EDSA people power revolution...26 years after

ME pagbabago ba?

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Wynn sues Okada in US for 'bribing' Pagcor officials; Mike Arroyo got free accommodations

Wynn complaint vs Kazuo Okada

ADDITIONAL READS:

PNoy double standard for Pagcor chief hit

After days of defending the Pagcor chief, and calling the freebies he received as "industry practice", finally Aquino orders PAGCOR chief Naguiat probed on Okada bribery scandal. Better late than later. But we all know where this is going right?

Now this is a gem. What do Grace Lee and the Pagcor chief have in common?

Leon Archibald Po: By his father’s rules

BEFORE the August 5 hearing on the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) overpriced choppers, not too many Filipinos may have probably heard of Archie Po. People who know him are mostly in the tight-knit world of aviation, the privileged few who often charter aircraft to get where they’re going, and those in the market for helicopters.

A pilot himself, Leon Archibald Po owns LionAir Inc., the licensed distributor and service center of the Torrance-based Robinson Helicopter Co., the world’s leader in civil helicopter manufacturing.

He is one of the most sought-after men during the election season. His fleet of choppers and planes provide electoral candidates the needed campaign boost to cross the many islands of the archipelago.

And Po has flown them all—Gloria Arroyo, Joseph Estrada, the late Fernando Poe Jr., Chavit Singson, etc.—representing all colors of the political spectrum. “Of course, we’re non-partisan about it. Everyone is welcome to charter our choppers and planes,” he told me in an interview in December 2009. Even then, there was already an interesting mix of politicians or their representatives ringing him up, requesting his support for the May 2010 elections.

Sincere and unassuming
Archie Po, in December 2009, posing with his fleet of choppers at the LionAir Inc. hangar at the Manila Domestic Airport in Pasay. He is the usual go-to-guy during the election season. (Photo courtesy Asian Dragon)

From the short time I came to know Po, I saw him as a sincere, unassuming man. He is not someone who exactly stands out in a crowd because he is usually dressed down, wearing ordinary short-sleeved polo shirts and faded jeans, his feet shod in rugged sporty shoes. (That coat and tie worn during the Senate hearing was a definite stretch for him.)

As most men are wont to in pissing contests among themselves, he can also talk big, but not annoyingly so. Usually there is a lot of laughter accompanying his storytelling, but he doesn’t hesitate to poke fun at himself. He is certainly more comfortable speaking among friends in small groups, than in large gatherings where polite behavior and order is required. He takes the occasional drag on cigarettes, but doesn’t consume any alcohol as he is allergic to it, the same way his other siblings are.

Essentially, he struck me more as a dreamer, who merely wants a comfortable life for his wife and children—in the same manner he and siblings were brought up—as well as respectable returns on his various businesses. He is often thinking up of some new enterprise or some new project venture—“malikot mag-isip” is probably the apropos term to describe him.

But as a businessman, he didn’t appear to me as someone who would shake down others to get excessive commissions on deals. In fact, like most Filipinos, he, too, was just tired of the old political setup where red tape, unscrupulous politicians and double-dealing government officials were the norm, that’s why he was looking forward to the 2010 polls. Mostly, we talked about ways he could contribute to help the country regain its once-mighty economic status, a reality when he was growing up in the late ’50s.

But the path hasn’t been easy for businessmen like him.

“The bureaucracy has become a turnoff for most investors,” Po contends. “Alam mo, nagpagawa pa kami ng study nun—‘The Critical State of the Aviation Industry in the Philippines.’ Pinadala ko sa Congress. Pinagawa ko pati ’yung magkano binabayad namin sa gasoline. Kalokohan ’yung mga ibang taxes imposed on us investors. Airplanes are the bridges to our country, then you will impose too many restrictions?”

“In 1978 when I was in Malaysia, we were ahead in the airline industry and in technology,” he continues. “Now, lampaso na tayo. We’re the last in Asia. And now, bagsak pa tayo sa FAA [US Federal Aviation Administration]…Category 2 status na naman tayo,” he rants. It is the only time I hear him raise his voice. But after investing heavily in the local aviation business for some 30 years, who wouldn’t feel exasperated?

With his security now at risk since he came out and testified against some powerful political personalities in the PNP choppers anomaly, Po is understandably having sleepless nights these days. He is constantly on the move and doesn’t spend long hours in any one place, I am told. And meetings with lawyers occupy most of his time. This furtive life as a whistleblower is obviously not the one he had envisioned for himself and his family.

A boy and his paper planes
The toddler Archie, with his father, Joaquin Po Sr., founder of Popular Bookstore. (Courtesy Po family)

The sixth child among eight siblings, Po is a self-made businessman, learning much of the aviation industry on his own. His backstory on how he became an eventual success amid a challenging business environment, and after basically being a screwed-up teenager, is a page-turner.

The youngest boy of Joaquin Po Sr., founder of Popular Bookstore, and Flordeliza Legaspi (there are three other siblings from the elder Po’s first wife who had passed away), the young Po was once considered a brilliant student. “My parents were ultra-proud of me because I was only one of three students [in Lourdes School, Quezon City] who was accelerated to first year high school from grade six. I didn’t pass grade seven anymore,” he narrates.

But somehow, he lost his way while he was in high school, getting hooked on certain vices ­even he disdains to mention now, by the time he reached junior year. He was kicked out from Lourdes, then transferred from one school to another, finally graduating from San Sebastian College in Cavite.

