Mang Imee: Ambivalent or May Ideas of Reference?

Madam Imee: Ambivalence or Ideas of Reference?

Senator Imee's response to Cong. Sandro Marcos is a grist for a gossip mill.

All the recipes and ingredients (that include the condiments) for a good gossip are there when she shared personal information about her brother for no reason other than shock value or to diminish him in the eyes of others, and to the "delight of you know who", according to my friend.

She justified her gossip by claiming she was "helping" him and let her audience see a person for "who he really was," although if someone did the same to her, she'd scream "foul".

That was exacxtly what happened when Sandro Marcos shared his observation and responded: "That is not a doing of a sibling."

And then she responded irresponsibly: "Gustong paingayin ni Sandro ang usap-usapang hindi ako tunay na kapatid." And then she segued to suggest "Isa lamang ang solusyon: Magpa DNA test ako ... at magpa-hair follicle test sila."

Did you hear yourself, Manang Imee? Ikaw ang nagsabi ng sinabi mo. What are you frothing about?

I don't see any malice in what Sandro has opined. There were no odious and scummy insinuations and imputations uttered, except that he was wondering what you were doing?

Because just like any Pinoy, morally and culturally speaking, that is ... will frown at what you did. And we couldn't blame him if he said in disbelief: "This is not the doing of a sibling."

Manang Imee ...we share the same feeling with Sandro. We believe family comes first ... ano mang baho meron ang isang miembro nito, pamilya ang nagpo-protect na hindi sumingaw ang masangsang na amoy.

The way I see it ... mas mature pa si Sandro sa kanyang demeanor and observation ... compared to the juvenile rant of dear Auntie. Para na rin siyang bratinella ... (those who lie down with dogs shall rise up with fleas).

What I saw ... was some kind of inner workings of a distressed woman, knowing her AMBIVALENCE (the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas or contrasting feeling tones about something or someone). In her case ,,, she was torn between her love for her brother ... versus her love of power or the support of her allies. Will the latter outweigh the former ... and will she make that her priority?

Her response to Sandro's statement was a classic case of IDEAS OF REFERENCE (?) - the false belief that unrelated events, such as the conversations or statements, in this case, Sandro's comment, made her think he questioned if she was a sister to him.

Well, she still is ... technically, (whether the rumors are true or not) she can still be a sister to BBM either from the father side ... or the mother side. Whatever the true story is.

Actually, this is not the issue here. It was just her DEFENSIVE response to Sandro ... that sounded too OFFENSIVE.

The rule of thumb is ... if you don't want your name dragged in a quagmire of scandals and innuendos ... chill ... and you have to think a million times about your moves and their repercussions. If you don't want that, the whole country will talk about you and your little antic ang tactic ... keep your mouth shut!

Is he ready to shed off her Marcos pedigree? ... Or the lure of Davao is an invitation ... too hard to ignore?

Shame In The Scandal In The Family

Dahil sa mga rebelasyon ni Madam Imee, na talagang itinapat pa niya ang pagpakawala nito sa ikalawang araw ng anti-corruption rally ng INC ... may mga hamunang nagaganap behind the scenes. 

Young as he is ... Sandro Marcos can't help but ask kung talagang kapatid ba ni Manang Imee si BBM ... dahil kung ipangangalandakan ba naman niya na BBM is a drug-user ay wagas ... at dalisay. Sandro said, "her action ... is not the behavior of a true sibling."

Logic says na kung kapatid mo ang tao ... di ba dapat ang pinagkatago-tago nitong mga skeletons in his locker ... ay dapat ibalato na lang niya sa kapatid? Hindi yong ipinagsigawan pa niya at ibandera pa niya na parang malaking karangalan sa pamilya nila ang nagyari sa kapatid ... kung totoo man yon.

Yong speech lang pala ni Manang Imee ang hinihintay ng lahat... dapat three days dapat ang indignation rally ... pero dahil nasabi na ni Imee ang kanyang dapat sabihin sa kanyang tour de force performance ... lihim na natutuwa ang mga benificiary at recipient (who will surely gain all the goodies sakaling  tumalab ang mga ipinunlang  mga intriga ... at tuluyang mag-resign na si BBM) kaya kontento na sila na ok na ang dalawang araw.

Nakarating pala kay Manang ang mga inosenting tanong ni Sandro. Na sinagot naman niya kaagad.

Senator Imee Marcos has stated she is willing to take a DNA TEST with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., on the condition that he, the First Lady, and their son, Representative Sandro Marcos, undergo a HAIR FOLLICLE TEST.

NAKAKA-ALIW ... at NAKAKABALIW. 

Well, wala kaming panahon sa ganitong mga family drama ... pero on the other hand, the intricate plot has intrigued me ... the complex and detailed weave of storylines... although at times contrived pero ang mga twists and turns...  jaw-dropping ... promise ... we will find time.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

Will I Believe Zaldy Co's Confession

Former AKO Bicol representative Zaldy Co. made the Confession of the Year last November 14 about BBM and the former House Speaker and their involvement in flood project scams. 

