Political Shorts

The continuing saga and investigation of the Philippine House Committee on Good Governance and  Public Accountability on the misuse of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President has brought up a lot of twists and turns making it a political melodrama being followed by millions of Filipinos.

These marathon hearings  ... ano man ang haba ay patuloy na sinubaybayan ng mga Pinoy ... whose thirst for scandal at tsismis is at an all-time-high ...as they glued to their seats ... to get a front-r0w glimpse of the proceedings .... expecting for more blood and controversy.

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Last week ... mukhang may kinahatnan na rin ang hearing. Previously, the Vice President and her minions opted to play cat and mouse with the committee. (The vice president dared, in one instance, to change some House rules when she first attended and, in another instance, challenged and surprised the lower house's valiant warriors by answering their investigations without taking an oath.) 

Other high-ranked OVP personalities snubbed the hearing by intentionally attending parties and accepting official invitations from far-flung provinces ... making themselves scarce and rubbing it to the face of the committee that their invitations to appear were not important at all.

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Still, others are lion-hearted and manage to continue the cat and mouse disappearance ... while the faint-hearted come in trickles ... but what really can you expect from them except being evasive ... slippery, and evanescent?

It is just like the whole OVP hierarchy has one invisible conductor at the podium ... orchestrating the whole scenario ... guiding the musicians on when and how fast or loud they will play. The conductor shapes the OVP's orchestral theme and identity ... seeing to it their performance repertoire is good ... any wrong move or false notes ... will create a disastrous melody.

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The game of cat and mouse continues. Despite some look-out bulletins to ensure important key OVP officials stay put and stick around on Philippine shores ... others manage to get their plane tickets off America. 

Surprisingly ... young and able bodies become ill ... all of a sudden (so predictable in Philippine politics)... was it just a mere coincidence that a medical emergency can become handy in times when you want to FIGHT ... or is FLIGHT a better alternative?

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A friend asked, "What is a game of cat and mouse? Well, it is actually an idiom ... and when talked of as a game it involves a contrived action of constant pursuit ... near captures ... and repeated escapes.

Who is the cat in this scenario ... and who is the mouse? Gosh, do I really have to spell that out for you ... you pinhead?

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Near captures and repeated escapes? That sounds exciting not only to the viewers but also to the participants (the excitement of getting caught and later evade the powers-that be is one thrilling rollercoaster ride). Remember the movie Escape From Alcatraz? It is an American prison thriller that shows a prison escape from a maximum-security prison on Alcatraz Island. 

I have visited the area and I dare say ... escape from the island would be hard. The main reason is because the island is isolated.  Alcatraz is located in San Francisco Bay, about 1.5 miles offshore, and is isolated from land in all directions.

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Imagine a jailhouse in the middle of the bay overlooking San Francisco skylines ... it is just nuts to think how hard the escape would be. What makes the movie unique is its ardent desire to convince the audience that escaping thought to be "impossible" ... becomes possible. 

Imagine also how the prison head honchos feel having been fooled in broad daylight. Was this the same emotional state the Committee on Good Governance felt ... when OVP employees tried every trick in the book to dodge and escape their hearing invitations? 

Conversely ... did the OVP yes-men feel they outsmarted these congressmen ... thinking they had beaten them in their own game?

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That's what they thought! Now the triumvirate Acop, Chua, and Fernandez are more determined than ever to unearth these hiding night-crawlers and bring them to light.

With some of its powers, they have coordinated with immigration and NBI to be watchful for their whereabouts. Sending them repeated subpoena duces tecum is just a matter of time, and they will soon rise from their ashes. Contempt orders are also at play, holding them in contempt when they disobey or disrespect the legal process.

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UNHINGED: Nabaliw na ba ang VP natin?

ALAM MO NA BA? *5 KAIBIGAN NA KAILANGAN MO SA BUHAY* INSPIRING HOMILY II...

Toxic Filipino Culture

What is toxic ... and what is not? Toxic is toksik - venomous. poisonous, destructive, and dangerous. Kailan ba naging toxic ang isang culture ... at kailan ito hindi? Meron bang yardstick to measure na ang isang trait or attitude ay toxic ... or isa lang itong guniguni na ginagamit ng tao dahil feeling niya ay agrabiyado siya sa sitwasyon?

