*INSPIRATIONAL HOMILY* PAANO SULITIN ANG BUHAY? | Fr. Joseph Fidel Roura

More Placements

We can't get enough of titles and placements. Just a week ago we responded to some pretenders to the throne that they are the emerging force to reckon with in South Asia as far as pageants are concerned.

It is actually nothing to us ... they can claim anything they want ... but their rabid fan antics are bordering on being a nuisance ... let alone annoying. It sounds so juvenile and "no need to reply" may be a better option.

Our point was if you win one pageant ... that is not enough. In November alone where pageants were mushrooming like there was a pageant epidemic ... a powerhouse country doesn't need to sell itself and make inappropriate pronouncements. What happens if internet users instead of agreeing or acknowledging their statements ... challenge them ... and make fun of them. See what I mean?

A powerhouse country doesn't brag ... they just keep quiet in one corner and let success do the math. Sales pitches, packaging stunts, and promotional materials or speeches that aim to persuade others (especially people of other countries) of one's pageantry status are ill-advised ... and lacking propriety.

Self-proclaimed experts and gurus (and Fans) who have nothing to offer at all except for overflowing confidence and delusions of grandeur ... such blatant assertions bereft of proof or evidence can bring you to a no man's land (imagine the shame and the humiliation - when somebody disagrees with you.)

If you asked me a "powerhouse" country needs to be consistent with winning ... whether a major or minor pageant they figured prominently. One doesn't need to be selective about what pageant counts ... it should include all pageants. No ifs and no buts.

If a country is a permanent appendage or a structural part of any award-giving pageant like habitual Venezuela, Philippines USA, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Brazil, Dominican Republic, South Africa, Thailand, and Peru ... pageant aficionados consider these near-misses minor and insignificant because of their consistency.

The Philippines as of press time had already amassed 56 wins and titles this year and still counting ... and they also have 17 first runner-up spots,  Did you ask yourself ... had it been a better night ... 17 is a big number to add to 56 ... making their total an alarming 73 titles.

If there's a Country Of The Year Award ... look no further!

Political Shorts 3

Political Shorts

What was the last time we were talking in our Political Shorts column? Oh, we were talking about the vice presidential meltdown ... where she gave that monologue that shamed any self-confessed admission ever recorded in history... it was as though it was of nuclear proportion. It has gone beyond VIRAL.

Now we know the VP is a chip off the old block ... especially her temperament which is a replica and split image of PRRD.

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Political pundits had the entertainment of their lives fine-tuning their crystal ball's functionality and reducing any wireless interference ... some even replaced their router's antennae to come up with the best analysis of the vice president's meltdown.

It all depends on whose side they are on, While pro-BBM expects an apocalyptic, and portentous backlash ... pro-Inday supporters are optimistic that she will pass the challenge with flying colors.

However neutral onlookers have their eyes open covering all angles ... wanting to know whose spin doctor did an awesome job (a spin doctor's job by the way is somebody who reframe or modify the perception of an issue or event to reduce any negative impact it might have on public opinion.)

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Pro-admin supporters think this is the kiss of death to the VP's dream of making it big in the 2028 election. It seems that some ... are charred and scorched by the VP's brand of temperament in full display in 3-D and in Panavision on national TV.

We mention about two police officers being scolded two days ago ..."Huwag kayong bakla!" sabi ni Vice. Ano ba ang ibig sabihin ng linyang yon ni VP? Na sila ay sunod-sunoran lang .... did she think they are weak ... walang panindigan ... ? Mga Ganoong stereotypes?

This drew condemnation from the LGBTQ+ community which called it a derogatory remark. From the police officer's end (the police is a doctor himself) ... they also filed charges for direct assault ... disobedience to authority and grave coercion ... and this is punishable under the Revised Penal Code.

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Adding more salt to the wound ... the National Security Council (NSC) concerning the VP's meltdown last Sunday had considered all threats thrown at Marcos "serious and a matter of national security."

Vice President was quick to reply and said that her murder threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was “maliciously taken out of logical context.”

Madam ... di ba ginamit na itong pakulo ng tatay mo? Di ba sinabi mo this is not a joke ... tapos sasabihin ng mga alipores mo ngayon "parang hindi nyo kilala si madam. Nagbibiro lang siya and she has the penchant for hyperbole (using exagerration to make an impact) like her father.
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May bago pang ugali si Madam ngayon. Kapag may hingin ka sa kanya ... okey kaagad. Kung meron kang itatanong sa kanya ... walang problema.

Pero kuwidaw ... meron palang kapalit. Meron din siya palang nakahandang itatanong sa iyo. May mahirap pa.

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Parang si PRRD din. Hihingi ka ng signature niya para ma-access ang bank account niya. Okey lang basta kapalit ng pirma niya ang sampalin muna niya si Senator Trillanes.

Okay lang naman kay Trillanes. Magpasampal siya ... pero signature muna.

