Against love�s histrionics
The denouement of the forbidden love affair between Kris Aquino and Joey Marquez has been such a big scandal these past few days that I half-expected the Philippine Stock Exchange to crash and the peso to take a nose-dive. Fortunately, nothing of such sort has happened. What we have instead is a gross and pornographic spectacle of a relationship falling apart, of erstwhile lovers turned into the bitterest of enemies.
Such episodes in one�s life are the most embarrassing�doubly so when the circumstances leading to the breakup are narrated in national television ad nauseam and dissected in our country�s risqu� tabloids.
The White House�s advice to president Marcos in 1986 should apply to lovers intending to break up: Cut quick, and cut clean.
A sense of level-headedness is called for in moments like this. Now, if only Kris Aquino had the levelheadedness of her brother, we could have been spared the emotional excreta that inevitably comes from love�s decomposition.
I guess Kris and Joey�s love for each other was simply too intense to survive. Nowadays, people would not settle for a relationship whose emotions do not rival the intensity of Catherine and Heathcliff�s love. No, love must be tempestuous, the kind of romantic love we see on soaps. Why can we not see more of Elizabeth Bennetts and Mr. Darcys , who approach love pragmatically and with good sense not to subject oneself to great paroxysms of emotion? A love like Kris and Joey's, so showbizy and marked with too frequent protestations of love, was never bound to last. Perhaps only Kris believed otherwise.
Tuesday, September 30, 2003
Friday, September 26, 2003
Friday, September 19, 2003
Who killed Jesus?
Slate has an essay by Steven Waldman on the topic. Waldman writes:
For a lot of Christians, the answer to the question "Who killed Jesus?" is "God did"�or "we all did," the abundance of sinful human behavior having made his sacrifice necessary.
The complexity of that debate notwithstanding, it is clear that the Crucifixion and Resurrection are central to the faith. While the Crucifixion in itself wasn't a good thing, it was, according to much Christian doctrine, an entirely necessary and pre-ordained thing. Without it, Christianity as we know it wouldn't exist.
So, really the answer to the question "Who killed Jesus?" should be: Who cares? Theologically, the answer is irrelevant, which means Christians can stop blaming Jews and Jews can stop being defensive. And people of both faiths can get back to disagreeing about more important things like whether you get more presents at Hanukkah or Christmas.
Slate has an essay by Steven Waldman on the topic. Waldman writes:
For a lot of Christians, the answer to the question "Who killed Jesus?" is "God did"�or "we all did," the abundance of sinful human behavior having made his sacrifice necessary.
The complexity of that debate notwithstanding, it is clear that the Crucifixion and Resurrection are central to the faith. While the Crucifixion in itself wasn't a good thing, it was, according to much Christian doctrine, an entirely necessary and pre-ordained thing. Without it, Christianity as we know it wouldn't exist.
So, really the answer to the question "Who killed Jesus?" should be: Who cares? Theologically, the answer is irrelevant, which means Christians can stop blaming Jews and Jews can stop being defensive. And people of both faiths can get back to disagreeing about more important things like whether you get more presents at Hanukkah or Christmas.
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Arnault v. Nazareno and the right to privacy
Joaquin Bernas discusses Arnault v. Nazareno, the 1950 case cited by Sen. Angara to compel Iggy Arroyo to answer the questions asked of him in the Senate. Bernas opines:
The nation then did not yet have the experience of what is now a common phenomenon -- legislative harassment or investigations in aid of election. This phenomenon gave rise to a command now found in the 1987 Constitution: �The rights of persons appearing in or affected by such inquiries shall be respected.� These factors need to be considered in dealing with the Iggy Arroyo case.
Should Arnault v. Nazareno be upheld? Blogger Marvin Aceron has this to say:
In this age of the individual, can we afford to affirm the lack of power of the individual against the abusive transgressions of the police state? With all its resources and might, the Philippine State has become susceptible to abuse by politicians who cares not for public service but caters solely to personal and crony interest. There is no doubt that the Jose Pidal expose is motivated by political interest -- vengeance, resentment, political leveraging, what have you, but definitely not for the public interest or in "aid of legislation". The State is imperfect. Should it have the power fit only for a perfect State?
Joaquin Bernas discusses Arnault v. Nazareno, the 1950 case cited by Sen. Angara to compel Iggy Arroyo to answer the questions asked of him in the Senate. Bernas opines:
The nation then did not yet have the experience of what is now a common phenomenon -- legislative harassment or investigations in aid of election. This phenomenon gave rise to a command now found in the 1987 Constitution: �The rights of persons appearing in or affected by such inquiries shall be respected.� These factors need to be considered in dealing with the Iggy Arroyo case.
Should Arnault v. Nazareno be upheld? Blogger Marvin Aceron has this to say:
In this age of the individual, can we afford to affirm the lack of power of the individual against the abusive transgressions of the police state? With all its resources and might, the Philippine State has become susceptible to abuse by politicians who cares not for public service but caters solely to personal and crony interest. There is no doubt that the Jose Pidal expose is motivated by political interest -- vengeance, resentment, political leveraging, what have you, but definitely not for the public interest or in "aid of legislation". The State is imperfect. Should it have the power fit only for a perfect State?
In defense of the Cancun Summit
Alex Magno laments the passing of the Cancun summit of the WTO and rails against the protectionist agenda of Philippine agriculture. He writes:
In order to maintain present policies covering rice and corn, including quantitative restrictions on imports, we have exchanged policies that removed all protection on the more efficient sections of our economy. It is a no-win situation with grim strategic implications. While our otherwise competitive sections crumble under intense competition, subsidies for our most uncompetitive sections drain our ability to invest in the broader economy.
Subsidies in our most inefficient agricultural sectors could have been diverted instead to, say, improving our educational system to reinforce our highly competitive services sectors or to cure the infrastructure gap that discourages investment in manufacturing which employs more and creates more value while using less land and water.
This is an irrational set-up. It will not only produce an economic disaster in the long term, it inflicts misery on many of our people today.
The irrationality persists because of sentimentality and ideology. The militant farmers groups must admit this as a matter of honesty. They must admit it is the irrationality of our own economy and not some foreign conspiracy that is to blame for the crippling poverty that plagues our people.
By refusing dramatic changes in the composition of our national economy, we are merely postponing the resolution of our structural problems and inviting an economic cataclysm down the road.
Instead of confronting the real problem, militant groups are marching in the streets urging our government to withdraw from the WTO. That distracts us from the real issues.
The inspiration for the WTO is inherently valid. It seeks to establish a regime of rules that will ensure fairness in global trade. It has failed in its vision not because a regime of fair rules is wrong but because nations could not do what is right because of the power of domestic constituencies that clamor for protection and subsidies � as well as the power of economic superstitions that grip the most conservative sectors resisting change driven by rationality.
