Simply Irresistable!

The speculation is over.

Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao has announced on Wednesday, March 18, 2009, that he has already set an agreement with Network giant ABS-CBN to telecast his upcoming fights, beginning with his May 2, 2009 fight with Ricky Hatton.

Pacquiao has announced:

“Nilapitan ko po ang ABS-CBN at nagpasiyang gusto ko sila ulit maging partner. Asahan nyo po na patuloy akong magbibigay ng karangalan sa ating bayan."

Pacquiao's fights were previously aired by rival network GMA and Solar Sports. Moreover, Pacquiao still has to deal with Solar Sports, as he has preterminated his until 2012 contract with Solar.

The details with Pacquiao's contract with ABS CBN, however, is still kept secret, but Inquirer.net has reported that the deal could amount to 120 to 180 M per fight.

Moreover, there is another interesting clause in the contract:

The network is said to have offered Manny full media support in the next election to ensure victory in the next year’s congressional elections.

News Tidbits 2009

(Medyo) Tahimik ang Pilipinas ngayon. Walang masyadong ingay, maliban sa Right of Reply Bill ni Senator Nene Pimentel (na hindi ko masyadong naiintindihan at hindi ko na rin pinagtiyagaang intindihin) at sa pagkapasa ng Automation Budget para sa 2010 elections (na patuloy pa ring pag-aawayan dahil kabi-kabila ang siguradong magsasabing may dayaang mangyayari. Tingnan natin, kung magagamit na ang automation sa 2010 elections, panigurado na yung matatalong kandidato eh magsasabing "nadaya ako!").

Sikat si Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez. Aba'y big-time siya! Kung dati-rati eh Pangulo lang ng Pilipinas ang gustong i-impeach, ngayon, naka-file na ang impeachment complaint niya sa Kamara. Ang problema lang, katulad din ng complaints laban kay GMA, may pag-asa ba namang umusad ang kaso? Kilalang kaalyado ng First Couple si Gutierrez, dahil classmate siya ni FG Mike Arroyo sa Ateneo De Manila College of Law. In fact, hindi pa nga napag-aaralan ang kaso eh nagsabi na si Mikey Arroyo na hindi siya tututulan niya ang Impeachment. Pati si DOJ Secretary Raul Gonsalez eh nagpahiwatig na mahirap lumusot ang kaso.

Other than the above news, wala nang masyadong matunog. Magtataka ka na lang, ano na ang nangyari doon sa mga naunang issues, katulad nang Alabang Boys Drug Case, WB Corruption Charges, Euro Generals (sabi sa news, hindi na raw kakasuhan si General Dela Paz kasi ibabalik na daw yung kinuhang pera-pwede pala yun?), Fertilizer Scam, etc.

Para tuloy gusto kong sabihin sa sarili ko: "Hindi ka pa ba nasanay?".

Kung nasusulusyonan lang ang mga nakikitang iregularidad. Kung napaparusahan lang sana ang mga dapat maparusahan. Kung kahit paano sana ay nagkakaroon ng pagbabago at kaunti mang pag-unlad ng bansa. Siguro ay tataas kahit paano ang Trust Rating ng Pangulo. Subalit dahil dito, patuloy na hindi maganda ang resulta ng surveys. Ayon sa pinakahuling tala ng Pulse Asia, halos kalahati ng mga Pinoy ang walang tiwala kay Pangulong Arroyo.

Kung wala na talagang pag-asang magbago ang patakbo ng gobyerno, sana naman ay magkaroon ng pagbabago sa susunod na mga lider ng bansa.

Bad Joke

Hindi lang Ateneo-La Salle ang uso.
Matagal na ang GMA-ABS CBN Network War.
Nora-Vilma? Sawa na tayo diyan.

Ang Bagong Professional Rivalry ngayon,
Belo VS. Calayan.

Sa dami ba naman ng mga artistang gustong "mas gumanda" at "mas pumayat" at "mas tumangos" at "mas lumaki", hindi na kataka-takang mag-boom ang rivalry nila Drs. Manny and Pie Calayan at Dra. Vicky Belo (idudugtong ko ba dapat ang pangalan ni Hayden).

And The Heat is On!