I was inclined to believe it ... and much to the chagrin of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, who urged that the allegations made in the online video statements, despite not being done under oath, should not be ignored due to the gravity of the accusations in the ongoing flood control scandal.

Actually I did not ignore it. I admit I was flabbergasted by the seriousness of the assertion and the imputation ... besides, I did not see that coming.

But the encouragement came from Marcoleta himself, who did a no-nonsense job in a cease-and-desist order of ABS-CBN, years ago, and who, I thought at that time, had high morals (righteous and principled), and despite the COVID pandemic, did not kowtow to the citizens pleading to be lenient with the media mogul. There was a lockout ... and every day, people saw themselves rotting in the confines of their homes.

Honestly, I find the admin decision of spearheading the company's closure brutal, if not inhuman. It was all anger and vindictiveness fanned and orchestrated by the ex-president, who dictated the tempo, and the whole Congress followed the dictum (whatever the master wants, the master gets. 

The fact of the matter is I considered their decision "crimes against humanity". Isn't that the same crime PRRD was accused of in Hague? 

Only a few congresspeople thought of serving their constituents well and understanding the very emotional and psychological problems they are in. But the majority sided with the vindictiveness ... not even minding thousands of companies' manpower losing their jobs at the most difficult times.

Suicide and domestic violence became the staple of news with COVID's advent. What else can you do when even the only source of entertainment and information during the most trying times was stripped from you ... and the people's request fell on deaf ears.

And now we see the principled and the righteous Marcoleta (who insists ABS-CBN has not paid their taxes) beseeching and imploring the people he once ignored to consider Zaldy Co's accusations?

Wasn't he the same senator who teamed up with Mike Defensor to come up with a Surprise witness (Orly Guteza) who FUMBLED, BUNGLED, and  STUMBLED on the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee floor? Sila ang nasorpresa sa kanilang surprised whistle blower. He did screw up big time and had never seen the light of day. Wasn't Guteza missing, or were his mentors keeping him away from the investigations lest he make the same gaffes again?

Wasn't he the same Senator who lied about his SOCE (I thought he was allergic to lying and some underhanded tactics? Does that mean he is also capable of making the same accusations he made with ABS-CBN? Funny how his righteousness crumbled in front of our very eyes ... and his holy-than-thou stance in the ABS-CBN investigations faded into oblivion ... never to be seen again.

Regarding Zaldy Co.'s soliloquies, an ordinary political outsider like me can always be tempted to bite the propaganda hook, line, and sinker. But the encouragement coming from Marcolita made me think about going slow on it. If they are capable of producing a surprise witness from nowhere ... how does Zaldy's accusation differ?

In the next post ... I will update you on where I stand with Zaldy's confession.

And The Plot Thickens

 

Zaldy Co wants to be remembered as a WHISTLE BLOWER rather than as a PLUNDERER. 

Pwede ba yon? The mere mention of his name sends shivers down my spine- hinakot niya ang pera ng bayan ... one way or the other instrumental din siya sa halos linggohan ng pagbisita ng baha ... at ang pagkamatay na maraming tao dahil sa rumaragasang tubig. 

With his name becoming a byword in all government probes and investigations (Blue Ribbon Committee, ICI, and whatnot) and his images almost becoming like a poster boy for ghost dikes, missing funds, and skyrocketing flood projects... and engineers and contractors insinuating his direct participation in all these clandestine activities ... the walls are closing in on him and once cornered - the best way to counter that is to flip and reverse the narrative.

Kung totoong nagnakaw nga siya, that doesn't give him the credibility and the backdoor pass na magsalita ng kung ano-ano... tapos paniwalaan na lang natin na hindi na nagtatanong. Ganoon na ba kababa ang IQ ang tingin niya sa atin?

Nagtatago siya for crying out loud ... and then he switched and played the victim card, and then ... he started to exaggerate and fabricate victimhood to gain sympathy, avoid accountability, and manipulate his audience.

If I were him ... he should listen to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian's advice: "Return to the Philippines and personally face the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, instead of releasing videos and issuing allegations against his former allies."

Ding ... Saan Ang Bato?

Hinahanap ngayon ng mga netizens si Darna: Nawawala daw si Bato ... 

"Hindi totoo yan," sabi ng kanyang mga kritiko: " Hindi siya nawawala ... nagtatago lang.To use a better euphimism, "Ayaw lang niyang magpakita."

Ano ba yan? sabi ng kanyang supporter. Di ba sinabi niya lately na "Bring it on ... make my day? At sinabi pa niya kay Trillanes na "Ikaw na ang magposas sa akin." Muntik na akong maniwala doon. Palabas lang pala iyon?

Or was it grandstanding plain and simple, so he could gain public approval, often at the expense of substance? Was he just showboating ... or just playing to the crowd?