Alex Magno laments the passing of the Cancun summit of the WTO and rails against the protectionist agenda of Philippine agriculture. He writes:
In order to maintain present policies covering rice and corn, including quantitative restrictions on imports, we have exchanged policies that removed all protection on the more efficient sections of our economy. It is a no-win situation with grim strategic implications. While our otherwise competitive sections crumble under intense competition, subsidies for our most uncompetitive sections drain our ability to invest in the broader economy.
Subsidies in our most inefficient agricultural sectors could have been diverted instead to, say, improving our educational system to reinforce our highly competitive services sectors or to cure the infrastructure gap that discourages investment in manufacturing which employs more and creates more value while using less land and water.
This is an irrational set-up. It will not only produce an economic disaster in the long term, it inflicts misery on many of our people today.
The irrationality persists because of sentimentality and ideology. The militant farmers groups must admit this as a matter of honesty. They must admit it is the irrationality of our own economy and not some foreign conspiracy that is to blame for the crippling poverty that plagues our people.
By refusing dramatic changes in the composition of our national economy, we are merely postponing the resolution of our structural problems and inviting an economic cataclysm down the road.
Instead of confronting the real problem, militant groups are marching in the streets urging our government to withdraw from the WTO. That distracts us from the real issues.
The inspiration for the WTO is inherently valid. It seeks to establish a regime of rules that will ensure fairness in global trade. It has failed in its vision not because a regime of fair rules is wrong but because nations could not do what is right because of the power of domestic constituencies that clamor for protection and subsidies � as well as the power of economic superstitions that grip the most conservative sectors resisting change driven by rationality.
Cancun postmortem
The World Trade Organization's two-year attempt to create a new global trade pact collapsed without an agreement on Sept. 14 in Cancun, Mexico. The immediate cause of the collapse, to the shock of many as the Economist reports, is not agricultural subsidies but the so-called Singapore issues which the EU countries have been pushing: rules on foreign investment, competition policy, government purchases and �trade facilitation� (things like customs clearance). As a result of the collapse, the WTO�s own 2004 deadline for a comprehensive reform in world trade may prove impossible to reach.
The deadlock on the Singapore issues, in a sense, preempted the expected showdown on agricultural subsidies. (The developing countries have been continuously pushing for rich countries (EU, US, Japan) to scrap their over-generous subsidies, which total about $300 billion a year, to domestic farmers.) The Economist reports that some cynics believe the Singapore issues were thrown in the negotiations by the EU and Japan to disguise their own intransigence over agricultural subsidies.
Ever since the current round of trade talks was launched in 2001, Japan and the EU have been on the defensive. The Doha round�s focus on agricultural liberalisation has forced them to defend some of the most illiberal but well-entrenched systems of agricultural protection in the world. Japan�s import tariffs on rice go up to 1,000%. The EU spends more on annual subsidies for each of its cows than most sub-Saharan Africans earn in a year. Both insist on progress on the Singapore issues as a quid pro quo for long-overdue agricultural reforms that still seem politically beyond them. If poor countries refuse to yield ground, the EU and Japan can blame them for their inflexibility over the Singapore issues, rather than taking the blame for their own inflexibility over agriculture.
The United States announced at the very start of the negotiations that it was prepared to do away with its own agricultural subsidies provided that the developing countries reciprocate by opening their markets to foreign investment. But as the New York Times reports, this initial posture by the United States was nothing but bluster. President Bush is simply not prepared to alienate his farmers before he gets re-elected. US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick in Cancun was not only negotiating trade agreements but was given the unenviable task of keeping safe President Bush�s 2004 re-election. The New York Times reports:
The farm states voted heavily in favor of Mr. Bush in the 2000 election, and were the backbone of the states that gave him the bulk of his electoral votes. Agribusiness, which profits from the low cost of corn, soybeans and other crops subsidized by American taxpayers, has shifted its allegiance to the Republican Party. Political contributions from agribusiness jumped to $53 million in 2002 from $37 million in 1992, with the Republicans' share rising to 72 percent from 56 percent, according to figures compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
The collapse of the talks in Cancun, though, is not all positive for President Bush. It is, Business Week reports, �a serious blow to the Bush Administration's efforts at opening markets worldwide for U.S. exports and shrinking America's massive $500 billion trade deficit with the rest of the world.� With a hurting US economy, Bush Jr. may follow the career path of Bush Sr. come 2004.
Antiglobalization networks, such as our own Focus on the Global South, have been quick to claim victory after the collapse of the trade negotiations. Trade Secretary Mar Roxas is also quoted by the above Business Week analysis as saying, " We are elated that our voice has now been heard."
But as a statement of the coalition led by the Focus on the Global South said, the challenge lies in making concrete the reforms needed to match Mar Roxas's new-found rhetoric.
The World Trade Organization's two-year attempt to create a new global trade pact collapsed without an agreement on Sept. 14 in Cancun, Mexico. The immediate cause of the collapse, to the shock of many as the Economist reports, is not agricultural subsidies but the so-called Singapore issues which the EU countries have been pushing: rules on foreign investment, competition policy, government purchases and �trade facilitation� (things like customs clearance). As a result of the collapse, the WTO�s own 2004 deadline for a comprehensive reform in world trade may prove impossible to reach.
The deadlock on the Singapore issues, in a sense, preempted the expected showdown on agricultural subsidies. (The developing countries have been continuously pushing for rich countries (EU, US, Japan) to scrap their over-generous subsidies, which total about $300 billion a year, to domestic farmers.) The Economist reports that some cynics believe the Singapore issues were thrown in the negotiations by the EU and Japan to disguise their own intransigence over agricultural subsidies.
Ever since the current round of trade talks was launched in 2001, Japan and the EU have been on the defensive. The Doha round�s focus on agricultural liberalisation has forced them to defend some of the most illiberal but well-entrenched systems of agricultural protection in the world. Japan�s import tariffs on rice go up to 1,000%. The EU spends more on annual subsidies for each of its cows than most sub-Saharan Africans earn in a year. Both insist on progress on the Singapore issues as a quid pro quo for long-overdue agricultural reforms that still seem politically beyond them. If poor countries refuse to yield ground, the EU and Japan can blame them for their inflexibility over the Singapore issues, rather than taking the blame for their own inflexibility over agriculture.
The United States announced at the very start of the negotiations that it was prepared to do away with its own agricultural subsidies provided that the developing countries reciprocate by opening their markets to foreign investment. But as the New York Times reports, this initial posture by the United States was nothing but bluster. President Bush is simply not prepared to alienate his farmers before he gets re-elected. US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick in Cancun was not only negotiating trade agreements but was given the unenviable task of keeping safe President Bush�s 2004 re-election. The New York Times reports:
The farm states voted heavily in favor of Mr. Bush in the 2000 election, and were the backbone of the states that gave him the bulk of his electoral votes. Agribusiness, which profits from the low cost of corn, soybeans and other crops subsidized by American taxpayers, has shifted its allegiance to the Republican Party. Political contributions from agribusiness jumped to $53 million in 2002 from $37 million in 1992, with the Republicans' share rising to 72 percent from 56 percent, according to figures compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
The collapse of the talks in Cancun, though, is not all positive for President Bush. It is, Business Week reports, �a serious blow to the Bush Administration's efforts at opening markets worldwide for U.S. exports and shrinking America's massive $500 billion trade deficit with the rest of the world.� With a hurting US economy, Bush Jr. may follow the career path of Bush Sr. come 2004.