Belo says:


“If you want to look like Piolo Pascual

and

Dingdong Dantes,

you go to Belo.

If you want to look like Boy Abunda, you go to Calayan."

(Piolo and Dingdong are two of Belo's endorsers while Boy is one of Calayan's endorsers).

********** Pero kahit na! Bad joke pa rin.**********

Catch Me If You Can

Now Showing

Chance of a Lifetime

President Arroyo made a sudden side trip from Bahrain to Washington last Feb 5, 2009, to attend the United States National Prayer Breakfast (and possibly to get the chance to finally, finally, finally meet US President Barack Obama).

But the chance never happened.

Neal Cruz, in his Inquirer column, describes Arroyo's move to seemingly chase Obama as Pathetic.


Must have been better if Arroyo attends a local prayer meeting together with Cory, Erap, Ramos, Villanueva, Velarde, Rosales, De Venecia, Roxas, Lozada, Lacson, Mike Arroyo, Tindero, Jocjoc, Villar, etc.

Wouldn't that be a sight?

(But of course, not to mention, to disallow Sec Dureza to lead the prayer).



To conclude, Neal Cruz states,

"Don’t pretend to be what you are not. Accept what you are but try to be better."


Amen.

Who's In? Who's Out?

As expected, the nomination for the country's top post come 2010 has informally begun. The newest addition of course, is our SC Chief Justice Reynato Puno.






Early this week, Kapatiran Party has expressed their interest in picking SC Chief Puno to be their flag-bearer in the 2010 Presidential Elections. Puno, however, declined any interest in entering the political arena.

In fact, even Ping Lacson, himself a presidential wannabe, also endorsed Puno as someone who can be the next president of the Philippines.

Inquirer.net, then, reports that Bro. Eddie Villanueva, spiritual leader of the Jesus is Lord movement, is offering Puno as his Vice Presidential running mate. In 2004, Villanueva bid (and lost) for the presidential post against GMA and FPJ.

In a separate report, however, Former Presidential Legal Adviser Apostol Sergio (er, Sergio Apostol) comments that "Puno does not know his politics and would not be bankable enough".

Inquirer's January 19 editorial thus notes:

++++++++++

No, Puno does not know his politics if what Apostol means by it is the dirty, traditional politics of deceit, dishonesty, corruption and cheating. And true, Puno would not be bankable, unlike former President Joseph Estrada or Senators Bong Revilla or Jinggoy Estrada. If you want “bankable,” you will have to nominate somebody from show biz or sports. After all, the word is often used to refer to stars whose names could be used as collateral for getting big loans from banks.

The trouble with presidential “headhunters” is that all they talk about is popularity, “winnability,” “bankability.” They forget about the traits of leadership: integrity, honesty, dedication and patriotism. They do not care if their candidate is a traditional politician who is ready to sacrifice his principles for the sake of expediency.

The last time we had a similar situation was when Cory Aquino, widow of the assassinated former senator Benigno Aquino Jr., ran for president against the dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Marcos scoffed that she knew nothing (“walang alam”). Aquino retorted that she really knew nothing — about cheating, dishonesty and corruption. She was not “bankable,” and so people contributed millions to her campaign fund. She won the snap election, but was cheated by Marcos and his minions. But the people, in mounting the EDSA People Power Revolution, recognized and installed her as the true winner.

Not “bankable” enough. “Does not know his politics.” Those who scoff at a possible presidential run by Puno had better review their history.

++++++++++

So now the question still stands-Who's got what it takes to be the Next Philippine President who can lead us to progress and prosperity?

(For sure, if the hunt would be made a reality show like PBB, Pinoy Idol, Survivor, etc., the Networks will fight for the airing rights).

Who's In? Who's Out? to run for the Presidential Race (And not necessarily to WIN and TRIUMPH)

In my opinion-

SC Chief Justice Puno is In. By all means he is qualified; not withstanding that He is a righteous leader (much like then Chief Justice Davide). But his weakness would be the local areas because he's only known in the Metro.