For someone like his father who placed a great deal of value on learning, Po was certainly more than a disappointment. “Ako lang ang pinalayas mula sa bahay. As in ‘I don’t want to see your face!’” he quotes his father. He was 15 then and for one year, he and his father didn’t see or speak to each other, while he stayed with an uncle. They eventually reconciled after a year, when relatives intervened to patch the two up.

Instead of going into engineering at the Mapua Institute of Technology, as his father had wished—the Mapuas were family friends—Po took up a vocational course in aircraft maintenance and enrolled in flying school in 1973. “It’s always been my dream to fly. Any child’s dream is to fly, isn’t it? You start off with paper airplanes and that sort of stuff,” he recalls.

It was in flying school that his talent for business emerged. He borrowed money from his father, and along with a flight school buddy, Edwin Almeda, bought an airplane to lease to their classmates. “I told my Dad it was just like he was accelerating his payment for my flying lessons. I told him to lend me the money, then after we finish [flying school], I’ll sell the plane and give back the money to him.” A year-and-a half later, he fulfilled that promise to his father, and paid back the loan. Not only that, Po graduated in just a year, becoming the youngest pilot at 18 years old.

With a passion for the fast life, Po was also into motorbikes in the 1970s, becoming among the top motocross riders in the country as a member of Team Honda. But after busting up his leg in one ride, he decided to finally put his aviator skills to work.

From crop duster to airline owner
One of his first jobs as a pilot was as a crop duster in Malaysia in 1978, where he earned a fortune. “It was a high-risk, high-return job. You’re flying six feet above the trees but getting paid a bundle. We were paid per takeoff per ton. I make 100 takeoffs and landings in one day at $175 per takeoff, plus basic. Not bad, right?”

No longer just a boy and his paper planes - here teenage Archie flies the real thing in an undated photo. (Courtesy Po family)

By the time he was 24, he felt that the risk was not worth it. “I felt I would die in that job,” Po says. So he returned to Manila in 1980 and became the personal pilot of then Makati Mayor Nemesio Yabut.

He went on to set up Airspan Philippines which, after the Edsa People Power revolt in 1986, became the air transport of choice for high-powered politicians of differing persuasions during national elections. Between elections, Airspan shuttled hotel guests from the airport bypassing the traffic gridlock below.

By the time he sold Airspan in 1997 to JAKA, the Enrile family corporation, Po was heavily involved in Asian Spirit, and became instrumental in helping the airline expand its operations. It was the perfect time for a small airline to take flight. Philippine Airlines had pulled out of its missionary routes after its crippling financial difficulties forced a streamlining of operations, leaving Asian Spirit in the clear to dominate those routes.

He later sold his shares to CATS founder Antonio Ang in May 2007, sensing more difficult days ahead for the airline industry, what with the constant fuel price increases and increasing competition from more flexible carriers. “But by then, I already helped increase the value of our shares,” Po says with pride.

Expanding to tourism
Along with LionAir, which he set up in 2002, Po co-owns Executive Jets Asia (EJA), in partnership with American and Asian air transport experts. Based in Singapore, EJA offers executive jet charters in the region, although much of the business is now into air ambulance service.

“All our jets are convertible to air ambulances,” he explains, adding that the planes, mostly eight-seaters, are chartered by hospitals, insurance firms and individuals needing quick medical evacuations for critical medical conditions. “We bring in patients as far as Nepal and India to hospitals in Singapore, and also from Manila.”

In December 2009, he opened his 59-room boutique hotel in Boracay called Hotel Soffia. “It has always been a dream of mine to build a hotel on this island, which I passed so often during my flying days in the 1980s.”

This is the second boutique hotel to his name after the 48-room Hotel Fleuris in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, said to be a “favorite” among diplomatic embassies and consular offices, because of its reasonably priced rates. “I spent so much money on Fleuris, that I wasn’t looking for an ROI [return on investment]. A free lunch and a free dinner there, that’s good enough for me!” Po laughs heartily. “Like Soffia, it was just a dream to build that hotel.”

Last we spoke, he was considering to build another hotel, this time in Basco, Batanes, and was evaluating other possible hotel and resort sites in the country.

“I think the Philippines has no way to go except tourism. That is what will save our economy, not manufacturing, which is already the stronghold of China,” he stresses.

The hotel business “will give you money, but the returns aren’t as huge,” Po notes. “For years, I was in the business of high-risk, high-return investments. In hotels, eto ’yung mga ‘you’re getting older,’ and so you’ve mellowed down to a low-risk, low-return investment. Returns in the tourism industry are small, but solid. And your base, your property, appreciates. So you won’t go wrong.”

His dad’s respect
When pilots are lacking, Po usually takes the wheel of his choppers and personally flies his customers.(Photo courtesy Asian Dragon)

Despite his 56 years on this planet, Po shows no signs of slowing down. He just wants to accomplish more and do so many things all at the same time. I surmise it’s probably a throwback to his younger years when he still felt the need to prove himself to his father. Then, as now, those who are old enough to have met Joaquin Sr. speak of him with much reverence.

Looking back, the former black sheep says his most joyful days were when he was trying to earn the respect of his father. Po would show his father that he could make good deals, buying up old planes that no longer worked, then repairing them and making them fly again. He built up his fleet from the barest to having a successful charter service, and then moving on to own an airline.