Antiglobalization networks, such as our own Focus on the Global South, have been quick to claim victory after the collapse of the trade negotiations. Trade Secretary Mar Roxas is also quoted by the above Business Week analysis as saying, " We are elated that our voice has now been heard."
But as a statement of the coalition led by the Focus on the Global South said, the challenge lies in making concrete the reforms needed to match Mar Roxas's new-found rhetoric.
Monday, September 15, 2003
F4 as Chinese ambassadors
Newsweek has an article on the Taiwanese band F4. Newsweek reports that:
The members have turned into unwitting ambassadors for greater China. Thanks largely to F4, Thais, Filipinos and Indonesians�not generally known for their interest in contemporary Chinese culture�are embracing it with a vengeance. In Jakarta, �There is growing acceptance that Chinese boys are good looking,� says Tumiwa. �It�s quite a shift here.� Indonesia has had a checkered history with its Chinese population, highlighted by anti-Chinese riots and targeted violence. Now, the only mobs are those lining up to see F4 perform in concert. Young people are adopting F4�s style of dress, which tends to be casual with a flair, such as tight jeans and fitted white shirts.
Newsweek has an article on the Taiwanese band F4. Newsweek reports that:
The members have turned into unwitting ambassadors for greater China. Thanks largely to F4, Thais, Filipinos and Indonesians�not generally known for their interest in contemporary Chinese culture�are embracing it with a vengeance. In Jakarta, �There is growing acceptance that Chinese boys are good looking,� says Tumiwa. �It�s quite a shift here.� Indonesia has had a checkered history with its Chinese population, highlighted by anti-Chinese riots and targeted violence. Now, the only mobs are those lining up to see F4 perform in concert. Young people are adopting F4�s style of dress, which tends to be casual with a flair, such as tight jeans and fitted white shirts.
Friday, September 05, 2003
The terminator's sex life
For people who are interested in Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1977 interview with Oui, where he admitted to, among other things, participating in a gang bang, click here. The interview caused quite a commotion in California, I understand. With Arnold's sex life now in the open, can his political views be far behind?
For people who are interested in Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1977 interview with Oui, where he admitted to, among other things, participating in a gang bang, click here. The interview caused quite a commotion in California, I understand. With Arnold's sex life now in the open, can his political views be far behind?
Wednesday, September 03, 2003
Use of father's surname
The Senate has approved on third reading a bill allowing a child born out of wedlock to use his father's surname. Senate Bill 2510 amends Article 176 of the Family Code which mandates an illegitimate child to use his mother's surname.
The Senate has approved on third reading a bill allowing a child born out of wedlock to use his father's surname. Senate Bill 2510 amends Article 176 of the Family Code which mandates an illegitimate child to use his mother's surname.
Tuesday, September 02, 2003
Former US State Secretary Madeleine Albright has an essay appearing in the most recent issue of Foreign Affairs. Albright must be on a writing spree these days. The latest issue of Foreign Policy also has an article written by her, this time on the relevance of the United Nations.
Below is the summary of the essay appearing in Foreign Affairs:
Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Bush administration has pressured every country in the world to make a simple choice: Are you with the United States or with the terrorists? But by casting the choice so starkly--and expanding the war on terror to include its campaign in Iraq--Washington has alienated many natural and potential allies and made the fight against al Qaeda more difficult. It didn't have to be this way. The White House has acted as if it doesn't care what others think, and the country is paying the price for its mistake.
Below is the summary of the essay appearing in Foreign Affairs:
Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Bush administration has pressured every country in the world to make a simple choice: Are you with the United States or with the terrorists? But by casting the choice so starkly--and expanding the war on terror to include its campaign in Iraq--Washington has alienated many natural and potential allies and made the fight against al Qaeda more difficult. It didn't have to be this way. The White House has acted as if it doesn't care what others think, and the country is paying the price for its mistake.
Monday, September 01, 2003
A race to the bottom
Teddy Benigno is taking his annual one-month hiatus from journalism, but not before firing off this column deeply lamenting the sorry state of Philippine politics. Nostalgic for the bygone years of our country�s history, he is so melancholy that the column reads like Antigone resigned to her cruel fate, unable to find succor in any quarter. His grief is so great that he seems to run out of the signature metaphors in his writing.
Is Teddy Benigno merely being a laudator temporis acti or does his memory serve him right in characterizing the present juncture as especially wretched? (A little caveat: Old men are wont to wax poetic about things past.) But still he has a point. Government, these days, has indeed been transmogrified into one ugly wrestling bout, with politicians forcing each other off balance. As a nation, we are in a race to the bottom, and one can only hope that we get to it soon.
Teddy Benigno is taking his annual one-month hiatus from journalism, but not before firing off this column deeply lamenting the sorry state of Philippine politics. Nostalgic for the bygone years of our country�s history, he is so melancholy that the column reads like Antigone resigned to her cruel fate, unable to find succor in any quarter. His grief is so great that he seems to run out of the signature metaphors in his writing.
Is Teddy Benigno merely being a laudator temporis acti or does his memory serve him right in characterizing the present juncture as especially wretched? (A little caveat: Old men are wont to wax poetic about things past.) But still he has a point. Government, these days, has indeed been transmogrified into one ugly wrestling bout, with politicians forcing each other off balance. As a nation, we are in a race to the bottom, and one can only hope that we get to it soon.
On the disillusionment of our PMA cadets
Benjamin Libarnes, former intelligence chief of the AFP, writes in Newsbreak about the disillusionment of PMA cadets upon leaving the idyllic confines of the military academy and fending off for themselves in a corrupt military bureaucracy.
Exactly what causes the disillusionment?
Cadets at the PMA, when compared to the other undergraduates in the country, relatively live ggod lives. They get to enjoy a first-class education in an elite institution at zero expense. They enjoy full scholarships and receive monthly allowances equivalent to a month's salary of a fresh graduate. They enjoy Baguio's weather, eat good vegetables, and accumulate pogi points during their stay at the PMA. Upon graduation, they are spared the lamentable experience otherwise known to the rest of the population as looking for a job; they get automatic assignments in the service of their own choosing.
But, alas, things fall apart once they enter the service. The government does not provide adequate housing facilities for soldiers of lower rank. They must sorely miss the spartan sleeping quarters at the PMA. Libarnes writes:
Young officers had to stay at the less-equipped Bachelor Officers� Quarters or rent a house or apartment outside the camp in the area of assignment. Military housing was practically not available for junior officers. Most low-salaried military personnel had to stay in squatter areas in the camps or outside since they could not be provided with government quarters. If they were married, they could not stay in the barracks with their families.