His detractors have already made a lot of possible masks that will conceal and hide his true persona ... disguises na kung susundin lang ni Ding maitago niya talaga si Bato. And the latest work of art (camouflage) ...takes the cake. Sino ba ang mag-akalang siya yan?

If done properly like the one above ... siguradong makalabas si Bato from hiding ... pwede siyang mag-malling or magwindow shopping na walang pangamba at tatawanan pa niya ang lahat dahil napakagaling ang kanyang prosthetics.

Robin Williams, in his 1993 film Mrs. Doubtfire, paled in comparison ... in substance and in form.

At pwede pa siyang maghabol ng audition sa Mini-me sa ABS CBN's It's Showtime.

Men's Issues

Naputol? Ay natanggal! If you find this image offensive, you have come to the wrong page.

In this nook, we are discussing purely men's business ... and 100 % men's concerns. But if you want to learn more about us ... you are welcome ... but don't say I didn't warn you.

In here, we call "a spade a spade" if the language sounds vulgar to you ... there is nothing you can do but look for the nearest fire exit ... and LEAVE! Jump if you can.

Have you ever heard of the words CASTRATION ANXIETY or CASTRATION COMPLEX? That was what the above image was all about.

In Sigmund Freud's psychosexual development, the Oedipal stage (also known as the phallic stage), which is between 3-6 years old, ... a male child experiences unconscious sexual desire for the parent of the opposite sex ... and resentment toward the parent of the same sex, viewing the same-sex parent as a rival for the other parent's affection. The term OEDIPAL ANXIETY is named after the Greek myth of Oedipus, who unknowingly killed his father and married his mother. 

When a male child's attitude is attendant hostility and views his father as a nemesis and competes with him for the mother's attention, the concomitant sense of rivalry shows its ugly fangs when the boy acts possessively toward his mother and tells the father not to touch her. Or it can be seen in this scenario when the male child insists on sleeping between his parents.

If the father is punitive and jokes a lot about cutting his penis off or his testicles off ... as a penalty for being a bad boy ... and the child takes the joke as a form of punishment ... an overwhelming fear of damage to ... or a loss of ... a penis may be developed in this stage. Unconscious feelings and fantasies of being deprived of the phallus can start emerging here.

Some experts call this anxiety "a fear of being cut off". It refers to the fear of emasculation in both a literal and metaphorical sense.

If a male child continues to experience the same fear and anxiety as he gets old (when he should have outgrown it ... or he should have moved on to the next phase of development) ... it is a CARRIED OVER BEHAVIOR. 

Some people call it FIXATION. A fixation on this complex means the individual has not successfully moved past this fear and desire, resulting in some aberrant behaviors.

If there is persistence in the appearance of the feared situation even in the latter stages of life, a FIXATED child will have these CARRY OVER BEHAVIORS (any rocket scientist worth his salt can readily figure out that the behavior the person is exhibiting is residue coming from unresolved conflicts from the Oedipal or Phallic stage.

Experts thought that the only way to resolve the Oedipal complex (and the Electra complex for females) to further move on in the next ladder or stage of psychosexual development ... is for the child to identify with the same sex parent (a son to his father and a daughter to his mother) and make them their role models.

Any aberration in the process ... the possibility that the below-mentioned scenario may emerge and start its ugly toll.

-Fear of Being Cut off - The "fear of being cut off" can refer to fear of emotional abandonment ... fear of being alone ... fear of death, fear of leaving a family for a job offer abroad, fear of going to college because he will be separated from the family ... fear of moving to another country ... etc.

-Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) - The fear that an exciting event is happening and he is not a part of it. The fear that others are having a rewarding married life and a successful business venture... and he was left out in the cold. An insecurity that all his classmates are working abroad, and he is still struggling to make both ends meet in his home turf.

-Fear of social rejection - The fear of being socially snubbed and ignored.  The fear of being tagged ang labelled.  Fear of being the black sheep in the family.  Fear of being an outcast of society.

-Fear of losing control - The fear of not being able to function independently, like when he is young. The fear of not being able to earn like he used to. The fear of being a burden to family ...the fear of getting sick ... and the fear of death ... and the second life.

-Fear of medical procedures - Trypanophobia or fear of needles ... Tomophobia - or fear of having surgeries. How are these related to fear of being cut off? Simple ... surgical procedures to proceed need to CUT or PIERCE. Like a diabetic patient being cut of his leg ... or a young woman separated from her uterus.

Pageant Result: Miss Asia Global 2025

The winners of Miss Asia Global 2025 from left to right: Neha Balqiz -United Arab Emirates - First Runner Up,  Angel Bianca Agustin- Philippines - Miss Asia Global 2025- Winner, Kavya Bali -India - Miss Asia 2025, Ashwarea Ullas Kuwait - Second Runner Up. The pageant was held in India last November 5 2025.