Nagbago tuloy ang isip ni Sir.

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Now hear this. The National Bureau Of Investigation has meddled in this political drama ... little did we know it had been doing its homework fast and has already scheduled its hearing today to investigate the VP about the alleged grave threats and possible violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act following her infamous remarks last Sunday.

Madam VP's quick retort was that she could not attend because today she was scheduled to attend the hearing from the Committee on Good Governance and Public Accountability ... the very same hearing she refused to take the oath with ... or attend.

Lucky for Madame ... the Committee was so generous and decided to postpone the hearing ... so she could attend to her matters in NBI with all her heart ... and all her attention.

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An innocent bystander was heard commenting: "Ano ba itong mga nangyayari ... it looked like it is written in the stars na ito ang kahihinatnan ng lahat sa mga ginagawa ng VP?"

The picture and the caption anove answered her question. "Her situation right now ... she knows it is coming ... it is her DOING."

She did it to herself.

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Dumb Questions

For those who want to lighten the mood, these funny stupid questions to ask are perfect for you. These questions will help you start a fun.

Question: Ano kayang sabon ang ginagamit ng mga taong nagmamalinis ... (the sanctimonious ... the smug ... the holier than thou and the moralizing sector of our family and society?)

Answer: I really don't know but my friends can try.  Some say ... a soap with bleaching power.  Another answer ... a soap that scalds. One answered Mr. Clean for a good shampoo ... and still another volunteered Belo ...para mahal naman,

Bakit nagiging self-righteous ka ba kung may Kojic or Glutathione content ang sabon?

Political Shorts 2

The Office of the Vice President's oversight melodrama hearing regarding their use of confidential funds in the Committee on Good Governance continues to add more suds showing a clear divide between good and evil.  The heightened emotions are evident especially when the VP tried to drain the patience of the Lower House personnel when she became an overnight lodger in her brother Polong's office.

Will the sergeant at arms show enough balls and tell the VP some House rules ... or will his knees turn to jello just at the mere sight of a strong-willed and overbearing Vice President?

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It has been customary that on Friday nights, lights are turned off in the lower house in observance of its stringent tightening measures about the use of electricity.

How do you solve a problem like Maria's ... that is when the second-highest government official overstayed in your area and becomes your transient boarder.  Will all ground rules be thrown out of the window to accommodate a demanding guest? Will you turn the lights off like you always did ... or will you become hospitable to the uninvited guest getting all the flak afterward from the House head honcho?

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What happens then if she does what suits her, and makes your area an extension of her bedroom?

Dahil ba sa Vice President ang bisita mo ... she can do whatever she want  sa bahay mo at wala siyang pakialam kung mapagaltan ka? Was there a precedence before that a high-ranking official was camping out in the periphery of Congress compound?

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What happens as far as security is concerned?  If what she said is true that someone is after her life ... that night would be the opportunity to put all the plans in motion dahil wala nga siya sa sarili at may pinagkaabalahan. What if something happens to her ... who will take the responsibility? And the accountability?

That"'s what happened to the small fries in any political tableau. They were being hushed up and silenced... but when the blame game started... they were the first in the queue to be investigated. 

This is reminiscent of the OVP staff being called one by one in the hearing ... all are acting like PAWN in the game of chess ... all battle-ready to protect the Queen.

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Zuleika Lopez's contempt charges made her a recipient of a 5-day staycation in the detention facility in the Lower House. Ito rin ang reason why the VP has to give her company kahit madaling araw na.

Kailangan ba talaga? How generous of her to show concern sa kanyang Chief of Staff.  That is the most noble thing she can do under the circumstances. 

A friend says otherwise ... "nag-ala Jaworski lang siya ... tight guarding baga. Pwede niya i-coach ito for an encore in the next bardagulan session in the hearing."

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The VP indeed overstayed her welcome in the wee hours of the morning. Some smart aleck thought of bringing up a bluff that instead of the Chief of Staff staying in the premises of the House it would be a good idea to transfer her to Women's Correctional in Mandaluyong.

Zuleika was triggered and she started vomiting and later fainted and was brought to Veteran; 's Hospital ... then to St Luke... then back to Veteran's.

Ganyan ba ang mayayaman ang mga may kapagyarihan? Hindi malaman ang hospital that fit their stature and social standing? Masama ba kung sa PGH?

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I was surprised to see our VP up in her arms ready to fight whoever comes in her way.  She was like a knight in shining armor protecting her ward and the damsel in distress.

Nakita niya isang pulis and from out of the blue natikman niya ang vice presidential ire. "Huwag kang bakla ...!" she said. 

Nagtataka si Bes  kung paano napasok ang kabaklaan sa isang eksena na halos hindi magkamayaw ang mga tao sa isang pasyente na pumasok lang dahil ito ay nagsuka at nagpapanic. Ni hindi nga kumikibo ang pulis.