Added to this indignity is the offending sight of generals living in mansions they could not possibly afford had they lived honorably. Libarnes writes that if a soldier desires promotion and success in the service, it is necessary that he cultivates advantageous relations with certain politicians (ie, by currying favors here and there). This is essential because of the constitutional provision requiring the confirmation of the Commission on Appointments for promotion in the military. Libarnes avers:
Perhaps what is needed is the confirmation of those holding the position of chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) down to the area commanders with three stars. There is no need to confirm the promotion of officers with the rank of colonel up to major general.
All this is enough for an officer's blood to curdle. What more if he sees his secretary of national defense entrepreneurially selling the army's weapons to rebel forces.
Benjamin Libarnes, former intelligence chief of the AFP, writes in Newsbreak about the disillusionment of PMA cadets upon leaving the idyllic confines of the military academy and fending off for themselves in a corrupt military bureaucracy.
Exactly what causes the disillusionment?
Cadets at the PMA, when compared to the other undergraduates in the country, relatively live ggod lives. They get to enjoy a first-class education in an elite institution at zero expense. They enjoy full scholarships and receive monthly allowances equivalent to a month's salary of a fresh graduate. They enjoy Baguio's weather, eat good vegetables, and accumulate pogi points during their stay at the PMA. Upon graduation, they are spared the lamentable experience otherwise known to the rest of the population as looking for a job; they get automatic assignments in the service of their own choosing.
But, alas, things fall apart once they enter the service. The government does not provide adequate housing facilities for soldiers of lower rank. They must sorely miss the spartan sleeping quarters at the PMA. Libarnes writes:
Young officers had to stay at the less-equipped Bachelor Officers� Quarters or rent a house or apartment outside the camp in the area of assignment. Military housing was practically not available for junior officers. Most low-salaried military personnel had to stay in squatter areas in the camps or outside since they could not be provided with government quarters. If they were married, they could not stay in the barracks with their families.
Added to this indignity is the offending sight of generals living in mansions they could not possibly afford had they lived honorably. Libarnes writes that if a soldier desires promotion and success in the service, it is necessary that he cultivates advantageous relations with certain politicians (ie, by currying favors here and there). This is essential because of the constitutional provision requiring the confirmation of the Commission on Appointments for promotion in the military. Libarnes avers:
Perhaps what is needed is the confirmation of those holding the position of chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) down to the area commanders with three stars. There is no need to confirm the promotion of officers with the rank of colonel up to major general.
All this is enough for an officer's blood to curdle. What more if he sees his secretary of national defense entrepreneurially selling the army's weapons to rebel forces.
Saturday, August 30, 2003
Madonna hooking up with Britney
I failed to catch the MTV Video Music awards on TV yesterday, but I have read the newspaper accounts this morning. Apparently the highlight of the show was Madonna tongue-kissing Britney Spears. Washington Post reports:
The first musical number epitomized the kind of commercialized outrageousness that MTV has perfected in recent years. It featured Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, decked out in white wedding ensembles in a homage to Madonna, who famously wore a wedding dress on MTV's first Video Music Awards broadcast in 1984, when she performed "Like a Virgin." Madonna appeared dressed as a groom, and the number, which also briefly featured Missy Elliott, provided the evening's first gyrating rumps, as well as a truly yechy moment: The sight of oversexed old Madonna tongue-kissing oversexed young Spears. It didn't seem outrageous or sultry; it smacked of desperation.
Britain's Guardian reports (with a picture of the kiss, so go click the link!):
She didn't win anything, but last night's MTV Video Music Awards belonged to Madonna. The 45-year-old singer proved that middle-aged respectability is still far off with a sexed-up rendition of Like a Virgin and Hollywood.
Clad in black with dominatrix-style boots as she performed alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, she caused a commotion when she fondled them before kissing them both full on the lips.
I failed to catch the MTV Video Music awards on TV yesterday, but I have read the newspaper accounts this morning. Apparently the highlight of the show was Madonna tongue-kissing Britney Spears. Washington Post reports:
The first musical number epitomized the kind of commercialized outrageousness that MTV has perfected in recent years. It featured Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, decked out in white wedding ensembles in a homage to Madonna, who famously wore a wedding dress on MTV's first Video Music Awards broadcast in 1984, when she performed "Like a Virgin." Madonna appeared dressed as a groom, and the number, which also briefly featured Missy Elliott, provided the evening's first gyrating rumps, as well as a truly yechy moment: The sight of oversexed old Madonna tongue-kissing oversexed young Spears. It didn't seem outrageous or sultry; it smacked of desperation.
Britain's Guardian reports (with a picture of the kiss, so go click the link!):
She didn't win anything, but last night's MTV Video Music Awards belonged to Madonna. The 45-year-old singer proved that middle-aged respectability is still far off with a sexed-up rendition of Like a Virgin and Hollywood.
Clad in black with dominatrix-style boots as she performed alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, she caused a commotion when she fondled them before kissing them both full on the lips.
Lacson v. Arroyo
Isagani Cruz today has an opinion piece in the Inquirer on the expose of Senator Lacson against Mr. Arroyo. In Cruz's column today, he opines that:
... it does not seem proper to simply dismiss the senator's privilege speech against Mr. Arroyo for being, as the latter insists, baseless. That dismissal should not put an end to the matter, which has aroused the curiosity and suspicion of the people. It is a clear subject of public interest on which we citizens have a right to be informed.
Isagani Cruz today has an opinion piece in the Inquirer on the expose of Senator Lacson against Mr. Arroyo. In Cruz's column today, he opines that:
... it does not seem proper to simply dismiss the senator's privilege speech against Mr. Arroyo for being, as the latter insists, baseless. That dismissal should not put an end to the matter, which has aroused the curiosity and suspicion of the people. It is a clear subject of public interest on which we citizens have a right to be informed.
Friday, August 29, 2003
Lacson's gambit
Any conscientious Filipino citizen must be quite at a loss on how to properly regard the recent allegations of Senator Panfilo Lacson against Mr. Mike Arroyo. The country�s political atmosphere has simply been too poisoned following EDSA 2 that one does not know whom to believe anymore. In fact, with all the muckraking going around, it is arguably judicious for one to simply tune out, assume a pose of Laodicean neutrality, ignore the venomous words being spattered everywhere and forget all things political like long-suffering docile citizens do most of the time.
Members and sympathizers of the political opposition are all too eager to believe. Administration stalwarts and sundry critics of Lacson are all too sure the allegations are nothing more than sick convolutions in the mind of an inveterate dissembler. Caught between the two camps of opposing faith are citizens who simply are at a loss, citizens who would only be too happy that the accusations be proven wrong but who nonetheless continue to harbor nagging suspicions that Mahusay�s accusations could all be true.