“’Yun ’yung mga masasayang panahon ko. I was trying to get my Dad’s attention, his respect. What was touching was, when he told me once, mala-Ingglis pa ’yun e, sabi nya ‘Archie, what are you trying to prove? You’re richer than me!’ ’Yung parang, ‘sobra na e, you look after your health! What are you trying to prove?’ I told him, ‘No Dad, hindi naman ganun. I’m just enjoying myself.’”

The ultimate compliment his father paid to his son was in his final moments before passing on in 1997. “Pinagbilin nya sa akin ’yung mga kapatid ko,” says Po, his voice breaking ever so slightly at the memory. Despite being the youngest boy in the family, his father’s blessing has given him a significant voice in family matters. “At least kahit paano, ngayon, me ‘say’ na ako,” he quips.

I don’t know why Po turned whistleblower especially when he has so much at stake—an unsullied international reputation as a businessman, a huge network of aviation alliances, and a young family to protect. I can imagine it wasn’t an easy decision for him to make, especially with the mighty personalities he is up against. Maybe he is still just that same teenager trying to do what is right by his father’s rules.

(Originally published in the CEO Views section of the BusinessMirror, Aug. 8, 2011.)

A word from Prof. Winnie Monsod

I MAY not be from U.P., but I appreciate Prof. Monsod's appeal to her students. She speaks the truth. You want this country to prosper, then stay here and make it work. Not maybe for your sake, but for the sake of the future generations. Stop complaining about the corrupt officials in government if you yourselves cheat in class. We are all leaders...it's time we behave as such. Honor before excellence.

Art appreciation

Entitled "Thrice Upon a Time: A Century of Story in the Art of the Philippines," the show — hung alongside a separate collection of modernist works on loan from the Ateneo Art Gallery in Manila — runs at the Singapore Art Museum until Jan. 31. Underscoring its importance to the Philippines' often battered image abroad, the show was opened by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo herself. In doing so, she was obliged to march briskly past one of the more cheeky exhibits: a bottled collection of pungent smells, including an essence of rotten eggs labeled PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT. (Read more in TIME.)

On his own time daw

IT'S CHAKA-TIME!

1. Da who is this Cabinet Secretary running for an elective post in May 2010, who is rarely in his government agency these days? He claims that he is doing his campaigning on "my own time", and says the agency is not spending its funds for his visits to his home province. Hay naku, sino naman ang niloloko mo ateh? In fact, it's Friday today, still a working day, and he is already there in the province, accompanied by another govt official handling a major agency.

(Libre ba yang barong mo hijo? Of course the Cabinet Secretary in question is not this gwapo.)

Oh, and we are no longer surprised why he looks well-dressed all the time. Apparently his barongs are supplied free of charge by another govt agency. Employees of that agency mutter that they hardly have a decent budget to run their projects, and here they go having to finance the Cabinet Secretary's clothing needs. Yes, fellow taxpayers...we're paying for this guys' threads. As if he can't afford to buy his own clothes. Kakahiya! Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Clue: the Cabinet Secretary's home province is synonymous to kisses.

2. DA who is the head of this newly-formed regulatory agency who is said to have hired as many as 100 consultants, some of whom are even husbands and wives? Businessmen who have to deal w/ this agency complain that there's even more corruption there than in the previous agency it had superseded.

Its inspectors, for instance, who are tasked to oversee the safety of the equipment falling under the agency's purview don't even have the skills to check said equipment's standards. So those new businessmen who want to have their equipment checked and are not aware of this, can just pay off the inpspectors to give them a passing mark. And bec. licenses and safety permits are given annually, can you just imagine the humongous amounts of money coursing through that agency under the table?!?!

Clue: The head of the agency is said to be the alaga of an ageing senator, and also of a military persuasion.

3. As early as 2005, the presidentita and the head of her transportation agency was already told of the need for Caticlan's runway to be extended by at least 200 meters more. The presidentita said, however, Boracay was already "overcrowded" and overrun by resorts. What she failed to realize however, is that Boracay is the only island saving the tourism industry of the country as even during times of economic downturns, Pinoys who can no longer afford to go on vacations abroad just go to Boracay.

Because of the shortness of the runway, however, two planes of Zest Airways were involved in crashes in January and in June this year, leading to temporary closure of the airport. (Of course, it's also due to the fact that Zest Air's Chinese-made MA60 planes aren't exactly made for short takeoffs and landings.) This led to the govt deciding to only allow Seair and lately, PAL Express to use the Caticlan runway. All other airlines have to land and takeoff in Kalibo. Consequently, most resorts and restaurants on the island have complained of a 20% drop in business, as tourists don't want to pay a premium for the convenience of landing in Caticlan, just 15 mins away from the island resort, compared to Kalibo, which is an hour and a half away.

Although the airport has been privatized and supposed to be developed by a group led by George Yang of McDonalds Phils. (Golden Arches), on our recent visit to Boracay, we didn't see any construction activity ongoing at the terminal nor the runway at all. With the recession still ongoing, and tourists not wanting to shell out more money to pay to land in Caticlan, we doubt that it would be a Merry Christmas for Boracaynons this year.

More chakahans next week!

GMA sings!

