Pontificating Dick Gordon

Much fuzz have been generated by Senator Mar Roxas' outburst during the interfaith rally. A colleague, Senator Richard Gordon, was one of the first one who "castigated" Mar when the Iloilo solon uttered such "bad words". After Gordon's self-moralizing tirade, Malacanang followed suit.

I don't know about you but I remember that incident before the establishment of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Area (SBMA). Gordon was then mayor of, I think, Olongapo Zambales. He was campaigning for the retention of the military bases since, he said, his entire province of Zambales and possibly, of Bataan, would not be able to cope with the withdrawal of US troops.

When Gordon was lambasted publicly by anti-bases groups, he cussed and threatened everyone. His cursing was worst than Mar Roxas. He even accused those who oppose the extension of the military bases as "ingrates", "fools" and "Communists". Had I decided to write in Tagalog, these words would definitely offend the sensibilities of many.

Yet, unlike Mar, Gordon cursed the people, not the people's oppressor, as what the good senator from Iloilo did.

I hope Mr. Gordon would not be that too a moralist and a pseudo good doer. Like Mar, Gordon is just human.

What would Gordon say if PGMA declares, say, Mr. Manny Villar as the administration's standard bearer and colleague Cheez Escudero as the administration's vice presidential timber, leaving him, Bayani Fernando and Noli de Castro in the lurch?Will he blurt the classic Tagalog cuss word against Gloria?

I would advise those who dreams to become president to just shut up, just do your own thing and not pontificate like they're saints when obviously, they're not.

And since I was one of those who suffered the brute force of state security forces during the struggle against the military bases agreement in the 1990's, I still remember that angry face of Mr. Dick Gordon and how he fought for the "right" of foreigners, especially foreign troops with the same color of his skin, to occupy a piece of his own country.

On a similar vein....

I came across a blog maintained by a supposed "queen". My blogger colleague is right. You'll just land there and will not dare come back.

She's one of the worst writers I have ever seen, a prostitute of the English language and of the most brutal kind. She cusses. She curses. And she even sells her mother online.

It's a shame. She speaks like a jolog, yet pretends to be a member of the elite. Shame. And, as I look at her face, her face is as crispy as lechon. Ah, now I understand.

She has flaws and flabs to hide that's why she cusses so that people will look the other way.

IN DEFENSE OF FELLOW BLOGGERS.

I vehemently condemn those who castigated some of the personalities I mentioned in my earlier blog entry. If you're a blogger, you need to respect my views on Noemi Dado and all the rest of the guys I met as I respect your views.

Dado and her husband are right. They are not after cleaning the blogosphere. However, I perceive them to be good people and I really think that they are really doing a great job as bloggers. And it is a shame for those people who hit them just because some blogger who happens to be me, perceive them as good folks. What's wrong with saying that Noemi is a great person? Or that Butch Dado, a great guy? I just met Noemi I think twice and I just like her tenacity. I just saw Butch once during the PhilippineBlogawards and I think that he's also a nice guy. Same as with what I know about Jayvee Fernandez and Juned Sunido. Totoong tao sila and I admire them for the sacrifices they are making for fellow bloggers who want the world to know that, the Pinoy blogosphere exists and it is making huge waves.

Political Ads and their Messages

There seems to be a steady proliferation of advertisements by politicians. Observing all of their publicity stunts, let me take a dig at all those messages they are sending to us, the public.

Loren Legarda's Lucida-Ds and Luntiang Pilipinas TVC---fake. Comm. Points: Loren wants our country to be beautiful. Flipside: Under a Loren presidency, what the people will get are cosmetic changes. Whoever advised Loren to go this route should be fired from his/her job. Since her victory in 2004, nothing substantial has been heard of her. No laws filed under her name. No substantial statements from her on relevant issues. Hence, we'll just get white and green if we allow her to become president.

Loren, we know you're pretty, but we don't need a pretty president. We need someone hard-working, strong willed and has a vision for the country. Besides, your cosmetic proposition is pretty expensive.

Cheez Escudero's ampalaya food supplements--bitter. Under Escudero's presidency or vice-presidency, what we get are bitter pills to be swallowed. Life will continue to be bitter, brutish and hard.

Noli de Castro's Pabahay TVC--25-30 year loans. How would one possibly get a house during these times of great financial and economic distress? Kabayan, the people are hungry. You'll be sending them to the pits if you offer them those 30 year loans.

Lacson's Facial Treatment--Like Loren's, Ping's administration will be a "pabanat" one. I mean, artificial or cosmetic changes.

Villar's OFW TVC--fake help. Hey, Mr. Senate President, hundreds or even thousands of our citizens are being enslaved by foreign brutes in foreign shores. Help them now, yes. But help them find jobs here, not continue to encourage them to go abroad.

Mar Roxas' Mr. Palengke TVC--ineffective. Look, you've positioned yourself as a consumer advocate since you started your campaign for the Senate. During those times that you're there, what did you actually do to lower commodity prices? None. Prices continue to rise, Mr. Palengke. Hey,hey,hey, what are you doing?

Net--politicians should be very cautious in their commercials. They are sending wrong messages to the public with these advertisements. They should be more responsible in their acts. People expect them to act like legislators or leaders, not showbiz personalities. Yes, these are tools to reach out, but it's better for them to do it by advocating something really concrete and socially relevant, instead of promoting a dubious facial treatment or bitter food supplements or an uncertified whitening pill.

RP Food and Power Crisis

I bought a new car last February. It's a diesel-powered vehicle. When I got it out from the casa, diesel prices were at 34 pesos per liter.

Now, look at the prices of diesel--4o pesos per liter. For a two month span, the price increased by about 5-6 pesos. Last night, I saw the price of unleaded gasoline--47 pesos per liter. I don't know how people are coping up with these injustices.

This unabated rise in fuel prices might have sparked a riot or something near to it if it happened in other countries. Here, nothing. Not even a whimper. None. Nada. Zilch.

I also did my grocery and the prices of vegetables remain very high, unusual since vegetable prices go up only in two (2) occasions--Christmas and Holy week. Now, vegetable prices are really very prohibitive.

Meat prices are also a revelation. Beef, my favorite ulam, is very high. Its between the price ranges of 250-350 pesos per kilo. Fish is also high.

You know, this is a direct assault to Mr. Palengke, who positioned himself as the penultimate consumer advocate. I remember an interview with Mr. Palengke and he knows the problem. He says the reason why prices of commodities remain very high is the machinations of middle-men. They are charging so much "bukol" to us that we, the consumers, can't buy a decent meal with our small income.

Mr. Palengke, be part of the solution.

But, you know who really should we blame for this mess? Its our weak government. This government is helpless. Why? Because it has a policy of pleasing everybody. Since it's always on survival mode, it can't really fight these middlemen for fears of them going to the other fence. There's really something wrong with our politics and we need to address this and fast!