Granted, Sen. Lacson is throwing the kitchen sink at Mr. Arroyo for his own self-aggrandizement. No doubt, his explosive speech at the senate floor is part of his concerted effort to malign the present administration, destabilize the current political configuration and lay down the red carpet for the opposition�s ascension to power. By the senator�s reckoning, anything remotely dimming the President Arroyo�s political star couldn�t possibly hurt his own bid for the presidency. His legal problems in the United States are also effectively brought to a less harsh light given the far sexier controversy involving Mr. Arroyo.
Yet the allegations made by the senator cannot all be readily dismissed simply because the senator is a polluted source. Governor Chavit Singson, not so long ago, was also a polluted source. Singson then, as Sen. Lacson now, was also doing the exposes for equally self-aggrandizing reasons. Singson then wanted to stay alive; Sen. Lacson now wants to be president.
That the media are treating these news reports in what may appear to some a carnival manner is understandable. After all, President Arroyo came to power with a promise to begin things anew. It is only natural for people who were outraged by the corrupt Estrada administration to hold the Arroyo administration against the same exacting standards they set against Estrada.
The solution to the sorry impasse we are now is, alas, the one championed by Ms. Bunye, Mr. Arroyo�s spokesperson. The courts must now thresh out all these accusations. (I do not know how this will all work out since the allegations in Mahusay�s sworn statement are not exactly actionable criminal offenses: entering the LTA Building, calling Mr. Arroyo on the phone, receiving money from messengers, making bank deposits.)
The papers this morning reported that Mr. Arroyo has already filed libel charges against Sen. Lacson et al (including Rep. Gilbert Remulla of the NPC and Lacson�s chief of staff Lito Banayo). All well and good. The only hitch is that the Senate seems to be unstoppable in its own investigation regarding the matter. Some senators, no doubt, deeply regret that Mr. Arroyo, unlike former President Estrada, cannot be impeached (as what? husband to the president?) With elections just around the corner, I guess many of the senators can make use of some time appearing on the television, hugging free publicity and confounding our minds.
A more irenic political atmosphere is much desired nowadays. It is not congenial hearing anyone�s reputation besmirched with such freedom and ill will, be it one�s neighbor or the president�s husband. The president must do whatever is in the legal power of her office to settle these recriminations once and for all so that we could all apply our faculties to far weightier matters, like the coming WTO Cancun meeting, or, thank God for the Chinese, the Meteor Garden.
Any conscientious Filipino citizen must be quite at a loss on how to properly regard the recent allegations of Senator Panfilo Lacson against Mr. Mike Arroyo. The country�s political atmosphere has simply been too poisoned following EDSA 2 that one does not know whom to believe anymore. In fact, with all the muckraking going around, it is arguably judicious for one to simply tune out, assume a pose of Laodicean neutrality, ignore the venomous words being spattered everywhere and forget all things political like long-suffering docile citizens do most of the time.
Members and sympathizers of the political opposition are all too eager to believe. Administration stalwarts and sundry critics of Lacson are all too sure the allegations are nothing more than sick convolutions in the mind of an inveterate dissembler. Caught between the two camps of opposing faith are citizens who simply are at a loss, citizens who would only be too happy that the accusations be proven wrong but who nonetheless continue to harbor nagging suspicions that Mahusay�s accusations could all be true.
Granted, Sen. Lacson is throwing the kitchen sink at Mr. Arroyo for his own self-aggrandizement. No doubt, his explosive speech at the senate floor is part of his concerted effort to malign the present administration, destabilize the current political configuration and lay down the red carpet for the opposition�s ascension to power. By the senator�s reckoning, anything remotely dimming the President Arroyo�s political star couldn�t possibly hurt his own bid for the presidency. His legal problems in the United States are also effectively brought to a less harsh light given the far sexier controversy involving Mr. Arroyo.
Yet the allegations made by the senator cannot all be readily dismissed simply because the senator is a polluted source. Governor Chavit Singson, not so long ago, was also a polluted source. Singson then, as Sen. Lacson now, was also doing the exposes for equally self-aggrandizing reasons. Singson then wanted to stay alive; Sen. Lacson now wants to be president.
That the media are treating these news reports in what may appear to some a carnival manner is understandable. After all, President Arroyo came to power with a promise to begin things anew. It is only natural for people who were outraged by the corrupt Estrada administration to hold the Arroyo administration against the same exacting standards they set against Estrada.
The solution to the sorry impasse we are now is, alas, the one championed by Ms. Bunye, Mr. Arroyo�s spokesperson. The courts must now thresh out all these accusations. (I do not know how this will all work out since the allegations in Mahusay�s sworn statement are not exactly actionable criminal offenses: entering the LTA Building, calling Mr. Arroyo on the phone, receiving money from messengers, making bank deposits.)
The papers this morning reported that Mr. Arroyo has already filed libel charges against Sen. Lacson et al (including Rep. Gilbert Remulla of the NPC and Lacson�s chief of staff Lito Banayo). All well and good. The only hitch is that the Senate seems to be unstoppable in its own investigation regarding the matter. Some senators, no doubt, deeply regret that Mr. Arroyo, unlike former President Estrada, cannot be impeached (as what? husband to the president?) With elections just around the corner, I guess many of the senators can make use of some time appearing on the television, hugging free publicity and confounding our minds.
A more irenic political atmosphere is much desired nowadays. It is not congenial hearing anyone�s reputation besmirched with such freedom and ill will, be it one�s neighbor or the president�s husband. The president must do whatever is in the legal power of her office to settle these recriminations once and for all so that we could all apply our faculties to far weightier matters, like the coming WTO Cancun meeting, or, thank God for the Chinese, the Meteor Garden.
Thursday, August 28, 2003
Top Filipino films of all time
Nestor Torre of the Inquirer lists his top ten Filipino films of all time (in no particular order):
Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag
Biyaya ng Lupa
Juan Tamad Goes to Congress
Geron Busabos, ang Batang Quiapo
Kundiman ng Lahi
Ganito Kami, Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?
Batch '81.
Sister Stella L
The Moises Padilla Story
Jose Rizal
Nestor Torre of the Inquirer lists his top ten Filipino films of all time (in no particular order):
Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag
Biyaya ng Lupa
Juan Tamad Goes to Congress
Geron Busabos, ang Batang Quiapo
Kundiman ng Lahi
Ganito Kami, Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?
Batch '81.
Sister Stella L
The Moises Padilla Story
Jose Rizal
A President's Worth
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism offers an analysis of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's asset statements since she became senator in 1992.
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism offers an analysis of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's asset statements since she became senator in 1992.
Mahusay's statement against Mike Arroyo
Below is the sworn statement of Eugenio P. Mahusay executed on July 21, 2003.