“First, I am not afraid
I’m not petrified
Kept thinking I could always live
with immunity by my side
Though I spent so many nights
thinking I did nothing wrong
I am strong
I learned how to carry on
(Sung to Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive)

Sing along to the presidentita's new top hit! Click The Professional Heckler for the rest of the lyrics. Me minus one pa kasama! O ha!

Thought for the day... (2nd update)

IF you look like a slut, and behave like a slut, you'll be treated like a slut.

Bato, bato sa langit...

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Of course I wrote the above in reference to someone else, but whaddya know? Here's one who's sold her soul to the devil: GMA to run for Congress.

(What she really is. Photo from the Manila Baywatch.)
I really hope someone files his/her own candidacy in the same district to fight this evil incarnate, and defeats her. She needs to be told she isn't wanted anywhere. I don't think Capampangans are suckers for pain to intentionally want this gloria madness inflicted on themselves. (A word from the Warrior Lawyer why UP professor Randy David backed out from his earlier planned candidacy vs. GMA.)

Wow, I actually thought she couldn't top herself, but this really takes the cake! She is sooooo in love with herself and so greedy she intends to perpetuate herself in power. Di na nahiya sa kapal ng balat at mukha. Nakakadiri!

Well it's up to the Capampangans now. I hope they wake up to the reality that GMA is no good for this country nor for their province.

Merry Christmas!

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(UPDATE 12/01/09, 3:16 pm) And in case you haven't heard, here's another one with the gall to run for public office after stealing taxpayers' money! Like master, like tuta.

More on the Ampatuan clan of Maguindanao (updated)

(The presidentita, ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan and his father Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., Sen. Miguel Zubiri, and Basilan Gov. Jum Akbar, in prayer at an RDCC meeting in July 2008. Photo from RMN Mindanao.)

In its 2007 Elections Forensics Report, the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) noted: “The Ampatuan dynasty based in Maguindanao province is Arroyo’s present conduit in helping ensure her influence over the whole of Mindanao, which hosts many of the country’s grizzled but otherwise powerful political clans.” (Read the 2008 report of PCIJ.)

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(Datu Unsay town mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., center, with Secretary Jesus Dureza, right, upon landing at the General Santos City airport. Notice, the suspect isn't handcuffed. Just part of the administration's kid-gloves treatment. Photo and story in the Inquirer.)

Reality bites (Updated 11:47 pm, 11/26/09)

LIKE many of my colleagues in media, I too condemn in the strongest possible terms the hostage-taking and senseless killings that took place in Maguindanao earlier this week. There is no reason to involve women and innocent civilians such as journalists in violent schemes to settle political differences. As of the latest count, there were 47 dead, and yet no arrests have been made! All the government has done is declare a state of emergency. WTF?!?!

Let me tell you that back in the late 1980’s when I had the opportunity to work in the government, there was no fear of traveling to the far reaches of Mindanao. The places we usually read about now that lay host to these political killings or terrorist activities by Muslim extremists were places I used to travel with my bosses and fellow journalists. We would criss-cross Mindanao by land, with hardly a trail of military escorts because it was peaceful then.

Mindanao is a beautiful resource-rich region where most residents are men and women who once peacefully co-existed with others despite their dissimilar political, religious and cultural backgrounds. May the next president of this country be able to solve the peace and order issues in Mindanao so its people can return to their normal lives and prosper in peace.

The statements of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines here (courtesy of Nonoy Espina), and the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) here.

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From an eyewitness: "Datu Andal himself said, he said to us: 'anyone from the Mangudadatu clan - women or children - should be killed...' We don't ask why, we just followed orders." (Read the rest in Al Jazeera.)

Ampatuan's denial here.

RSF to the presidentita: 'Choose better political allies'

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LIST of journalists who were killed in Ampatuan, Maguinadano, as per GMA News. Pls. say a prayer for the eternal repose of their souls.

1. Ian Subang, Socsargen Today, General Santos City
2. Lea Dalmacio, Socsargen News, General Santos City
3. Gina De la Cruz, Saksi News, General Santos City
4. Maritess Cablitas, News Focus, General Santos City
5. Rosell Morales, News Focus, General Santos City
6. Henry Araneta, Radio DZRH, General Santos City
7. Neneng Montaño, Saksi News, General Santos City
8. Alejandro “Bong" Reblando, Manila Bulletin, General Santos City
9. Victor Nuñez, UNTV (senior correspondent), General Santos City
10. Mark Gilbert “Mac-Mac" Arriola, UNTV (cameraman), General Santos City
11. Bal Cachuela, Punto News, Koronadal City
12. Ernesto “Bart" Maravilla, Bombo Radyo, Koronadal City
13. Ronie Perante, Gold Star Daily correspondent, Koronadal City
14. Joel Parcon, Prontiera News, Koronadal City
15. Jun Legarte, Prontiera News, Koronadal City
16. Rey Merisco, Periodico Ini, Koronadal City
17. John Caniban, Periodico Ini, Koronadal City
18. Arturo Betia, Periodico Ini, Koronadal City
19. Noel Decena, Periodico Ini, Koronadal City
20. Rani Razon, Periodico Ini, Koronadal City
21. Jhoy Duhay, Gold Star Daily, Tacurong City
22. Andy Teodoro, Central Mindanao Inquirer, Tacurong City
23. Jimmy Cabilo, Midland Review, Tacurong City
24. (missing) Reynaldo “Bebot" Momay, Midland Review, Tacurong City
25. Napoleon Salaysay, Mindanao Gazette, Cotabato City
26. Jun Gatchalian, Davao City
27. Lindo Lupogan, News Media Gazette, Davao City
28. Jolito Evardo, UNTV (driver), General Santos City
29. Daniel Tiamzon, UNTV (asst. cameraman and editor), General Santos City

If Edu has the Papaya Dance...