Bishop Bro. Eddie Villanueva is Out. I continue to stand by my personal opinion that he should not meddle with running for the post. His running in 2004 has caused division in the body of Christ- and I hope this serves to remind him that yes, He can pray, advise, and stir moral ascendency for the Filipinos, but be the President? Oh, It would be much better if he will just allow his son, Joel (Congressman of Party List CIBAC), to run for Senator (then He can later flourish and may run for President-Why Not?).

Senator Ping Lacson- Out. I think his failure in 2004 shows the reason why.

Senator Mar Roxas- In.

But for Roxas, his cursing during one of the rallies in Makati recently has put a clear negative point against him (Sana ay nag ingat ingat naman kahit paano).

Senator Manny Villar is In.

Mr. Sipag at Tiyaga has the pesosesoses needed to launch his nationwide campaign.


Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay is In. No! Out!



I believe he should first run for Senator. Then President in the next next elections. Same thing with his nemesis, the famous, and singing sensation, MMDA Chair and Mr. Gwapo, Bayani Fernando.

And what can we say about pareng Erap? I think he is In. But the people should not vote for him. Not this time.

And..... when all else fights for their own battle to the top, this next personality is certainly the Man to Beat!

Certainly, Eddie Gil can provide the fun and laughter during the campaigns. Go, Eddie Gil!!!

Noon At Ngayon

Let me take you back to the Good Ol' Days:

Ganito Sila Noon:

Pero katulad nga ng laging nangyayari, ika nga eh, walang permanente sa mundo, lalo na sa mundo nang pulitika.

Ganito na sila ngayon:

De Venecia: ‘Arroyo bribes total P100M'

Congressman Joe De Venecia (Former House Speaker and Former GMA Ally), accused President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of spending as much as P100 million in bribes in October 2007 to buy herself “legal protection” from moves to impeach her for at least a year.

Further more, concerning the NBN-ZTE Broadband deal, he recalled how the President invited him and his wife to a golf game which turned out to be a meeting with ZTE officials and former Commission on Elections Chair Benjamin Abalos in Shengzhen, China.

“Pray tell me, what is the President of the Philippines doing there? What is the husband of the President doing in the ZTE headquarters, a company that is bidding for a massive project in the Philippines? Pray tell me why the Comelec chair is there?”

-Joe De Venecia

Joe de V lying, says Mike A on ZTE rap

First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo Sunday called former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. “a liar” for claiming in a forthcoming book that he had suggested a formula that led to the awarding of the $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) project to China’s ZTE Corp.

“I never suggested anything, that JDV is a liar and you can tell him that to his face.”

-FG Mike Arroyo

But perhaps, the best conclusion for this fiasco came out of our notable senator Miriam Defensor Santiago during the Senate Hearing in 2007:

“Now, I want to place on record as a senator with the principal duty of passing good laws, to promote the national interest even long after I'm gone from the Senate, I resent being made part into this squabble. Pinag-aawayan niyo lang ang kickback ninyo. Inaaksaya nyo ang panahon ng Senado"

-Miriam

Need I elaborate more?

Talk About Being Dumb

It's one of those dead freaking days when I just don't know what to do in the office (or is it much proper to say- I just don't know what to do other than working these papers out of my sight).

I've been clicking and visiting almost all the 'regular' sites and found nothing worth reading. Inquirer doesn't have any new hot news, as well as GMA; so I'm thinking of one dumb thing to do to pass the hour waiting until 6 so I can hurry off and leave the office. So I said to mayself- why not blog, instead? (Certainly not a good equation; blogging=dumb thing).

Anyway, I have settled to blog about being dumb. Wikipedia defines being dumb as:

"Stupidity, the lack of intelligence. "

I'm gonna need to borrow a few from the list found on Chico Garcia's site to enforce my 'dumb' blog, but of course, I'll have to butt in some of my 'dumb' ideas along the way:



List of the Dumbest Thing You’ve Ever Heard Anyone Say:

(Note: If somehow you've been bored by some, I hope you'll try and reach the last on the list-you'll know why when you get there)

1. - An Eat Bulaga contestant was asked by Joey and Vic: “Ano sa Tagalog ang grasshopper?” Contestant: “Ahmm. . .Huling Hapunan?”
Mycomment: Lipat tayo sa Wowoweeeeeee..........