Ako, EUGENIO P. MAHUSAY Jr., sapat ang gulang, Filipino, may asawa, at naninirahan sa Kaingin 1, Barangay Pansol, Lungsod ng Quezon, pagkatapos maka-panumpa nang sang-ayon sa ipinag-uutos ng batas ay malaya at kusang-loob na dito ay nagsasaysay:'
1. Na kami po ni Atty. Miguel Arroyo ay nagkakilala ng ako ay kasalukuyang Sangguniang Kabataan Chair-man ng Barangay Pansol. Ako po ay madalas na dumalaw sa kanyang tahanan sa 14 Badjao Street, La Vista Subdivision. Quezon City;
2. Na nang ako po ay ikasal noong Sept. 14, 1997 sa simbahan ng Sta. Maria dela Estrada sa Katipunan, Lungsod ng Quezon, si Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo at Senadora Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ang isa sa aking ninong at ninang;
3. Na ako po ay nagsimulang maglingkod kay Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo at Senadora Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo noong 1996 bilang isang mensahero sa Velco Bldg., Port Area, Manila;
4. Na nang si Senadora Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ay nahalal bilang Bise-Presidente ako po ay inilipat ni Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo sa LTA Realty Inc. na matatagpuan sa 118 Perea Street, Makati City bilang mensahero hanggang Marso 2002;
5. Na nang ako po ay nasa LTA Realty Inc. ako po ay madalas maatasang mag-deposito at mag-withdraw ng salapi na umaabot po ng milyun-milyong piso sa mga sumusunod na bank accounts
(See table page 7 - eds.)
6. Na kasama sa aking mga naideposito sa Jose Pidal account at Lualhati Foundation ay mga tseke mula sa mga kaibigan o ka-negosyo ni Atty. Miguel Arroyo at Presidente Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo tulad nila Honeyboy Palanca, Bob Go Tong, Amable Aguiluz, Dante Soriquez, George Ty, Ramon Jacinto at marami pang iba (Annex A);
7. Na mayroon din po akong naideposito na cash mula sa iba't ibang tao na nag-kakahalaga ng milyun-milyon na kanilang dinadala sa opisina ni Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo tulad po nila Benjamin Chua ng La Tonde?a, Efraim Genuino ang Chairman ng PAGCOR, Kishore Hemlani - isang rice trader at in-charge sa rice importations ng NFA, Atty. Ching Vargas - Office of the President, Finance Division, Pantaleon Alvarez - DOTC Secretary at Jeff Cheng ng PIATCO;
8. Na ang pinakamaraming salapi na dinala sa aming opisina ay mula kay G. Efraim Genuino ng PAGCOR. Halos dalawang beses isang linggo kung magdala ng salapi na nakalagay sa malaking bag si G. Ryan Cordeta, katiwala ni G. Efraim Genuino;
9. Ang karamihan po ng salapi ay akin pong naideposito o na-withdraw sa Union Bank-Perea Branch, sa Account No. 00-0073001483-6 na nakapangalan po kay Jose Pidal at ang signatory po ay si Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo at sa Account No. 073-001283-9 na nakapangalan po sa Lualhati Foundation. Marami rin po akong naideposito sa Account No. 073-001820-9 sa pangalan po ni Victoria Toh at sa Account No. 073-001993-7 sa pangalan naman po ni Thomas Toh Jr. na kapatid ni Victoria Toh. Mayroon din po akong naideposito at nawithdraw na nagkakahalaga ng milyon-milyon sa bank account ni Kevin Tan. na bayaw ni Victoria Toh, sa Union Bank-Perea Branch, sa Account No. 073-001833-7 at sa International Exchange Bank, Perea-Legaspi Branch na may Account No. 041-02-0-001720 na naka pangalan rin kay Kelvin Tan. Lahat po ng nasabing bank account ay may address na c/o Vicky Toh, 8th Floor, LTA Bldg., Perea Street. Makati City, Si Victoria Toh ay naabutan ko na sa LTA Realty Inc. na gumawa ng trabaho ng accountant
Siya pala ay kalaguyo ni Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo.
10. Na bilang patunay na ako po ay napag-uutusang mag-withdraw ng milyun-milyong salapi buhat sa mga nasabing bank accounts, makikita po ninyo ang aking lagda sa likod ng mga tsekeng nagamit na kung atin pong ipapakuha ang lahat ng record ng bangko sa mga nabanggit na accounts.
11. Isa sa mga nahawakan kong tseke ay mula kay Congressman Mark Jimenez na ibinigay kay Atty. Jose Miguel arroyo at aking ideneposito sa Jose Pidal at Lualhati Foundation accounts sa Union Bank-Perea Branch. Sa katunayan ito po ay lumabas sa pahayagang Daily Tribune noong Disyembre 29, 2002 at nagsasabing sa Union Bank-Perea Branch Account No. 0073-001483-6, isang pribadong bank account, naideposito ang ilan sa mga tseke ni Congressman Mark Jimenez.
12. Na ang lahat po ng utos patungkol sa pag-deposito at pag-withdraw ay nanggagaling kay Victoria Toh. Maging ang mga tseke nina Thomas Toh at Kelvin Tan, Jose Pidal at Lualhati Foundation ay si Vicky Toh ang gumagawa. Ang lahat ng aking ginagawang mga transaksyon sa bangko ay maaring patunayan ni G. Nestor "Atoy" Pineda, isang opisyal ng Union Bank-Perea Branch at aking personal na kakilala sa kadahilanang ako po ay laging tumatawag sa kanya sa telepono bago ako mag-withdraw ng salapi upang maibasta ang pera ng nagkakahalaga ng milyun-milyong piso;
13. Na kung susumahin ang halaga ng salapi na dumaan sa aking kamay bilang mensahero na napag-uutusang madalas sa bangko, aabot po ito ng Isang Bilyong Piso o higit pa hanggang ako po y umalis sa kumpanya noong Marso 2002;
14. Na ako po ay nauutusan din ni Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo sa kanyang mga personal na pangangailangan katulad po ng pagpapainom ng gamot, pagluluto ng kanyang paboritong pritong galunggong at pinakbet. Ako rin po ang taga-bili ng bulaklak na rosas para kay Victoria Toh sa tuwing sasapit ang araw ng mga puso. Ako rin po ang taga-masahe ni Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo kung wala si Ernesto Beltran o mas kilala bilang si "Tiyana". Nagsisilbi rin po ako ng red wine kina Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo at Victoria Toh sa silid ni Atty. Arroyo sa opisina hanggang alas diyes ng gabi lalo na kung wala si Presidente Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at may biyahe sa probinsiya. Ako po ay naisama na rin ni Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo at Victoria Toh sa pag-gagala sa Tagaytay sakay ng dilaw na helicopter, pag-aari ni Atty. Arroyo. Ito ay mapapatunayan ni "Nestor" at Weng Salud, mga maintenance crew ng helicopter.
15. Na noong pangalawang linggo ng Hulyo ng taong 2001, makaraan ang kaarawan ni Atty. Mike Arroyo, nagpa-withdraw siya ng pera sa account ni Jose Pidal at mula piso ito ay ipinalit sa dolyar sa Union Bank. Ito ay nagkakahalaga ng higit kumulang sa sampung libong dolyares. Ito ay aking binigay kay Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo at kanyang inilagay sa isang brown envelope at nakita kong ibinigay kay Col. Corpus at narinig ko po na ito ay gagamitin sa pagkalap ng mga impormasyon laban kay Senator Lacson.
