to the poor. Once in a millenium comes a high profile case like this which should leave the public wanting to draw blood. The question is, with the Arroyo administration, that has so much graft and corruption up its sleeves, this will be a test case on whether justice will actually be served or will it remain blind?

In the name of the Father...

Watching the saga of Philippine politics, one cannot help but wonder how much religion is being invoked in the name of God.

Where those in government curse the church as the latter asks for the head of Ate Glue in a moral revolution, it is ironic that when these congressmen and senators and FG defend themselves, they do so in the name of God.

God must be reeling in His hideaway in heaven at the anthology that is evolving in the Philippines. This country is the Catholic capital of Asia. Unlike other countries in Asia, however, this country is also the most corrupt. There is a joke running around that the reason why there has been less rain in the country this year is not because of climate change, but because God has no more tears for the Philippines.

Is there any relation of being Catholic to the high rate of graft and corruption in the Philippines? If one looks back at the history of the Catholic faith, it too, is ridden with graft and corruption. There was a time when the dark ages of the Church ruled grimly.

On bended knees, the people of the Philippines are begging for a little more slack from those in power, but like a faith that slowly slips away, many Filipinos are sick and tired of the same scenario. Our prayers seem to be falling on deaf ears. Those in power simply seek more power and have made governance a career in building one's riches.

Sadly though, it is the poor that pay the biggest price from all this corruption and ineptness of government. Moral ascendancy begins with self. As a people, we need to look into the mirror and find out how much concern we have towards the only country we have.

We cannot remain migrants into the land of plenty and hope to God that the economy of this land will be buoyed by the dollars our OFWs send home to the tune of over $1Billion a month. We cannot remain a country where BPOs are the primary sources of income for the people because the country cannot generate any job. The Philippines has two main careers - call center and government. Third in the career goals is becoming a singer or actor/ress so that one can dream of becoming a government official in the future. What a career path! Oh my God!

Invoking the full strength of the Lord, just for the sake of washing one's hands and demonstrating that one is "telling the truth" is a pathetic old practice that has eroded the faithful. Perhaps it is time that the Church bring back the punishment of ex-communication for those who use the name of thy God in vain.

Have we become so callused to the material things in life that there seems no end to the tunnel that Ate Glue has dug the Filipinos into? Honestly, may God help us!

Tidbits of farce, fart and Ate Glue in Wonderland!

After the US Presidential elections came to a quick and decisive close yesterday, the Filipinos in the Philippines who were glued to CNN awaiting the momentous decision can all go back and do what they do best...bash Ate Glue.

The other day, Ate Glue had commented that people should stop riding on the JocJoc Bolante caravan. She chided everyone for doing a political grand stand on the corruption issues that are hounding her. My answer - WHY NOT? Her fat ass is just sitting on these issues and she's not lifting a finger. Her never care attitude is nauseating and these people who're licking her p**sy are willing to stand the pungent odor as long as they rake in the millions.

1. The Euro Generals Saga - So the story goes that the Russian officials, through a letter to the Department of Foreign Affairs, are now inviting the wife of the head of the Philippine National Police General Versoza back to Russia, together with retired General Eliseo de la Paz. What's the Mrs got to do with the story? The PNP is mum on this, but wait, now de la Paz is also being asked by the Russian authorities to explain why there was still over 56,000 euros the asshole was carrying (which they likewise confiscated). De la Paz had a bright explanation - two Chinese friends had requested him to buy 2 very expensive watches which would cost arount 28,000 euros each. Bull! F**k the idiot! This guy should have just been assigned to Mindanao and tortured till death by the Abu Sayyaf and extremists.
From the way the story is evolving, the stories from the grapevine is that General Versoza's wife had actually carried more than the money found in the de la Paz from Manila to St. Petersberg. Of course, no one would inspect the wife of the PNP Chief on her exit from Manila. She had brought more moolah than you could count. The money was to wine, dine, dance and buy gifts for the other wives of the other generals that had gone with her. On their way back to Manila from the junket, the Mrs was caught with the cash that was left from their shopping spree (eat your heart out Paris Hilton as Mrs V had more moolah than what your dad left you!). Someone had to take the fall and de la Paz, thinking that since he was a general, could get himself untangled in the scenario at the airport. Too bad the Russians are more intelligent than the dumb pinoy bobo-cops! But the plot has thickenend...

