Ka-Blog!

I join the country in expressing disappointment over Romulo Neri’s refusal to divulge what he and gloria talked about regarding the anomalous broadband deal with the Chinese.  If you recall, Neri testified before the Senate that he informed the sitting president about Benjamin Abalos’ “Sec, may 200 ka dito” bribe try, to which gloria reportedly told Neri “not to accept it.” 

             I think it wasn’t gloria’s opposition to bribes per se that made her issue that uncharacteristic command to Neri.  Perhaps she thought the 200 million bribe is better cornered by her husband than this bureaucrat.  Remember that Big Mike had a stake in the deal as he met with all the players involved, even menacingly pointing a finger at Joey de Venecia and telling him to “Back off!”  For all her faults, Imelda has never been accused of cornering “commissions” in such an obvious manner—she just shopped in New York.  This country’s first First Gentleman (gag!) is in the thick of the dealings every time.  And he has no qualms in doing it.  She has her feisty unica hija Lourdes to always defend him anyway.

            The verdict on Neri is out: he has been found wanting.  Personally, I think Neri is a traitor to the Filipino people.  He could have grabbed his moment of greatness and came clean with anything that could have implicated gloria’s complicity in this.  He owes the people the truth much more than he owes gloria his loyalty.  If he does not have anything on gloria he should not have invoked the executive privilege doctrine whenever the questioning came close to implicating her.

* * * *

Much has been written about Joker Arroyo.  Many thought he was the good Arroyo.  His contributions in the fight against martial rule and its abuses were legendary.  That could never be taken away from him.

            But Joker’s luster is dimming a bit these days.  If the Inquirer report is factual, Joker might have betrayed himself and the people when he prevented Neri from talking about what he knew about gma’s role in the billion-peso broadband anomaly.

            The Joker of old would have ordered Neri to tell all in the interest of justice and truth.  Today’s Joker leaned on Neri not to talk.

            The turning of leaves among the bourgeois is always more complete.

* * * *

The same Inquirer report said that Budget and Management secretary Nonong Andaya invited himself to the senators-only executive session to allow Neri to come off clean.  Surely, he was there to remind Neri the Palace is looking at him.

            Neri is a coward.  The Senate is dumb.  Andaya is a goon.  gma is a turd.

* * * *

Just what did the Filipino people miss because of all these?

            The opportunity to learn the truth.

            The opportunity to rise up in anger over the daylight robbery happening before their eyes.

            The opportunity for another start in creating a just and progressive society with an honest and clean government.

I thought it was way past me to be affected like this.  I shouted and punched the air whenever a Red Lion punctured the Araneta Coliseum hoops against the Letran Knights.  When the thousands sung our Alma Mater Hymn, I got goose bumps all over.

            Yes, tonight I will be raising a frothy glass to my old school San Beda for winning back-to-back championships in the seniors basketball event of the 83^rd NCAA.

            I am so happy for Rogemar Menor for being named the Finals MVP this year.  He is among the handful Reb Cubs standouts these past decades who stuck it out with the school.  He is a champion twice over.

            I am happy for Yousif Aljamal, another Red Cub grad.  He is the only NCAA player to have been drafted into the PBA this year.  And he leaves the league a back-to-back champ and a Finals MVP last year.

            I am happy for all the Lions who gave us fanatics a splendid season—14 wins against a loss.  Pong Escobal, Sam Ekwe, coach Frankie Lim and the rest of the crew.  They worked so hard for this honor.  They looked beyond all the brickbrats thrown their way and emerged as winners.

            Now, the only thing remaining is for the current crop of students and recent grads to score well in the bar and various board examinations.  San Beda has not been getting topnotchers lately.  It is not enough the school has the best passing percentages in these exams.  Spots in the top ten would go a long way in showing the best former boys’ school along Mendiola is not a has-been.

I received a backhanded compliment from Ibon Foundation’s Mandy a few months back.  He told his executive director Jaz Lumang, “By the looks of him (meaning, ako), hindi aakalaing marunong yun magsulat.”

            Two Saturdays ago, in this gabfest among geeks talking about FOSS (free open software solutions), Mandy personally told me I have this responsibility to write as much as I should because he checks out my blog regularly.

            How much is Ibon paying him?  He’d be more productive cleaning his nostrils than wait for my new posts.

* * * *

Anyway, half of the country are now glued to their TV sets closely following the goings on at the Senate.  I am too.  Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos is so funny—stuttering like an unpopular, pimply boy asking the prettiest girl in school to a dance.

            But Abalos’ speech defect is not caused by romantic reasons.  He just got slammed bigtime by Romulo Neri’s sworn testimony that Abalos told him in a golf game “Sec, may 200 ka dito.”  Abalos’ problem is how to convince the people his stilted denials are more believable than Neri’s calm revelations.

            Between the two of them, or even between Abalos and Joey de Venecia, who do you think has more integrity?  Wait!  That is a such giveaway question a two-year old kid would feel insulted to be asked.