2. - While watching the news yesterday about a kid killed by a bulldozer, our maid commented: “Kaya ayoko mag-alaga ng aso eh…”
Mycomment: Who let the dogs out???? Who Who Who Who Who????

3. - My cousin at a DRIVE-THRU: “Miss, puwedeng take out?”

4. - Nadia Montenegro promoting her movie: “Please watch ‘The Life Story of Julie Vega’, opening na po on the twenty-twoth of November.”
Mycomment: Paging Cristy Fermin

5. - I was making cookies at home when I ran out of cookie sheets, so I called our maid and said: “Manang bili ka nga ng cookie sheet.” And she replied: “Ano po, solo o litro?” (coke is it)

6. - While watching “Apollo 13″, after she heard the line: “Houston, we have a problem.” My ex-girlfriend asked: “Sino si Houston?”

7. - My aunt was going to the US for the 1st time. She told us: “Nagpapabili ang tita niyo ng ‘autistic’ guitar. Saan ba nakakabili nun?”

8. - In a gameshow. Host: “Ano sa Tagalog ang ‘teeth’?” Contestant: “Utong!”
Mycomment: Two Thumbs up!!!

9. - I had a customer on the line who had a password on his account. I asked for the password but he forgot. I gave him a clue: “It’s a 4-digit number.” He answered, “Uhm…’ROCKY’?”

10. - I overheard a lady place an order at Starbucks: “One cup of chino please.”
Mycomment: Make it two cup of chinos!

11. - I had a meeting with a friend and I noticed that both of us were wearing stripes. He suddenly blurted out: “Uy, stripes din! It’s the color of the day!”
Mycomment: A huh.

12. - My sister said of our neighbor who was our arch enemy: “Mamatay na sana kapitbahay natin!” I told her not to say that, coz it might bounce back to us. Then she said, “Ah ganun ba yun? In that case, mamatay na sana tayo!”
Mycomment: Condolence

13. - When I saw that I got a missed call, I said, “Hey, I got a missed call!” My friend said, “Anong sabi?”
Mycomment: Sikwet....

14. - From the gameshow “The Weakest Link”. Host Edu Manzano asked: “Anong ‘T’ ang ibinibigay ng konduktor pag nagbayad ka ng pamasahe sa bus?” Ian Veneracion answered: “TUKLI!”
Mycomment: Thank you card?

15. - We were reviewing for an exam and we were already dead tired. A classmate said, “Hala, brownout!” Pagtingin namin, nakapikit pala siya.
Mycomment: Kuyuginnnnnnn!!!!!

16. - A call center agent told a foreign customer regarding the changing of the due date of her credit card: “Ma’am, I already changed your monthly period.”
Mycomment: Sisante

And finally, you've reached the last:

17- During a shower party for my friend, the married women were giving tips on the do’s & dont’s of sexual intercourse, when the bride asked: “Hindi ba kasama yung betlog sa pinapasok?”
Mycomment: Three, no, four thumbs up! By now I think she knows.

++++++++++end++++++++++

Who goes first?

The filing anew of an impeachment complaint last Monday, October 13, 2008 against Gloria Macapagal Arroyo didn't come as a surprise for me at all.

To me, this is the inevitable.

What I am particularly curious about is: will the Opposition find its way to beat coys or nuisances this time around.


In 2005 and 2006, a known Marcos Loyalist, Attorney Oliver Lozano, successively beat Ms Arroyo’s opponents to the draw by filing of impeachment cases against her ahead of any of the Oppositions who have prepared complaints against Arroyo.

The matter of who files first is deemed important because under House rules, lawmakers may entertain only one impeachment complaint against a president within a year.

However, as we all know, none of those impeachment cases filed by Lozano against Ms Arroyo prospered. Many believe that the move from Lozano actually were "brilliant moves" by the administration in order that a somehow weak complaint would be filed and not prosper. And indeed, the plan worked.

In 2007, a new name appeared in the picture. A certain Lawyer, Roel Pulido filed a rather weak-as-Lozano's complaint ahead of the Opposition again. The "sham complaint", opposition leader Roilo Golez said, was meant to frustrate an honest-to-goodness impeachment complaint. Again, as expected, this too, did not prosper.