2. JocJoc JocJoc I am sick - Best Actor in a Comedy is JocJoc Bolante. I hate saying it, but it looks like the doctors at St. Lukes are in this together. Tadahhh!!! Love them, hate them. No wonder the doctors end up getting stoned to death in this comedy-drama that you'd love to hate. They invoke the patient-doctor confidentiality, a.k.a. - secret! So while no one is talking, JocJoc's lawyers are busy buying time requesting for the Supreme Court for temporary injunction and so on and so forth. I guess it would have been better if JocJoc just proclaimed insanity and then went ballistic and shot himself in the hospital. Doesn't have to be fatal. Just do it! That way he can be sent to the looney bin where he can join his kin. Come on guys, this guy has a house in Ayala Alabang that is worth over 80Million pesos. His family says that they are rich even before he got the position as Undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture. They claim that he accepted the position because Mike A and he are friends and they go a long way back. Nice story. But no one would give a sh*t about his forum shopping to keep him out of jail. Ironically, the buying time drama is evolving like a true blooded Pinoy Telenovela there is never a timeline to end the story as long as other issues are present. With these two dramas that have evolved, it has become a tug-of-war for the Filipino people on which channel we are following. And the joke's on us!

3. Ate Vi to run for VP? OMG! - Ate Vi celebrated her nth birthday in style in her hometown in Batangas. The governor is just as charming and pretty as she was decades ago when she was part of the teeny bop group with Esperanza Fabon, Edgar Mortiz, Jay Ilagan, et al. In the birthday bash, she was asked if she was ready to become Vice-President of the Philippines in the 2010 elections and she said that she was concentrating on the here and now. Making a film was on her next agenda. Well, Gov. Sarah Palin, eat your eye glasses out because the Philippines has also its own version of you, except that Ate Vi is less ditzy than the governor of Alaska in the US of A. But wait, Ate Vi retorted that she has not thought about it well enough and well things can change...OMG...she can do an Obama! Maybe she can be president? God, just throw thunder and lightning and make the ocean eat up this country, if that happens.

4. Drug prices to drop? - So now the impelementing rules and regulations on the Universally Accessible and Quality Medicines Act (Cheaper Medicines) has been signed and the implementation will take effect soon. This includes the controversial tag line that all generic drugs will carry the label "this generic drug is therapeutically equivalent to other generic products with the same generic name. Signed - BFAD". So who's going to do the testing for these generic products? How sure are we that the requirements for therapeutic equivalence are actually met by the manufacturer or distributor? Knowing how many fly-by-night and backyard distributors there are in this country, there will be a massive increase in deaths due to lack of efficacy or safety of a drug product if the patients and doctors are not vigilant with the current scenario of drug production practice in this country. The only way this can be resolved is to bring back the death penalty. In China, the Food and Drug head was executed a year ago because of the poor quality of drugs in the country. We should subject of regulatory authorities with the same punishment if found guilty to approving drugs into the Philippine market without a bioequivalence/bioavailability test, when needed.

Remember guys - the most expensive drug is the one that doesn't work!

JocJoc Bolante...the joke's on us!

So Jocelyn "JocJoc" Bolante, the supposed mastermind of the Fertilizer Scam amounting to 728Million pesos ($15Million) in 2004 is back in the country called the Banana Republic!

If everyone will recall, the allegations of the Fertilizer Fund for the farmers was apparently used by JocJoc (sources have it was that FG had asked him to use the money to "spread" it around to government officials) to assure that Ate Glue would win the presidency.

Whatever! After so many years in the US, after the US justice prevailed on the escapist acts of Mr. Bolante where he was unable to use his money and influence to make sure that he stay in the US, he is back in the Philippines!

But wait. In this country of grease and monkeys, something was amiss. Upon arrival from a Northwest Airline flight from the US, he complained of chest pain (drama queen!!!) and tadahhhhh ... is whisked off to St. Luke's Medical Center (where the first family is observed to have many connections among its doctors and administrators). JocJoc suddenly has a room (suite, ehem...) ready and that's it folks - the poor guy needs to rest, he needs to be worked up, for health reasons he's shitting yet in his pants so he needs private time because he's stressed and anxious and damn this government.

You can't help but wonder how the drama unfolded and who the director and producer of this stunt is. But it's a no brainer that someone in the highest place in government had something to do with his being given the red carpet treatment! JocJoc WAS only an undersecretary for the Department of Agriculture. He wasn't an administration official that held the highest place in the land. Just like Garcillano (remember the Hello Garci scandal?), they were nobody! Nobody! I mean, how can anyone like JocJoc who's a mere undersecretary of agriculture, afford an 80M peso house in Ayala Alabang? Think about it. This government of GMA is so fu**ed up that you can smell the shit when the plane lands in this banana republic. What's so pathetic is that the middle class is more preoccupied with the economy and callused with all the graft and corruption of the government officials, the generals, and whoever has access to the coffers in government that they have been numbed.

So much drama! The Euro Generals being eclipsed by the Joke - JocJoc. And one episode not having and ending.

There is, however, a central plot - GREED! And so much of it!

Showbiz na showbiz si Ate Glue....and the Joke's on us.