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At ang daming Marisol ha ... dahil nandoon si Vice? Dinig na dinig sa background ang mga nagsusul-sol ... at mga nagpa-parinig: "Ang mga police ay dapat nagbibigay ng proteksiyon sa mga tao."

"Maging tapat tayo sa constitution." Huh ... paano naman pumasok sa usapan ang konstitution?

Nung sinagot naman ng police ang reklamo ni VP kung bakit sa Veteran's dinala ang pasyente sabi ni Mario-sol "Kuya huwag mo nang sagotin ... Vice President yan." Huh?

At may mga cameo role pa ang miron?

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And the meltdown happens. Dahil sa naghalong inis at stress hindi na makapagpigil si Vice.  Nagsimula nang magtilaok ang mga manok may delubyo pa palang naghihintay? Her tour-de-force performance gave the whole world a spectacle ... bida ulit ang Pilipinas sa buong mundo. 

I scan the news stories at viral tayo ...  yehey ... at walang pili ha ... even Mideastern countries and Africa are talking about us. Only in the Philippines.

Will these little juvenile antics HELP ... or will they BREAK the promise of a successful political career for this young VP? 

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Naala-ala ko tuloy yong sinabi ni Vice noong si PRRD naman ang iniimbestigahan sa Quadcom.  Pang Best Dramatic Actor daw ang performance ng ama. That is coming from her. They were talking about lives lost in the war of drugs at sa punto de vista ni Vice nag-aaktingan lang sila?

Ayaw ba niya magpatalo ... at kailangan din niyang umeksena para magiging Best Actress din? The way the hearings are going on parang laro lang sa kanila ang lahat. 

With their popularity going down ... and the way their senators are faring at the polls ... this is a political miscalculation she made... and what she is doing might boomerang back to her. Well ... just my two cents worth.

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Lawyer's Mumbo Jumbo

We are not lawyers ... but we need to understand their lexicon (lawyers always have their own lingo only they can understand. Same with doctors, nurses, and engineers) 

We spend our waking hours on YouTube, and we are always exposed to hearings and debates—and also their private conversations. All we do is scratch our heads because they use legal terminologies that sound too foreign and alien to our virgin ears, and our mind wonders what they are talking about.

Let's start decoding and decrypting these words and phrases (it is irreverent for us to enter the sanctum of the in ... but desperate times need desperate measures) so the next time they use these terms again ... we are on the same page with them.  Not in limbo.

We will try to dissect and define them in simpler language so ordinary mortals and laymen (the amateur and the non-experts) can actively participate in the discussion ... and at the same time broaden their legal and paralegal stock knowledge,

So our word or phrase that is hitting the headlines today is: subpoena, subpena duces tecum, and ad testificandum.

PHRASE: Subpoena, Subpoena duces tecum, ad testicandum

MEANING: Subpoena and Subpoena duces tecum - Just so everybody will not get confused these two are not the same.

A subpoena is an Order issued to require the person's (witness or accused) presence and attendance to testify in court at a particular time and place. A subpoena duces tecum is an Order that requires a witness to bring documents, books, or other items under his, her, or their control that he, she, or they is bound by law to produce into evidence.

Subpoena duces tecum is " a court order or subpoena for the production of evidence." In this case, the witness is required to bring with him pieces of evidence that include receipts and other tangible objects for examination at a trial or hearing. This evidence is the paper trail that is pertinent to any legal proceeding. Duces tecum comes from the Latin word “you shall bring with you.”

Another word that needs definition is ad testificandum. It is a Latin term that means "to testify." It refers to a legal order, such as a subpoena, that requires a person to appear in court and give testimony. A subpoena is a written order that commands a person to appear before a court or other tribunal, subject to a penalty for failing to comply.

EXAMPLE: In the Committee of Good Governance and Public Accountability, a subpoena duces tecum was issued to obtain a copy of the acknowledgment receipt of money issued to identify its authenticity and veracity.

Hello Love Goodbye

Hello Love Again ... has this tagline ... "in every goodbye ... love finds its way back".  The Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards movie is now on its billion mark ... (and still counting) and is lording it over in the box-office supremacy ... and this early it is projected to become a mammoth champion at the tills.

Hello Love Goodbye ... is also a Kathren Alden movie two years ago. It should have been the perfect title for the movie top-billed by BBM and Inday Sara. This political melodrama if made into a movie ... has all the ingredients of a potential box-office hit. This will be a colossal saga - imagine two ruling families combining forces to form a Unity Team ... they tag-teamed to strike gold in the 2022 election. 

Now the relationship was soured by political intrigues, conspiracy, collusion, trickery, and double-dealing. All salad ingredients make up a convoluted but awe-inspiring script and storytelling.

The highlight of the movie is her tour de force performance in the riveting press conference where the female lead has a meltdown... opening her heart and soul out ... as she poured her resentment and bitterness to BBM. the First Lady and the Speaker of the House ... for all the world to see.