...GMA has the Poker Face dance!

How to cure (political) constipation (UPDATED)

I LOVE Edu Manzano. There I said it. "Love" not in a thumpity-thump heart-beat kind of way, but "love" as in I really admire his talents.

He was an excellent actor, even better than most Pinoys' favorite, Boyet de Leon, who I think tends to be OA. Edu's terrific sense of humor, intelligence, and articulacy in both the English and Filipino languages (not to mention the Ilonggo dialect) make him a natural host whether it be for a game show, a talk show, or a variety show. And apparently, he's even a good dancer! with his Papaya Dance capturing even the imagination of Good Morning America anchors in the U.S. You name it, he has the chops. Edu is one of best entertainers in the country and gives some amount of class to an industry peppered with the likes of Wowowillie.

But will he make a good vice president for the Philippines?

Edu was vice mayor of Makati in 1998 and almost didn't get to assume the position because his opponents claimed he was not a Filipino citizen. For those who don't know, Edu was born in San Francisco in Sept. 1955. But the Comelec ruled on Sept. 1998, that he was indeed Filipino by virtue of having registered as a Filipino voter. The case was elevated to the Supreme Court but the justices likewise ruled in Edu's favor.

His term of office was largely unremarkable I don't remember any earthshaking accomplishments. But I suppose he was largely sidelined from doing much more than he could bec. it was really Jojo Binay who was running the show, being the mayor.

Edu took a shot at the mayoralty position in 2001, fighting the massive machinery and experience of Binay and lost. He ran on an anti-corruption platform backed by the Forbes Park crowd, but it's been alleged that he knew he was not going to emerge victorious in that race. But as everyone joked then, at least he ended up fiscally fit. Hmmph! Bad talaga kayo.

After losing that election, Edu went back to showbusiness until he was appointed as the very first chairman of the Optical Media Board in 2004, after the Optical Media Act was signed into law in 2003. The OMB, whose forerunner was the Videogram Regulatory Board, is supposed to spearhead the fight against film piracy.

I don't know about you guys, but it seems to me there are more pirated discs flooding the market even before this particular law was enacted. Sure there have been few high-profile raids vs small retailers of pirated discs w/c we see reported intermittently on TV and the newspapers, but the problem continues. And it's been what? five years since the OMB has been operating? Tsk, tsk. Again there are many rumors floating around why film piracy continues and why Edu has largely been unsuccessful in eliminating it, some of w/c are not fit to publish here. Interestingly enough, Edu blames the rampant film piracy on Muslim extremists in the South.

Then between hosting jobs and his OMB stint, he founded the Ako Mismo organization w/c was eyed w/ much suspicion, for not immediately identifying the proponents behind it and what the movement was all about. The movement was foisted on the public via TV ad w/c featured a number of celebrities and thought to be the vehicle to push the presidential candidacy of businessman Manny Pangilinan. Edu finally went on ANC explaining that the organization was advocating for change by encouraging Filipinos to stand up for themselves and not depend on anyone else but themselves to institute reforms.

While he has said that the movement is non-political, w/ his run for VP, I doubt if it will remain as such. In fact, as I wrote then, I thought the Ako Mismo campaign seemed suspiciously like a pro-administration movement bec. after all, Edu is a GMA appointee. Well, well, well...I told you so.



The many loves of Edu: (clockwise from top left) Vilma Santos, Maricel Soriano, Rina Samson and Pinky Webb. Photos from PEP, Photobucket, and Facebook.

On the personal side, Edu's lovelife has always been super interesting! He was once married to Gov. Ate Vi (who has sensibly decided to continue taking care of Batangas) and they have a son Luis (aka Lucky), also an actor. He then moved on to Maricel Soriano who I hear has just broken up w/ her most recent significant other. Then made the bed w/ Rina Samson - a former ground stewardess w/ Cathay Pacific - and w/ whom he has two children, Amanda Danielle and Lorenzo. Now he is said to be engaged to ANC news anchor Pinky Webb. Ang colorful di ba?!?! (Hmm...I wonder if ABS-CBN will ask Pinky to go on leave as well, the way management did w/ Ate Koring. And naku! are we in for another 'wedding of the year' ala MAR-Koring?)

(UPDATE 11/19/09: Accdg to the news today, Edu has confirmed that he and Pinky have split up. Not surprising. He was kinda uneasy when he answered Tina Monzon-Palma's question two days ago on whether Pinky knew about his VP plan. He said, she was surprised, and added, "We haven't spoken for a while." Ay grabeh. So no wedding of the year in 2010. Oh well.)

To answer my own question, while I respect Edu and his talents, he has yet to prove himself in the area of public service. It's pretty obvious why he was chosen by the ruling PaLaKa party to be Sec. Gilbert Teodoro's running mate in the 2010 elections. They are running scared and are desperate to shore up Gibo's popularity w/c has been lingering in the single-digit percentages. And after turning on their asses for weeks who could do the job, they finally "force out Edu, the Papaya King, to cure the party's political constipation!" as a Facebook friend puts it. Haha.