Thieves...at a time of poverty

As this blog is being written, Ate Glue is in Beijing. According to the newspaper reports, while Ate Glue may not be popular in the Philippines, she is considered an empress in China. My comment - the Chinese can have her as their president. My dear Chinese comrade-in-arms, you can have Ate Glue!

Anyways, let's cut to the chase and let me update my readers on the state of the nation. F**k the people that run this country. The government officials in this banana republic seem to be enjoying sucking up to Ate Glue for whatever penny that can extract from her highness, since she has only a little less than 2 years left in office. So her court jesters seem to be in high spirits and even the honorable "tong"gressmen are just shitting in their pants, not minding the mess they are making nor smelling the shit they are emanating from defending the palace.

Let's see - the "tong"gressmen are flocking and f**king in numbers, creating an orgy of frenzy against the new impeachment against a sitting president. Of course, Ate Glue has already greased those that need to be greased, so the assholes are sitting and shitting pretty on their asses with all that b**lsh*t defense coming out of their mouths.

Aw common people. Isn't this the very reason why we deserve the kind of government we get? Why every Juan, Pilar and Pepe are flocking out of this country? Why we, as a Filipino race do not even deserve to be looked up to in international communities?

We allow ourselves to get trampled upon. We allow ourselves to be shitted on. We don't care how the people in government beg, borrow or steal. We are a pathetic race and we deserve what we get from whom we voted for. We go on our every day lives and demand from government to bring down the cost of fuel, electricity, basic commodities, rice, text message charges, medicines...yet I have yet to hear our country men rise up and demand from government, their moral ascendancy from all the scandals that are being charged to them.

The "Euro Generals" escapade is the perfect example. Why Ate Glue refuses to touch them is beyond my comprehension. It's probably the fact that there is honor among theives...and that is best exemplified by this case scenario.

Imagine that the money changer who had exchanged the peso into euros for General de la Paz, had come out to say that since early August of this year, the 6.9Million pesos was already with the generals because every week, someone would come to his money change shop to exchange for 3,000 - 5,000 euros - until all that 6.9Million pesos had been transacted! And the reasons that de la Paz had given, together with Puno and the other generals had varied from day to day. Now they are singing the song that they brought the money to Russia to buy spy gear and weapons ----- DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!??!?!!?!? Look who's being taken for a ride. Tweedle dee doo and tweedle dee dumb...

And because Ate Glue had stated that she puts her full trust in her generals IN SPITE of this glaring fiasco, which has Senator Miriam under full throttle against the PNP force (and I hope she does trash Puno to pieces), puts the moral ascendancy of Ate Glue in question. Why and whom is she defending? To the generals, their act of impropriety or theft, let's not be coy about the incident, is simply a "me too" act. If Ate Glue can steal from the coffers of this land, why not them.

In actuality, Ate Glue is to blame. She did a really lousy job at being discreet and she used the money of the Filipinos to cover up all those f**ked up deals she and her men made. At a time when more Filipinos are hungrier than ever, accentuated by the worldwide economic meltdown, it is despotic to be robbing at a time of poverty.

Humpty Dumpty Gloria?

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

Humpty Dumpty had a big fall

All the King's horses and all the King's men

Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again

If you think I will bash our president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, you may get disappointed.

I'm writing about the present state of the Philippines under her term. It is a personal opinion and should not be taken as a view by the people of the Philippines. I've been prodded by some friends to give an opinion after I chided them on the text messages that have been circulating on how difficult life has become because of the economic crunch in the country.

Gloria has been blamed for all the travails we are currently experiencing. The rice shortage, the appreciation of the peso, the increased cost of food and gas and electricity and water, transportation, increased inflation... and the joke is that everything rises except her excellency's height.

But is Gloria actually to blame for all these?

Well, with the way Philippines politics goes, it's bound to be the president's head that we ask for on a silver platter. I am no expert in political science and will not venture to be an "expert" as others would claim to be (and no, I don't believe their savvy political science background simply because Philippines politics is one for the Guinness Record and has no formal background. With that said, these "experts" should just shove the diplomas up their...)

I will simply state the obvious. In 2001, we overthrew a sitting president on allegations of skimming off money from jueteng (a gambling game). Imagine that! It's not even legal money tendered to the government which should be accounted for and we overthrew that president. What a pathetic crowd. Let's just say that those who wanted Joseph Estrada out were the country's supposed "elite" who definitely did not like the lifestyle that Erap led - women, gambling, poor governance. But Erap was loved by the masses because he gave when it came to the poor. In plain language, he was just a simpleton. Didn't have enough brains, probably, to decide on issues central to running a country. He probably thought that the country was a "little San Juan". So a couple of people from Metro Manila (which did not even represent the voting majority of this country) decided to go to EDSA for an uprising, decided to throw him out of office and swear in his vice-president. The rest is history.

