The Hunger Games--Who are our Filipino Tributes

Who would be our tributes in case that post-apocalyptic scenario in the movie, The Hunger Games,  happened here in the Philippines? Well, for this fine Sunday morning, let me nominate twelve (12) possible tributes.


1. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago--This highly trained marksperson would surely give the competition a nice fight. Imagine, with her expertise in handling guns, Miriam would not only kill her competition---she will also make them deaf with her lectures. Look at what happened to Atty. Vitaliano. :-)


2. Senator Lito Lapid---Reprising his role as Leon Guerrero, Lapid would surely bring the Hunger Games to the next level! What Guerrero will do is ask Tagalog questions, and when the competition failed to even understand his Tagalog, would open fire and get them all tied up with his lasso. 


3. Justice Antonio Carpio---One less person who want to dominate politics through his rent-seeking ways. Enough said. Carpio is no marksman, but his glib tongue would be just fine. Imagine him sneaking his way out in every rut for more than twenty years already, regardless of who's in top. That's Firm. 


4. Energy secretary Jose Almendras. I remember one useless simpleton in my middle school class. He's such a useless guy that every single time that a teacher wants a volunteer, we would convince him to volunteer. In Almendras' case, he is so useless, it is unimaginable why still give a budget to the Department of Energy, when, all this department does is approve big-ticket energy projects without even providing a road-map on how to solve the humongous energy needs of this country. Level of survival at the games, nil. Level of fighting at the games, neophyte. Score after the games, zero.


5. DTI secretary Domingo. This is also one guy who seems nebulous when it comes to his job. He does not know anything and keeps on blabbering and not keeping tab on rising prices of commodities. 


6. Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. He was designated as crime czar but all he does is Noynoying. Ochoa is also a useless guy. Remember the very first Executive Order issued by this President? Remember the ruckus it created because obviously, that E.O. was poorly written. Yet, Ochoa never really admitted culpability and just continued providing erroneous counsel to an unknowing President. 


7. Jovito Palparan. Now, we will know how this guy really is, if he, indeed, is the butcher that his accusers say he is. Without his army, can the Butcher survive the Hunger Games alone? Odds are 50 to 1.


8. Tina Yu aka Tina Santos now. A survivor of the Bureau of Customs, Tina Yu is still operating her illegal smuggling ways at the Bureau of Customs, using other dummies. Even a Jaguar of a General, General Danny Lim, is helpless. In the Hunger Games, I would like to know how strong Tina really is. Can Tina smuggle her way out of the Games? Let's see!


9. Sonny Coloma and Ricky Carandang. For the first time in the history of the Hunger Games, we have allowed the nomination of two tributes from just one satellite. Reason: even these two can't survive it. Imagine the prescription they gave the President in neutralizing what the President's detractors say about their principal? Release photos of him doing something, just to prove that he, indeed, is working his ass off. How can these two survive? By saying sorry, every single time? Whoa.


10. PNP chief Nick Bartolome. He's the head of the national police and really, people are asking where they are, really. Yet, I don't blame him. The PNP lacks the proper modern equipment to really fight crime. That's why the best solution, according to Bart, is re-impose the death penalty, to create a chilling effect. But, as I said in previous posts, when a person is being pushed to the wall due to extreme poverty and hunger, you can't simply ask him not to do illegal things. He'll do whatever available for him to satiate his hunger. That's what many people are doing---resorting to illicit ways just to survive this harsh environment of rising oil prices and food stuffs.


11. SWS and Pulse Asia pollsters. Imagine these people allowing themselves to be dragged into politics. Imagine them destroying their very reputation, releasing those surveys to influence public opinion. Time to really build an alternative poll body which will really show and reflect the people's sentiments. These two polling firms are doing their best defending the status quo, hiding the real facts from us, the People.


12. Bong Naguiat Jr. He threw everything out in the window, abandoning the straight path and sided with someone who's reputation is questionable. It is also questionable if he can survive the Hunger Games. 

Why people think the hostage taking incident was a crisis in leadership

The Manila hostage-taking incident, says Catholic Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, was a trial which new President Benigno Aquino failed, and failed miserably. Bagaforo said, Aquino's failure lies in his mishandling of the situation, leading to what others now call, a crisis in leadership. There seems to be, says Rep. Carlos Padilla, an absence of leadership in government.

I beg to disagree.

The assault on the bus was an action only a strong Leader can implement. That assault came only after the confirmation that the hostage taker has taken the lives of some of the captives. That assault was necessary to save more lives.