Does the PaLaKa stand a better chance now that it has Edu as its VP? No. I think Pinoy voters will decidedly remain anti-Gloria and will always associate the Gibo-Edu tandem w/ her. Both will still represent the corrupt practices that this administration continues to engage in and the blatant dishonesty that has marked her presidency. The party will not be able detach their team from what she represents, yes, even if she steps down from its chairmanship. That's how much damage the presidentita has done to the country, to the bureaucracy, and to her party.

I conclude w/ a quote from Edu himself from this noon's press briefing: (To Gibo, after the latter introduces Edu's background and advocacies in rather glowing terms): "Not even my mother has spoken highly of me!" Ayus.

I'm sorry, I have no sympathy for you (Updated)

I JUST got off the phone w/ a Cabinet official who called me about my concern regarding donations by foreign groups of used clothing. Apparently, there is a law preventing such imports because of the growing ukay-ukay business in the country.

To go around this law, Malacañang has instructed that donations of used clothing be consigned to DSWD instead. (Upate 11:34: If the DSWD receives the donations, the payment of import taxes are deferred.) I told this Cabinet official that DSWD is overburdened already feeding people in the evacuation centers that's why it's the private sector which is taking up the slack. Why can't Customs or the Dept of Finance just accredit a few charitable foundations of relief organizations to receive these donations from abroad?

"There is a law," he stressed over and over, and they couldn't just violate it. With all the bright legal minds in Malacañang, consigning the goods to the DSWD was the only solution they could think of? This is an effing emergency situation! But when it comes to flouting the laws, our officials are number one! Especially you know who!

The Cabinet official said there were already concerns that some importers are taking advantage of the situation and "nagpupuslit ng contraband". So prosecute them for heaven's sake! Why penalize the rest who have only a sincere desire to help Ondoy's victims?

Then the Cabinet official sighed that he has not been sleeping for six days since Typhoon Ondoy. I don't know what he expected me to say. Should I have said, "kawawa ka naman" and sympathized w/ his lack of sleep? I was stumped. People have lost their homes, family members, friends, lack food and water, and are getting sick in the evac centers...and I was supposed to pity one Cabinet official who was suffering from sleep deprivation? I felt a lump in my throat. I wanted to scream at him and cry at the same time. How dare he!

In the first place, we wouldn't have this many flood victims if only you, the gov't, did your job! I have tried to contain myself from blowing up since Saturday, seeing how NDCC and its head, Defense Sec. Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro blundered their way through the rescue efforts of the flood victims. But privately, I have been fuming on Facebook about how many lives the government could have saved, if only they were prepared for disasters.


(Gibo talks about disaster preparedness. Ptooey!)

Like FEMA director Michael Brown during the Hurricane Katrina disaster in Sept. 2005, Gibo sent out rescue teams only when Ondoy was on its way out of the country. As early as 1 pm on Sat. Sept 26, residents of Marikina were already hunched on their roofs, waiting to be rescued! Gibo eventually sent in the much-ridiculed 13 rubber boats (mostly from the Phil. Navy) to the flooded areas at 10 pm!

By midnight, Marikina residents were texting DZMM that President Arroyo had arrived "para magpapakitang tao." The victims who were cold, hungry, and missing their families were not fooled by her fake concern. What makes our blood boil is knowing that the presidentita used up P800 million of the contingency/disaster fund for her foreign travels! How many rescue boats could have been bought w/ that money?

Now we realize even more how stupid this government really is! They can't even get their acts together to decide whether or not Malacañang should be an evacuation/relief center. They can't even come up w/ a simple plan or legal document to temporarily lift relief the ban on donated used clothing? Right now, I've received reports of Customs agents seizing ALL shipments of donations at our ports! People abroad are willing to help our flood victims here. And yet all the govt can come up w/ is even more red tape! Anoba?!

Now, in preparation for Typhoon Parma (local codename Pepeng), disaster czar Teodoro wants to forcibly evacuate minors only from low-lying areas. Why minors only? If the situation is that dangerous, then evacuate everyone! Use your powers as NDCC chief and Defense Sec. to order a systematic evacuation of these areas by using your armed forces. Call in the reserved forces as well to help conduct an orderly evacuation, and don't take crap from stubborn residents. Man up Gibo! This is what you should have done last Saturday at the height of Ondoy.

Isn't anyone thinking straight anymore in Malacañang?!?! Oh right, they haven't slept for six days. erg

Da who is depressed!

Congressman Mikey Arroyo rails at Facebook

By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 14:22:00 09/30/2009

MANILA, Philippines — Pampanga Representative Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo on Tuesday pushed for tighter regulation of the world’s leading social networking site, Facebook, after he claimed to be a victim of a “malicious attack” by one of its members.

“My picture was posted on Facebook with a caption saying I was shopping for wine at the height of [Storm] ‘Ondoy.’ [This] is another malicious attack on my person. It is so depressing,” Arroyo wrote in an e-mail response to the Facebook post which has appeared in several blogs. (Click here for the rest.)

Ay, kaluoy. Maybe he should see a psychiatrist to treat his depression?

Btw, the photo he refers to was taken on Sunday, the day after Typhoon Ondoy ravaged the metropolis, not on Saturday. Sorry, wrong excuse pa din.