Eight years later into a second term as president and 2 years to go as sitting president, Gloria is plagued by corruption from human rights advocates, shady deals of her husband and political appointees, favoring military appointments into the cabinet, alleged rise in graft and corruption, an increasing inflation rate in the country, an exodus of skilled workers in massive proportions, and several coup attempts.

But all the president's men have parried her from being booted out of office. Even whistle blower Jun Lozada lost steam in attempting to discredit her. Why? What has happened?

The Filipinos are tired of the same drama and telenovela that's unfolding in the political scenario. Majority of those that remain working in our country are poor and uneducated. They wouldn't care less, except for a morsel of bread. Something Gloria has taken cared of by providing them P500 worth of ATM allowance monthly. It will buy a few basic food on the table, and time for the next president to worry about the situation of the country.

Many of the professional workers - nurses, doctors, pharmacists, ITs, engineers, scientists, accountants, lawyers - are moving out of the country, in search for more verdant pastures. Never mind the hardship of starting over again. To them, this country is a lost cause. No future in the land where only the moguls gain more and the poor become poorer. If you don't believe me, why do you think that the nursing course is such a lucrative field nowadays? I ask my patients on what their kids are taking or will be, and they say - NURSING! To earn dollars, to be OFWs, to make a life in the country of milk and honey. They have nothing good to talk about the Philippines. They dream that one day, some day, their kids will extricate them from the hell of this country and bring them to purgatory in London or New York and eventually, find heaven in the land where dollars and pounds are legal tender.

I have many friends that have taken this road. It is not the road less traveled.

Is it Gloria?

No. And even if I did not vote for her as president of the Republic of the Philippines, I respect the position of the president. I may not like her, but the blame should not be shouldered by the president alone. We are equally to blame for the condition the country is in. The pathetic people who have made politics, graft, corruption, envy and greed the by-word for survival are to blame. It starts with the one-letter word "I". Each time we give in to the sins of the world, we are to blame for the destruction of the economy of the country.

This country has as many mobile phones as there are people residing here. I make my rounds in the charity section of the hospital and I see kids sick and needing medical assistance. I turn my head around and see the mom with a cellphone N72! I tell her that her son needs medications because he is very ill. She says she has no money. I tell her to sell her mobile phone. She looks at me with fiery eyes and says "NO". It's all she has. And she is not alone in that attitude!

What was the kid? A display item? With this kind of attitude, we have raised the bar of materialistic sustenance. I've simply said it over and over again to parents, if you don't have the dough, don't try to live like a prince off someone else's money. It's bad role modeling. But look at the poor. Their shanties have a flat screen TV, DVD, iPod, computer, refrigerator, electric fan, and some have even airconditioners!

This example is a microcosm of the bigger evil. Parents who flaunt what they DON'T HAVE make their children believe they have money. They max out their credit cards, they buy cars and laptops and iPod touches (even the illegal iPod phones), go on vacations skimmed off from company accounts... you know the story. One day some sheriff goes to their house to sequester everything they have (or did not have in the first place). Shameful and pathetic.

It's basically greed. Inner greed. Inner evil. Something we simply can't help ourselves with.

I am not absolving the government from blame. Everyone is part to blame. Media included. Someone once said that the most powerful change can be achieved, if only it starts with "I". But love for country is something that is wanting. There is a lot of work that needs to be done and that in itself is a monumental task. Daunting and hopefully, possible.

When all the other countries around us have gone through so much crisis as well, they have well risen above them for love of country. The self was willing to take up much more sacrifice for others than simply being onlookers at watching how the country would evolve.

Good governance is a far cry in this country, but Gloria will never achieve it until it becomes her political will to weed out her greedy men. The only payback a president owes is to its people. At present, Gloria's problem is not emanating solely from a local problem. The compounding factors of worldwide depression and rising fuel costs, including lack of food supply in the changing climate environment contributes to her problems. She was caught flat-footed so to speak. But it was bound to happen to any president who had no foresight on the problem of the country. And the problem just escalates disproportionately.

Gloria will weather her political storm. She needs to. And whether we like it or not, we need to help her by starting with "I". Moral and ethical responsibility begins with us. And must be demanded by us of our government officials. We need more than just text messages aimed at destroying the country to make this country weather the problems of the world. While they are funny, they are also crude and show our non-caring attitude about what is going on in this country.

But the only way Gloria will weather the political climate is to weed out the bad, even if it means sacrificing family. There is a generation of Filipinos that will benefit from good leadership. And if she is willing to make that her legacy, it is not too late to lead the way. Your generals and cabinet ministers cannot help you. Time to clean up before leaving the house Madam President. There's a country waiting for you.