16. Na ang salaysay na ito ay aking sinagawa bilang patotoo sa lahat ng nabanggit.
SA KATOTOHANAN NG LAHAT NA ITO, ako ay lumagda sa ibaba nito ngayong ika-21 araw ng buwan ng Hulyo, 2003 sa Makati.
Below is the sworn statement of Eugenio P. Mahusay executed on July 21, 2003.
Ako, EUGENIO P. MAHUSAY Jr., sapat ang gulang, Filipino, may asawa, at naninirahan sa Kaingin 1, Barangay Pansol, Lungsod ng Quezon, pagkatapos maka-panumpa nang sang-ayon sa ipinag-uutos ng batas ay malaya at kusang-loob na dito ay nagsasaysay:'
1. Na kami po ni Atty. Miguel Arroyo ay nagkakilala ng ako ay kasalukuyang Sangguniang Kabataan Chair-man ng Barangay Pansol. Ako po ay madalas na dumalaw sa kanyang tahanan sa 14 Badjao Street, La Vista Subdivision. Quezon City;
2. Na nang ako po ay ikasal noong Sept. 14, 1997 sa simbahan ng Sta. Maria dela Estrada sa Katipunan, Lungsod ng Quezon, si Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo at Senadora Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ang isa sa aking ninong at ninang;
3. Na ako po ay nagsimulang maglingkod kay Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo at Senadora Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo noong 1996 bilang isang mensahero sa Velco Bldg., Port Area, Manila;
4. Na nang si Senadora Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ay nahalal bilang Bise-Presidente ako po ay inilipat ni Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo sa LTA Realty Inc. na matatagpuan sa 118 Perea Street, Makati City bilang mensahero hanggang Marso 2002;
5. Na nang ako po ay nasa LTA Realty Inc. ako po ay madalas maatasang mag-deposito at mag-withdraw ng salapi na umaabot po ng milyun-milyong piso sa mga sumusunod na bank accounts
(See table page 7 - eds.)
6. Na kasama sa aking mga naideposito sa Jose Pidal account at Lualhati Foundation ay mga tseke mula sa mga kaibigan o ka-negosyo ni Atty. Miguel Arroyo at Presidente Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo tulad nila Honeyboy Palanca, Bob Go Tong, Amable Aguiluz, Dante Soriquez, George Ty, Ramon Jacinto at marami pang iba (Annex A);
7. Na mayroon din po akong naideposito na cash mula sa iba't ibang tao na nag-kakahalaga ng milyun-milyon na kanilang dinadala sa opisina ni Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo tulad po nila Benjamin Chua ng La Tonde?a, Efraim Genuino ang Chairman ng PAGCOR, Kishore Hemlani - isang rice trader at in-charge sa rice importations ng NFA, Atty. Ching Vargas - Office of the President, Finance Division, Pantaleon Alvarez - DOTC Secretary at Jeff Cheng ng PIATCO;
8. Na ang pinakamaraming salapi na dinala sa aming opisina ay mula kay G. Efraim Genuino ng PAGCOR. Halos dalawang beses isang linggo kung magdala ng salapi na nakalagay sa malaking bag si G. Ryan Cordeta, katiwala ni G. Efraim Genuino;
9. Ang karamihan po ng salapi ay akin pong naideposito o na-withdraw sa Union Bank-Perea Branch, sa Account No. 00-0073001483-6 na nakapangalan po kay Jose Pidal at ang signatory po ay si Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo at sa Account No. 073-001283-9 na nakapangalan po sa Lualhati Foundation. Marami rin po akong naideposito sa Account No. 073-001820-9 sa pangalan po ni Victoria Toh at sa Account No. 073-001993-7 sa pangalan naman po ni Thomas Toh Jr. na kapatid ni Victoria Toh. Mayroon din po akong naideposito at nawithdraw na nagkakahalaga ng milyon-milyon sa bank account ni Kevin Tan. na bayaw ni Victoria Toh, sa Union Bank-Perea Branch, sa Account No. 073-001833-7 at sa International Exchange Bank, Perea-Legaspi Branch na may Account No. 041-02-0-001720 na naka pangalan rin kay Kelvin Tan. Lahat po ng nasabing bank account ay may address na c/o Vicky Toh, 8th Floor, LTA Bldg., Perea Street. Makati City, Si Victoria Toh ay naabutan ko na sa LTA Realty Inc. na gumawa ng trabaho ng accountant
Siya pala ay kalaguyo ni Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo.
10. Na bilang patunay na ako po ay napag-uutusang mag-withdraw ng milyun-milyong salapi buhat sa mga nasabing bank accounts, makikita po ninyo ang aking lagda sa likod ng mga tsekeng nagamit na kung atin pong ipapakuha ang lahat ng record ng bangko sa mga nabanggit na accounts.
11. Isa sa mga nahawakan kong tseke ay mula kay Congressman Mark Jimenez na ibinigay kay Atty. Jose Miguel arroyo at aking ideneposito sa Jose Pidal at Lualhati Foundation accounts sa Union Bank-Perea Branch. Sa katunayan ito po ay lumabas sa pahayagang Daily Tribune noong Disyembre 29, 2002 at nagsasabing sa Union Bank-Perea Branch Account No. 0073-001483-6, isang pribadong bank account, naideposito ang ilan sa mga tseke ni Congressman Mark Jimenez.
12. Na ang lahat po ng utos patungkol sa pag-deposito at pag-withdraw ay nanggagaling kay Victoria Toh. Maging ang mga tseke nina Thomas Toh at Kelvin Tan, Jose Pidal at Lualhati Foundation ay si Vicky Toh ang gumagawa. Ang lahat ng aking ginagawang mga transaksyon sa bangko ay maaring patunayan ni G. Nestor "Atoy" Pineda, isang opisyal ng Union Bank-Perea Branch at aking personal na kakilala sa kadahilanang ako po ay laging tumatawag sa kanya sa telepono bago ako mag-withdraw ng salapi upang maibasta ang pera ng nagkakahalaga ng milyun-milyong piso;
13. Na kung susumahin ang halaga ng salapi na dumaan sa aking kamay bilang mensahero na napag-uutusang madalas sa bangko, aabot po ito ng Isang Bilyong Piso o higit pa hanggang ako po y umalis sa kumpanya noong Marso 2002;
14. Na ako po ay nauutusan din ni Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo sa kanyang mga personal na pangangailangan katulad po ng pagpapainom ng gamot, pagluluto ng kanyang paboritong pritong galunggong at pinakbet. Ako rin po ang taga-bili ng bulaklak na rosas para kay Victoria Toh sa tuwing sasapit ang araw ng mga puso. Ako rin po ang taga-masahe ni Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo kung wala si Ernesto Beltran o mas kilala bilang si "Tiyana". Nagsisilbi rin po ako ng red wine kina Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo at Victoria Toh sa silid ni Atty. Arroyo sa opisina hanggang alas diyes ng gabi lalo na kung wala si Presidente Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at may biyahe sa probinsiya. Ako po ay naisama na rin ni Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo at Victoria Toh sa pag-gagala sa Tagaytay sakay ng dilaw na helicopter, pag-aari ni Atty. Arroyo. Ito ay mapapatunayan ni "Nestor" at Weng Salud, mga maintenance crew ng helicopter.