Does he think this is China or Iran, where Facebook is regulated? Maybe his mother should just ship him there. I would if I had a son like him.

Da who?!

Guess who was seen buying liquor at Rustan's Supermarket along Katipunan Ave., QC on Sunday, while our kababayans were still stranded all over the metropolis, or up on the roofs of their flooded homes - cold, weary, and hungry - bec. gov't rescue teams were so slow in getting to them? (After all 13 lang nga ang rubber boats ng NDCC w/c were deployed only at 10 pm on Saturday evening! Galing mo Gibo!)

Click here to find out who da who is!

Commercial muna...

Kapitan Kidlat caught lying through his teeth. The smartest things he can only say is, "talk to my lawyer when he gets back from abroad," and "sue me." Under intense grilling, he shows himself as nothing but flippant, arrogant, and inarticulate. Even his mother will bop him on the head for this poor performance. Who the hell wrote his script anyway? Go back to acting school, hijo.





Dontcha just love Winnie Monsod?!?!

Meanwhile, check out Manolo Quezon's blog for more on Kidlat's Foster City home.

FOUND! Arroyo sons' properties in California

HERE'S a great story to start off your week, even though it's still a holiday today.

PRESIDENTIAL son and Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo has failed to declare in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN) for the last two years a $1.32 million or P63.7 million beachfront property in the San Francisco Bay Area in California, which he bought and then transferred to his wife Angela in 2006. (Click Vera Files for the rest.)

Btw, folks, let me assure that while the house doesn't look like much from the outside, Foster City is widely known as one of the most affluent areas in California. It is where the rich folk of San Mateo County reside. Last I heard about this property was in July 2008, and that time, the house was undergoing renovation, and a small living area for the property owner's julalays was being constructed.

(UPDATE 6:18 pm) According to Rep. Arroyo, excuse my dust! he can afford to buy this house in San Mateo. Oo nga naman, di ba all his films made money?



Watch out, we have another national artist in the making here.

One of the world's most expensive hotel suites

DRUM ROLL PLS...

THE Presidential Suite at the Plaza Hotel in New York is one of them. One night's stay costs $15,000, according to the Travel Channel.

Guess who stayed there in September, 2008 while attending the United Nations General Assembly as well as various meetings with businessmen, and a women's conference w/ former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice?


The caption is supplied by the Office of the Press Secretary and available on the OPS web site. It says: "President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo confers with (L-R) Citibank CEO Bill Ferguson and Citibank Chairman Bill Rhodes who paid a courtesy call on her Monday afternoon (Sept. 22, NY time) at the President’s suite at The Plaza Hotel in New York City. The President is in New York to attend the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and hold a series of meetings with world financial and political leaders. (Rey Baniquet/OPS-NIB Photo)"

Of course we don't expect the presidentita to stay at the "Y", but come now, did she have to stay at The Plaza's presidential suite? Just bec. you're a president of a country doesn't mean you have to stay in a presidential suite! Besides, isn't the gov't supposed to be cutting back on expenses bec. of its burgeoning budget deficit? (As of the first half of 2009, the budget gap has widened to P153.4 billion or $3.21 billion.)

Even Eloise, sweet child that she is, is bound to raise an eyebrow at this!

(P.S. Thank you anonymous 11: 58 pm for the correction. Actually the most expensive hotel suite appears to be the $40,000 a night Hugh Hefner Sky Villa at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. But accdg. to several news items I've read just now, there are very few guests who actually check into these suites. The bulk of the guests in the high-end category still check into presidential suites. I suppose that could be the explanation behind Travel Channel's piece on the most expensive hotel suites in the world.)

Let them eat steak!

NOW I'm the one getting a heartburn! But can you blame me? I can't stop laughing after reading one more stupidity from this glorious administration. Check this out: Two big meals. (Repost from MLQ3 via FB)

Of course, this meal wasn't as bad as Le Cirque's ($230/pax vs $740/pax at Le Cirque is no contest), but I'm just amused how all these stories of her dining pleasures are now coming to fore. I'm guessing the Pinoys behind the counter are the ones ratting out the presidentita.

Well, she wished for the foreign media's coverage. Now she's got it.

Btw, if you can guess who the woman w/ the handbag was, maybe I'll give you a prize.

(UPDATE 7:43 pm) Here's the same thing in the New York Post. My what a frenzy the presidentita has caused among the US media. Now they're trying to outdo each other in reporting about her eating habits. haha.

In the meantime, here's Barack Obama eating at a fast food joint again:



Now who was the idiot who said if we expected the presidentita to eat at a hot dog stand only in New York? Haller? Has this idiot ever gone to New York before this trip w/ his boss? Eating at a hot dog stand is what many New Yorkers do. Excuse me, even celebrities and VIPs do it. Go ask Mayor Bloomberg and Donald Trump, gago. Hay, que horror! The presidentita should really get a new apologist!

The propaganda

(Rep. Romualdez w/ GMA in New York. Photo from the congressman's web site.)

DOESN'T anyone find it strange that Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, who supposedly foot the $20,000 Le Cirque tab of the presidentita and her band of loyal sipsips, is nowhere to be found? He's just keeping quiet about the whole affair, which I think is even more incriminating for the presidentita dontcha think?