Bakit Filipino lang palagi ang reklamo ng reklamo ng mga ugaling ating nakagisnan ... I still have to hear an American or a British complaining about theirs. 

Hindi kaya yong Filipino Culture ay hindi naman TOXIC ... kundi yong mga taong nagiisip na TOXIC ang siyang TOXIC? You know marami sa atin ang mararamdamin, pikon, walang pasensiya, at ang hilig talaga magreklamo.

Let us examine these cultures one by one. Toxic nga ba o hindi ... at baka may nagover-react lang? Basta tandaan natin huwag tayong maapanghusga. Weigh the situations carefully ... kung sa tingin natin ay toxic nga ... iiwasan nating gawin din ito sa iba para hindi tayo makapagperwisyo.

TOXIC CULTURE: Manana Habit

MEANING: The Manana habit stems from the Spanish word manana, which means tomorrow. Ibig sabihin may ugaling Pinoy tayo if we postpone tasks for later ... which somebody sarcastically termed procrastination.

We tend to put off what is originally planned TODAY and have everything in full motion ... Tomorrow. In Tagalog ... it is like saying "Mamaya na ...: or "Saka na ..." kesyo manood muna ng PBA finals ... kesyo matulog muna ... at sumasakit ang ulo ... or kesyo ... he needs a break pronto ... at marami pang kesyo.

Manana habit encourages procrastination ... cramming at failure to do the task on time. Familiar ba sa inyo ang mga word na jamming ... overloading ... crowding ... jam-packing?

Ang theme song nila ay "May Bukas Pa".

Ano mga tol ... toxic nga ba? Sa ganang akin ... kung naka-apekto ito sa productivity mo at sa trabaho mo ... at sa performance mo at magandang record mo ... bigyan mo ito ng pansin.

And just to be fair ... may magandang balita ding dala ang manana habit. For one it emphasizes mindful prioritization of tasks based on their value, gravity, and urgency.  Secondly ...  putting off the work for later ... can give you a first-class look at what time management should be.

It also gives you the window to refresh yourself and your mind ... at huwag na lang yong subsob kalabaw ka at trabaho na lang ng trabaho.

OVP Budget: Gusto daw taasan ng 5 Senator?

VP Sara Duterte nagbanta kila BBM, Lisa Marcos, Speaker Romualdez

Let The Record Show

I am not partisan ... and I call a spade a spade. And there is no iota of envy or jealousy in my body ... what country wins what title annually.  

Whoever wins ... is the rightful winner ... no amount of tears you will shed ... or the amount of invectives you will rattle (to make an idiot of yourself) _ will change the fact that the organization has spoken ... and they have made this verdict ... that this and that country is their winner.

Let us make the facts speak ... if you say otherwise ... you are delusional ... a rabid fanatic who doesn't listen to reason.

Lately, our neighbors have been bragging that they are the sleeping dragon of Asia who has recently woken up and that they are the new POWERhouse of Asia whose emPOWERED manPOWER somewhat resembles that of a superPOWER lacking in firePOWER and willPOWER.

Yes, they may have won one title at least ... but is that enough to crow to wake up the whole Asian neighborhood that they are the new champ ...  and that they are the new breed of prizewinners needed to pay homage to?

As I said before, let the record speak for itself. If you win only one of the ten contests this October and November ... and bite the dust in the other nine ... you will feel short of becoming the powerhouse you have been dreaming of. 1 of ten records is almost on the periphery of being disastrous - miserable and lamentable.

If you are not consistent with your batting average ... then you are delusional to make that self-proclaimed powerhouse of Asia pronouncements ... making you even the torch bearer of fake news.

As for the Philippines ... they have been consistent in their quest for crowns and titles be it major or minor pageants. If they figure prominently as winners or a regular fixture in runner-up and Top Ten spots... they are second to none as far as placements are concerned. 

Let the record show ... and these are the facts. Again ... I reiterate ... if you win in one contest that is not enough. If you clap hard in nine others (making your hand look beet-red) your songs of hallelujah and hosanna are not in sync with your claims.

Claiming that you are the new powerhouse of Asia is a tall order. Consistency is the key ... not blowing one's horns just because of a once-in-a-blue-moon win. Time to lick that humble pie.

Blessa Ericha Figueroa - Third Runner-Up Miss Asia Pacific 2024

Isabel de los Santos-Miss Aura International-First Runner-Up

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