I met Abalos once in his office before the dirty 2004 presidential elections.  He was so “yabang” threatening to sue teachers if they so much as refuse to serve in the polls.  The rest is history, as they say.  Abalos presided over the dirtiest presidential polls in this country’s sorry history.  A grateful proclaimed winner made him stay at his post despite widespread calls for his big head.  Why not?  Abalos again proved useful in this year’s elections, hindi baga?   

Today, before bulldogs, he is as meek as an unwanted puppy about to ditched by an unloving master.

            Not that Abalos is wanting in defenders at the other side of the table.  Although appearing to be angry at him, the crackpot Senator Miriam Santiago was actually aiming at De Venecia when she said the Senate’s time is just being wasted by crooks fighting over kickbacks. (One point five billion biggies, baby!) I am sure Santiago wanted to picture De Venecia as the bigger crook here.  But she failed in clearing Abalos from suspicion that he is among the crooks.  And why limit her vitriol to De Venecia (and Abalos)?  Why stop short of pointing a crooked finger at the sitting president and her husband who are most likely to benefit the most from this deal? If there is a person who has been consistently fingered in all bribery, corruption and fraud issues under this hated administration, it’s Big Mike Arroyo.  (Heck, Big Mike Tyson is an angel compared to this guy!)

            The hearing is still ongoing.  Maybe I would write about this more in the next few days. Maybe not.  Abangan!

* * * *

Now that Luli Arroyo again showed her catty side by recalling de Venecia’s past drug habit by way of defending her father, she again showed this country has got a shitty First Family.

* * * *

Caught the halftime score at the ongoing NCAA championship game between my alma mater San Beda and my former employer Letran College.  It is 43-29, Red Lions.

            Mukhang iinom ako ngayong gabi.  In celebration, syempre.

            Umpa, Umpa…Beda, Beda, Beda, Fight, Fight Fight!

I pissed my Sunday afternoon away watching the UAAP cheerdance competition on TV. It was despairing—and I’m being kind here.

There was a time a long time ago I was a college boy and my weeks were highlighted by trips to the Rizal Memorial Stadium (or Ultra or the Ateneo Stadium or the Araneta Coliseum) for my regular dose of NCAA basketball games. Halftimes breaks then were occasions to even be more stoked with the ol’ school spirit. If anyone of you have seen San Beda’s Red Indians you wouldn’t blame me if I say there is no better pep squad in the world than those boys with folds of fat bouncing like jell-o all over the court. Mendiola lore has it the reason the NCAA doesn’t have a cheerdance competition is because no school is willing to be chopped by those tomahawks.

Anyway, back to the unfortunate UAAP side event.  I blame the Cheer Leaders Assocation of the Philippines or Clap (peopled by matrons, not nubile girls) for turning local cheerleading into a mere copy of the American way of doing it.

In my time there was a drum and bugle band high up in the stands and students shout the cheers and songs at the top of our lungs.  Now, they rely on canned music punctuated by Nintendo audio clips when a girl is tossed in the air. Do students now still know their school cheers? (I know all of San Beda’s cheers. Pom knows many of UP’s.)

In my time male cheerleaders wore trousers and school jackets. Now they wear tights. What’s more, they are not the kind of guys girls at the gallery shriek about. Today’s male cheerleaders do the shrieking.

In my time women cheerleaders wore minis and tight shirts. Now they wear overly-designed overalls. Word is, they got their fashion cues from Shaider—ang pulis pangkalawakan.

In my time girl cheerleaders showed their light colored knickers and milky cleavages. They shook, bumped and ground to our frenzied delight. Now, they are all covered up like spring rolls and all they do is flip like burgers.

In my time girl cheerleaders must be eye candies. (My favorite all-girl
teams? Miriam, St. Scho and Assumption—in that order. Oh, boy!) Now they must be athletes with broad shoulders and thick legs like Olympian swimmers. Worse, the basketball players are prettier than they are—if they could be called that.

(I tried my best not to sound sexist and homophobic as I write these. The wife frowns as she reads this. But I can’t make these comparisons without reading like one. Sorry, I was a cave man once.)

Anyway, UP won the competition this year—deservedly. While they did not have the best choreography they committed no mistakes. First runner-up UST, while having the best routine, committed two glaring errors. But I must mention second runner-up FEU had the most fun while performing.

UP’s win broke UST Salinggawi’s five-year dominance. Dapat naman. UP’s Fighting Maroons is 0-14 this year. At least, may naipanalo ang Diliman. Perhaps Coach Joe Lipa should again think of raiding San Beda’s Red Cubs to cobble up a championship team.

As to the also rans, I think Adamson U missed out on the winning circle by a slim margin. They had a couple of interesting moves. What is notable about UE is their uniform. (No matter, Jonathan Mayuga. A sweep of the hoop elims is still something, pare. Just one more game and you’ll have your championship.) Ateneo was conservative. NU was pitiful. La Salle was a joke (they held letters upside down and they jumbled up their school seal).

But as far as cheerleading teams go I will always be a Red Indian fan. (Umpa! Umpa!) A far second for me would be those guys at the Rexona commercial.