This 2008, The complainants tried but failed to file the 97-page impeachment complaint late Saturday (October 11, 2008) at the House of Representatives because its secretary general, Marilyn Yap, who receives such complaints, had gone on a foreign trip.

On Monday, De Venecia and Suplico and their supporters arrived at 6:00 a.m. at the north gate of the Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City and immediately signed on the log book to show proof that they were the first to make the filing.

The complainants and media personnel stayed at the guard post for several minutes before they were allowed to proceed to the south wing of the Batasang Pambansa building where the House secretary general holds office.

On Friday, Speaker Prospero Nograles hinted that the filing of the impeachment complaint could also be made through registered mail.

Inquirer.net writer Leila Salaverria accounts for this interesting race of "Who goes first" in the
filing of the 2008 Impeachment Case against GMA:

++++++++++
Waking up earlier than usual, a group led by businessman Jose “Joey” de Venecia III filed its impeachment case against Ms Arroyo at the Office of the Secretary General of the House of Representatives at 7:40 a.m.

Lozano wasn’t around yet.

But a copy of Lozano’s own complaint also landed at the House media office. It had a covering letter which bore the stamp of a Quezon City post office indicating the complaint was mailed to the chamber at 8:20 a.m.

A check at 2:30 p.m. Monday showed that the complaint mailed by Lozano and fellow lawyers Elly Pamatong and Evangeline Lozano had not reached the secretary general’s office.

Asked why he chose to mail the complaint instead of going to the House to file it himself—as what the De Venecia group did—Lozano told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone in Filipino: “I wanted to avoid heckling (kantyawan). I don’t want anything like that.”
++++++++++

The battle for "Who goes first" is now over. As lawyer Harry Roque, one of the complainants, implied, "“This impeachment complaint in the House is the real deal unlike the first three. House members have no choice but to accept it or reject it based on merits rather than technicalities as they did in the past years.”

The House secretary general has up to 10 session days to submit the impeachment complaint to Nograles who, in turn, has up to 10 session days to decide whether to forward the complaint to the House committee on justice.

The committee on justice has up to 60 session days to decide whether the complaint was sufficient in form and substance before it could pass it for plenary vote.

What will happen next, we don't know.

Commoner's View on GMA's SONA

I have not been given the liberty to watch the live coverage of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's State of the Nation Address last 28 July 2008. This is her 8th, and the second to the last SONA. (The last will be on 2009, after that, the 2010 elections).

As is very much expected, bulk of the speech pointed to the Economic crisis on Oil Price hike and the removal(non-removal) of the Value Added Tax.

The beginning part of the speech dwells on her government doing lots of UNPOPULAR decisions. As quoted,

"Because tough choices were made, the global crisis did not catch us helpless and unprepared. Through foresight, grit and political will, we built a shield around our country that has slowed down and somewhat softened the worst effects of the global crisis. We have the money to care for our people and pay for food when there are shortages; for fuel despite price spikes.
The result has been, on the one hand, ito ang nakasalba sa bayan; and, on the other, more unpopularity for myself in the opinion polls. Yet, even unfriendly polls show self-rated poverty down to its 20-year low in 2007.

Probably, this should be her introduction to the lengthy discussion on why the VAT should not be removed into the Philippine Tax system, even though a lot of Politicians and the masses are trying to convince the lawmakers to remove it.

But, as commoners who could not (and maybe are not willing to) understand all of those lenghty speech given by the President, only those things that easily matter, were the ones given the attention.

However unpopular the VAT issue may be for GMA, it seems that she made a scheming move to be popular to the masses by working out into the lowering of text messages fees from 1php to 0.50php.

As Manolo Quezon ellaborates in his article:

++++++++++
"And perhaps as an exercise in demonstrating how unpopularity can still result in popular applause, there was this, most-noticed and sole genuine crowd-pleaser in her speech:

Texting is a way of life. I asked the telecoms to cut the cost of messages between networks. They responded. It is now down to 50 centavos.