15. Na noong pangalawang linggo ng Hulyo ng taong 2001, makaraan ang kaarawan ni Atty. Mike Arroyo, nagpa-withdraw siya ng pera sa account ni Jose Pidal at mula piso ito ay ipinalit sa dolyar sa Union Bank. Ito ay nagkakahalaga ng higit kumulang sa sampung libong dolyares. Ito ay aking binigay kay Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo at kanyang inilagay sa isang brown envelope at nakita kong ibinigay kay Col. Corpus at narinig ko po na ito ay gagamitin sa pagkalap ng mga impormasyon laban kay Senator Lacson.
16. Na ang salaysay na ito ay aking sinagawa bilang patotoo sa lahat ng nabanggit.
SA KATOTOHANAN NG LAHAT NA ITO, ako ay lumagda sa ibaba nito ngayong ika-21 araw ng buwan ng Hulyo, 2003 sa Makati.
Wednesday, August 27, 2003
Filipino entertainers in Japan
Yesterday, I chanced upon entertainers rehearsing their numbers prior to leaving for Japan come September. I was with a friend working for a talent agency hurrying the talents for the opening of a club in Kyoto (I think) on September 3. I thought we would be there briefly but it turned out my friend had to be there until the end of the rehearsal.
A quick observation first: These entertainers, contrary to popular notion that you may have of them, really do take their numbers seriously. You probably think they just improvise and be haphazard in their numbers, but no, they actually rehearse and as far as I saw were absolutely earnest in their desire to put up a good show. Professionals.
They were practicing until almost midnight. My friend, who had to supervise the rehearsal, and I had to eat our dinner at past midnight. The gaudy colorful costumes come straight from Kuya Germs and Belle Dancers� tailors, and one of the big bosses of the agency was particularly exacting in her sartorial standard. Shoulder pads had to be added to the shirts of the male entertainers to make their shoulders fuller. The bra top of one okama (gay transvestite) had to be tightened to better highlight his (or is it her?) ample bosom. And in a flash of great immodesty, one okama, questioned by the big boss on how to better highlight his breast, took off his bra top so that anybody passing on the street fronting the dance studio could have perfectly seen the display. My friend said the okamas are particularly proud of their breasts so they flaunt them every chance they get. Well, I guess if they aren�t real why be modest about them? Besides they look real and even look better than some of the real things. I am, of course, just guessing about the comparison.
It is easy to be dismissive of the work Filipino entertainers do in Japan. For one, their massive presence in the Land of the Rising Sun (which, incidentally, is no longer in the rise) effectively makes them the de facto ambassadors of our country--whether we like it or not. Most Japanese with any modicum of contact with the Philippines would have had the acquaintance with Philippine culture through an entertainer. And the dancers I saw at the rehearsal are all highlighting the hackneyed aspects of our dance culture from bamboo poles for their faux tinkling production number to a Tagalog song which sounds awfully reminiscent of the American group that sang the YMCA (the name escapes me presently). Besides, the Japanese government has not yet formally apologized for the crimes perpetrated by the Kempetai forces against our women during the Second World War.
But I guess those entertainers are simply doing their jobs. Surely there�s no harm in trying to earn a living. With our dear country in such a shitty state of affairs, it is almost a sin to begrudge our young people the chance to move up the social ladder in any way they can.
I wonder though how our entertainers in Japan could possibly contribute to Jessica Zafra�s grand plot to rule the world through our domestic help network, those bagong bayani dusting the seats of power in almost every country in the world. Our domestic helps are present in the houses of world leaders. I don�t know if the clientele of our japayukis and hostos include the party bosses of Japan�s ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Hmmm, that should be a big enough thought to last me a day at least.
Yesterday, I chanced upon entertainers rehearsing their numbers prior to leaving for Japan come September. I was with a friend working for a talent agency hurrying the talents for the opening of a club in Kyoto (I think) on September 3. I thought we would be there briefly but it turned out my friend had to be there until the end of the rehearsal.
A quick observation first: These entertainers, contrary to popular notion that you may have of them, really do take their numbers seriously. You probably think they just improvise and be haphazard in their numbers, but no, they actually rehearse and as far as I saw were absolutely earnest in their desire to put up a good show. Professionals.
They were practicing until almost midnight. My friend, who had to supervise the rehearsal, and I had to eat our dinner at past midnight. The gaudy colorful costumes come straight from Kuya Germs and Belle Dancers� tailors, and one of the big bosses of the agency was particularly exacting in her sartorial standard. Shoulder pads had to be added to the shirts of the male entertainers to make their shoulders fuller. The bra top of one okama (gay transvestite) had to be tightened to better highlight his (or is it her?) ample bosom. And in a flash of great immodesty, one okama, questioned by the big boss on how to better highlight his breast, took off his bra top so that anybody passing on the street fronting the dance studio could have perfectly seen the display. My friend said the okamas are particularly proud of their breasts so they flaunt them every chance they get. Well, I guess if they aren�t real why be modest about them? Besides they look real and even look better than some of the real things. I am, of course, just guessing about the comparison.
It is easy to be dismissive of the work Filipino entertainers do in Japan. For one, their massive presence in the Land of the Rising Sun (which, incidentally, is no longer in the rise) effectively makes them the de facto ambassadors of our country--whether we like it or not. Most Japanese with any modicum of contact with the Philippines would have had the acquaintance with Philippine culture through an entertainer. And the dancers I saw at the rehearsal are all highlighting the hackneyed aspects of our dance culture from bamboo poles for their faux tinkling production number to a Tagalog song which sounds awfully reminiscent of the American group that sang the YMCA (the name escapes me presently). Besides, the Japanese government has not yet formally apologized for the crimes perpetrated by the Kempetai forces against our women during the Second World War.
But I guess those entertainers are simply doing their jobs. Surely there�s no harm in trying to earn a living. With our dear country in such a shitty state of affairs, it is almost a sin to begrudge our young people the chance to move up the social ladder in any way they can.
I wonder though how our entertainers in Japan could possibly contribute to Jessica Zafra�s grand plot to rule the world through our domestic help network, those bagong bayani dusting the seats of power in almost every country in the world. Our domestic helps are present in the houses of world leaders. I don�t know if the clientele of our japayukis and hostos include the party bosses of Japan�s ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Hmmm, that should be a big enough thought to last me a day at least.
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