Are The Stars Out Tonight?

 

Not everybody has a chance to brush elbows with the stars in the entertainment, modeling, and pageant industries so when the invitation starts knocking at my door ... who am I to refuse. Others may frown at it ... but it is irresistible. Well-meaning friends have given us the opportunity on a silver platter (it is like allowing us to get something easily ... without having to work on it) so when I saw the window ... in basketball lingo - an opening ... all I did was to dribble the ball ... do the lay-up and shoot it for the much-needed money shot.

Toni Gonzaga - the host, actress, and singer rolled into one. Bump into her in ABS CBN sprawling corridors and she asked: " Are you going to watch ASAP today.  You better be ... I will be singing."

Toni is a rare avis and I tell you she is the most misunderstood in showbiz. Whatever she does is her own business. And whatever mood she is in ... let's give her some elbow room ... to be herself.

Double Entendre

"Pagkatapos mong bigyan siya ng bulaklak on Valentines Day ... huwag ding kalimutang DILIGAN ang flowers.

"Pagkatapos mong bigyan siya ng bulaklak on Valentines Day ... huwag ding kalimutang DILIGAN ang flowers.

"Ikaw rin ... MALALANTA ito."

This is a Double Entendre, meaning the statements have double meanings. It is a word or phrase open to two interpretations. One is usually risque or indecent.

Is double entendre good or bad?

A "double entendre" is generally considered a good literary device when used appropriately, as it adds depth and complexity to writing by allowing for multiple interpretations of a word or phrase, often with a playful or humorous effect; however, if used poorly, it can be seen as confusing or even offensive depending on the context and the intended meaning. 

Pageant Finals: Miss Independent International 2025

 Wesmin Pacalso is the inaugural winner of Miss Independent International 2025. First Runner Up was Nether;and and India was the second Runner Up. The pageant was held in Golden Phoenix Hotel in Pasay City last February 21 2025.

The EXPERTS Among Us

In the looming impeachment trial of Sara Duterte ... YouTube is gaining grounds and the Quadcom/Tricom hearings are giving Batang Quiapo a run for its money.

The voyeur in every Filipino ... and their unquenchable thirst for news (regardless of whether it is fake or not) make internet habitues swarm the pages similar to a swarm of bees.

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With the impeachment being hyped and pushed to the front burner ... notice how too many Filipinos want to get involved. Even if it means ... they will be in the eye of the storm.

If you are looking into the details of YouTube activities ... marami diyang mga pinabili lang ng suka (pahiram ng linya Mr. BBM) aba may mga youtube channel na ... at buong gilas na nagbibigay ng kanilang EXPERT opinion in what's new and sizzling in Philippine politics.

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Imagine noong pandemic ... isa silang virologist who talks about COVID like it was their "piece de resistance" or their specialty of worl. To think na graduate sila ng IT or Hotel and Restaurant Management.

With Inday Sara's impeachment ... naging lawyers/vlogger bigla masquerading as EXPERT political analyst. The fact of the matter is ... sila ay parang mga langaw ... dumadapo sa kung ano ang mabaho.

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And mind you ... pati trabaho ng mga congressmen at mga abogado ay pinakialaman na nila. The whole populace suddenly becomes pseudo-lawyers trying to invade the sanctum of the in.

Others become political analysts ..., and others metamorphose as political scientists giving Ronald Llamas and Richard Heydarian .... a cordial and friendly competition in ideas and insights.

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Still others despite their lack of training muster the courage to articulate and communicate Latin tongue-twisters mistula nga silang nagsunog talaga ng kilay sa law school ... pero hindi sila abogado ha?

Nagkukunyari lang pala ... with constant practice ... mukhang nakabudol sila at maraming gullible minds ang napapaniwala nila.  

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May isang "intrimitida" na buong ningning na nagsalita "Dura lex ... sed lex."  Which means the law is hard ... and harsh ... but it is the law.

Dahil kilala siya na hindi naman abogado ... isang bratinella rin ang nagsagot ng pabalang: Dura lex ... sed lex ... pyrex! Nangaasar lang baga.

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Aside from naglipana na mga pseudo-analyst at pseudo-lawyers ... pinuputakte na rin tayo ng mga vloggers sprouting like mushrooms.  I really don't mind kung sila is in the mold of Christian Esquerra, Richard Heydarian at Chris Tan.

Yong iba wala talagang mga personalidad ... yong iba hindi man lang nakabihis to command respect and high regard. At marami sa kanila ang nagmumura ... they were made to believe that if you cuss ... you hurl profanities ... and foul language ... pasado ka na. It becomes a click bait.

Manhuhula Daw

Out of curiosity ... Nasa pintoan na sana ako ng isang famous na manghuhula. Gusto ko sana makakuha ng tips in the art of fortune telling o panghuhula. Nang kumatok ako ... aba eh sabihin ba naman: "Sino yan?"

Kung magtanong ka ng "Sino yan?" aba eh ... it shows ineptitude na hindi mo alam ang ginagawa mo. Umatras na ako. Strike one na siya sa akin. Eh kung talagang manghuhula siya dapat wala nang tanong tanong.

First impression to me kasi ... is lasting. Expect na expect pa naman ako na hindi ko pa nakatok ang pinto ... nahulaan na niya kung sino ang dumating ... ano ang amoy ko ... at ano ang pakay ko.

May bolang kristal pa naman siya?

Rhymes

Ang pagaaway sa loob ng bahay ...

Nang Ama Sa Anak ... nang Tatay at Nanay ...

Murahan dito ... sigawan ng sabay ...

Lahat ng baho ... alam na ng mga kapitbahay.

Walang masama ... kung sa pagaaway ... ikaw ay naglalaway...

Is not a tool ... para tuluyan kayong maghiwalay ...

Ito ay paraan para malaman ninyo ang inyong tibay.

Kaya away lang ng away ... at nang kayo ay masanay.

Bye!

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: WRIT OF MANDAMUS

PHRASE: Mandamus, Writ of Mandamus, Petition For Mandamus

MEANING: Mandamus is a Latin word and it comes from the word  "mandar: which means "We Command."

Writ of Mandamus refers to a legal action where a court orders a lower court or government official to perform a specific duty that they are legally obligated to do.

It is a remedial measure and it is being utilized to ask a superior court (for instance the Supreme Court) to compel the lower court, (the Senate for instance) to compel the performance of a specific job it refused to do ... such as hearing a case falling within the latter's authority and jurisdiction.

Once the mandamus is filed ... and if the Supreme Court agrees with the filer he can "command" the Senate to do the expected job. Mandamus and its filer are asking the higher court to order the lower court to rule out some issues but not tell the judge how to rule. 

EXAMPLE: In VP Sara's impeachment, Senate President Chit Escudero was very vocal that the House of Representatives had been sitting on the articles of impeachment for two months and why they forwarded the complaints at the last minute when the Senate was on recess ... (some Senators have already planned for their vacation and half of them are busy knee-deep with campaigning.)

There was also a debate on when the trial starts ... and complications arose because the Constitution stipulated that it should be done FORTHWITH otherwise known as without delay ... right away ... or immediately. Legal luminaries throw-ing in their weight said: "Anything other than that ... any delay is a violation of what the Constitution intends to do."

Amid the frenzy... one ex-PCGG lawyer (Catalino Generillo Jr.) petitioned a writ of mandamus so the impeachment trial would start immediately. 

Whose legal minds will prevail ... that remains to be seen!