Which was as much a shot across the bow at big business, as it was a sop to gain propaganda points from the public. As of this writing, talk is already going around that this is a “limited time only” thing, perhaps along the same lines as the President having used moral suasion to demand that the oil companies roll back oil prices in the weeks leading to her speech. And while the oil companies grudgingly complied -but stated, with ill-disguised bad humor, that this might be one of the last times the President could do that to them- and while the telecoms companies will have to react to the President planting the idea of cheaper SMS messages in the public’s mind, this is of no consequence to her. The propaganda points have been made, she can worry about businessmen later."
++++++++++

Now, this must be a popular move, considering that the Philippines is worldly known as one of the top Texting Nations (we used to be the texting capital).

GMA News, meanwhile, states that, "Domestic mobile phone companies have slashed their texting fees by half to P0.50 from P1 until October. The rate cut takes effect Monday (July 28). It is approved for implementation by the NTC for three months. And it is up to them (Smart, Globe, Sun Cellular) if they will ask for an extension of the promo".

There, we have to take note of the fact that this is a "Special Promo only" until October.

The move might have given the President a popular gain from the masses, but, there is always the issue of this, being a politically motivated scheme in time for the President's State of the Nation Address.

++++++++++
note: I have asked at least 10 people to verify if this 0.50/text promo is already going on, however, all have answered in negative. So I still have to hear a person who will say, yes, it does!

The Making of A President

I chanced upon seeing this very old email forwarded in 2004. Unfortunately though, I could not trace the original source. Anyway, during that time, the country was focused with the 2004 National Elections- with GMA, FPJ, and Ping as the main protagonists.

++++++++++

THE CANDIDATE

There's an old movie called "The Candidate", starring Robert Redford and Peter Boyle. It was made in 1972. And it is about Bob McKay (played by Robert Redford), a young and idealistic lawyer who is coaxed by a scheming Democratic Party campaign manager (played by Peter Boyle) into running for the US Senate in the state of California.

The movie is less about McKay's motivations; rather it focuses more around how a nobody is molded by the campaign manager, admen, press agents, and media czars into a formidable candidate.

There are some parallelisms between the movie and what's going on with the 2004 Philippine presidential elections. What's interesting is how a person with no political past is molded, packaged, and delivered to the electorate. In 2004, the Philippines might just witness the making of the first media President.

The movie is a good case study for advertising majors and brand managers alike. You focus on the raw and winning characteristics of the product (McKay) and shape these characteristics into advertising sound bites and moving images. And once the mouse trap has been created, the world just beats its path to your door (politicians jumping on the McKay band wagon).

That's the power of media, fortunately and unfortunately. The elements of our first media president is at play here: First is a candidate (Fernando Poe Jr.,) who has the charm, name recognition, sincerity, looks, and no political history; a candidate who can actually play the part. And then you add the campaign manager (Senator Tito Sotto ) whose background is in the media (TV, radio, and movies). You have a financier (Danding C, who cannot win an election but wants to be the king maker, decision maker and the power behind the throne). Finally you have an omnipresent media that constantly feeds data and images into the psyche of our society.

When this movie was shown back in the 70's, the one scene that one will remember the most was the final scene, the final line. After all the manipulations, the speeches, the issues, and the political alliances have been established, McKay in fact wins the elections.

In the final scene where he realizes that he had finally won, McKay pulls aside his campaign manager for a brief private meeting and asks, "What do we do now?" Even Dolphy said something like that, when he was asked to run for an elective post. "Eh kung manalo ako, ano ang gagawin ko?".

There's no moral lesson in the movie. It is purely a commentary of what the political landscape was all about. Thirty years after the movie was first shown, those insights still ring true. My only hope is that the final scene never plays itself out in real life.

"Charm can take you to the Presidency; leadership will keep you there."

Anonymous
++++++++++

Now it's 2008, and four years later, a lot had happened in the Philippine Political scenario.

Of course, all of us know that GMA won a slim margin over Da King, with the question forever in the minds of the Filipino as to what really transcribed concerning the Hello Garci scandal.

Da King FPJ eventually died years later. And the call for the President's resignation has never ceased as of today.

Should FPJ have won the presidency, what would have happened?
Has those people who helped GMA to the top position regret anything?
What would have been the scenario today if there was a change in the course of history?

And now, with less than two more years to 2010, the nation is again faced with the task of choosing his President.