(Btw, pls. be warned that the "tab" that supposedly has been posted by several bloggers and shared on Facebook is not real. The original post can be found in Manolo Quezon's blog and he clearly says there that it's a "theoretical" tab, an explanation how it could have reached $20,000. So quit posting it guys and stop spreading the disinformation.)

So, people are wondering how Romualdez could afford such a dinner. Well from what I hear, he was a banker and of course, a million pesos is just a drop in the bucket for bankers esp. if they're working for foreign institutions. And well, just read your history books and find out how the family became so wealthy. (Just for your added knowledge, Rep. Romualdez is the son of former Ambassador Benjamin 'Kokoy' Romualdez, a brother of former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos. The congressman is also the younger brother of Benjamin Philip Romualdez, chairman of Benguet Corp. who is married to the Inquirer's Sandy Prieto.)

I wonder what Rep, Romualdez's constituents now feel about him after reading that he spent $20,000 for a lavish dinner for his beloved president? You see, apart from progressive Tacloban, most of the municipalities in the congressman's first district are either 3rd class, 4th class or 5th class municipalities - meaning people there are dirt poor and don't have access to basic services. Imagine how P1 million could've helped his constituents! Tsk, tsk.

(FINAL UPDATE: The Presidentita and her loyal sipsips at dinner. Many have been asking if this is the photo of THE dinner - or dinners, as we are now hearing - at Le Cirque. I just confirmed that it is not bec. NEDA DG Ralph "Ate Vi" Recto, who is at the right of GMA, wasn't part of this last NY trip. As per a source, this is the dining room at the Townhouse, the official residence of our Philippines Permanent Rep. to the UN, Hilario Davide. This was taken sometime in Sept. 2008, when the presidentita made a speech at the UN. Rep. Romualdez is on the far left. I told my source that this room kinda reminds me of the private dining area of the Presidential Suite in Waldorf Astoria. Hmmm...)

In case Malacañang still doesn't get it (and yes, Le Cerge, we know you're just doing your job but you're really just making an A** of yourself doing so), the howls of protest from the citizenry are not about the dinner per se and who paid for it, but how the presidentita (and her loyal sipsips) can sleep soundly at night, having just eaten a costly dinner (about P950,000), when the rest of her kababayan here can't even eat one square meal a day? And pls. don't tell us Le Cerge that nobody among your crew knew how expensive dinner at Le Cirque would be - well maybe YOU don't - but that's exactly why nagkandarapa kayo sumama sa dinner na yan is bec. you know can't afford kayo!

No one is begrudging Mrs. Arroyo her good food and wine on her wedding anniversary at that, and by most accounts, Le Cirque is one of the best fine dining restaurants in New York, but yes, it is all about appearances. The leader of a third world country where most of its citizens earn less than $2 a day seen dining at an expensive restaurant just sends the wrong signals doesn't it? There she was trying to get some bit of good news for her and successful trip, hoping she gets a mention in the foreign media, but she just botches it by dining, unthinking, at Le Cirque. Even NY Post's Richard Johnson knew something was amiss in that picture. Then again, hey, at least she did get a mention in the US media. Oh aren't we all so proud of her!

(The presidentita and her minions sightseeing in LA in 2008. Is that Jaza I see on the right? My, my, we've put on the pounds haven't we? Rep. Romualdez's web site is such a treasure trove for photos documenting the presidentita's moves. We thank him from the bottom of our heart for all these photos.)

* * * *
Now I don't mean to waste your time or bore you w/ text messages. But I just wanted to let you read the kind of propaganda coming from Malacañang, especially in the light of the recent $20,000-dinner at Le Cirque. These are just examples of the kind of poor, inefficient thinking that goes on in the seat of power. And I feel insulted, because man, if this is the kind of sh** we taxpayers are paying for (to defend the presidentita's honor), then I want my money back!

From: 0935-1913-785 (Aug. 10, 5:36 pm): masyado nman sinesensionalays issue bawat galaw GMA. Ganito trabaho oposisyon. dpat linisin bakuran nyo alisin puwing mata b4 magma2linis s sambaynang pilipino

From 0916-9194-270 (Aug. 10, 4: 37 pm): BAKIT SI BINAY PAG PUMUPUNTA SA ABROAD SA JAPAN AT PINAPAKAIN SIYA KOBE BEEF NG MGA JAPON NA NAPAKAMAHAL D SIYA NAG REREKLAMO MAGPAKATOTOO KA NAMAN

From 0905-8381-099 (Aug. 10, 4:37 pm): C MAR ROXAS AT DRILLON DPAT MAHIYA SA LIBING NI PRES. CORY WLANG GINAWA KUNDI PAG HUMIHINTO CORTEGE BUMABABA AT NAKIKIPAGKAMAY S MGA TAO PRA KUMAMPANYA NAKA2HIYA (Me: teka na-late ata tong text na to a. Last week pa ang libing.)

And you don't want to know what Malacañang has been saying about Sen. Noynoy Aquino during the wake of his mother. Out of respect for Tita Cory, I'm not gonna publish it, but imagine how idiotic Malacañang's propaganda machine is, its handlers won't spare anyone, even the son of the deceased president. Tsk, tsk.

Oh and maybe, someone should shut up Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo, who is probably doing even worse explaining the dinner away. Loose lips sink ships.

Coolness!

Click this.

This is not: Click! and Click! (scroll down).

The palusot here.