Despite the lack of equipment, the SWAT team did their jobs. They assaulted the bus with nary protective cover to their bodies. They implemented their mission to the letter. They trapped the hostage taker at the front of the bus, as their planned to do, and hit him eight times with sniper fire. His death save the lives of seven other hostages. Under such extreme and unusual circumstances, the action of the SWAT was justified.

The only thing that really marred the entire hostage-taking drama was the order to arrest the brother of the hostage taker. That incident, according to the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Philippine Senate, changed the entire scenario, from an optimistic one to a gruesome tragedy.

And it turned out that Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, a half-Chinese, half-Filipino, was the one responsible for the fiasco. Lim, says former Manila Police District Chief Director Rodolfo Magtibay, ordered the untimely arrest of SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, brother of the hostage taker. Shortly after the controversial order came bursts of fire from the bus, which instantaneously killed two to three hostages. The realization that the hostage taker had already taken the lives of his hostages necessitated the assault.

Was the order invalid? No. Lim, upon getting the info from the ground, did what he had to do--arrest the accomplice of the hostage taker.

The core of the issue is the proper time for the arrest. And this lay on the lap of the ground commander, which happened to be Magtibay. Magtibay should have exercised his discretion as a commander. That despite an active order which came from the Manila Mayor, Magtibay should have exercised his discretion, stayed his hand and arrested the accomplice after the incident. Sadly, Magtibay was more of a field trooper than a general.

Magtibay and Lim are some of the people responsible for this incident. And you guess it right, only Magtibay will surely get the gautlet this time. Lim is a strong political ally of the President, and despite what Noynoy said that those held responsible will surely pay, I doubt it if Noynoy has the gall to even order the suspension of Lim.

And I also doubt it if Noynoy would even suspend or cause the resignation of two of his communication managers, who, unfortunately, have not exhibited executive crisis management at all in their 50 plus days in office.

The current brouhaha has not only caused unrest and distress here in our country, but also caused an international scandal. Hongkong officials have warned the RP consulate in Hongkong to brace for more rallies as more and more Hongkongers feel angry and rage over the incident.

These things, should have been handled deftly by a professional communications man, someone with managerial expertise.

Carandang, unfortunately, is all style and no substance. Coloma, meanwhile, is just an eloquent speaker of the vernacular, but shows no other capability than the ability to deflect, and deflect in a wrong manner.

If Aquino continues this way, I would not be surprised that his administration would just last for a few more months or years. The actions of Aquino and his Cabinet members are weakening government insitutions, instead of strengthening the bureaucracy. This weakness, would surely be exploited by the enemies of the state.

This perception of Aquino as a weak leader, incapable of doing his job as the country's chief executive, would affect the entire government bureaucracy. This is the job of the communications team. Their lack of managerial experience, and their continued mishandling of the bureaucracy's enormous communications infrastructure would surely and definitely cause more harm than goodwill for government.

It is time for Aquino to make the ultimate sacrifice and fire his cabinet members who are inept and continues to mishandle his communications.

While Hyatt 10 and Samar groups fight it out, Escudero media group gains ground in new administration

The entire governmental communications network is now operating without a head. The megalith is on the verge of collapse because of the inability of the new administration to resolve the contentious issue--who will head the Communications group, the body who will replace the Office of the Press Secretary.

The plan of this administration, according to sources, is to fuse two agencies together--the OPS and the PIA. This, as envisioned by proponents, will make it easier for government to communicate its messages effectively with the people. And with just one agency, it will save money. 

Nothing wrong with the plan except that, again, according to insiders, the reason why the new administration is having a hard time enhancing their media relations is--groups within the Aquino administration are locked into what many say, a titanic battle for leadership. 

The "Samar" group, composed of Maria Montelibano and Sonny Coloma are fighting for turf against the Hyatt 10/Black and White Movement composed of Manolo Quezon and Ricky Carandang. Sources have it on good authority that either one are backing down, despite repeated appeals from various sources to stop the bickering.

The Hyatt 10 reportedly resents the purported appointment of Sonny Coloma. Coloma, according to sources, is Montelibano's "alter-ego" in the Communications Group. Since she is the president's relative, Montelibano is barred from having any government position. 

What's the problem with Coloma? Simple. BW members and several Hyatt 10 accuses Coloma of graft. Coloma, they say, is a veteran publicist. He knows the ins and outs of the industry. Good thing? Yes, it is. What people must know is Coloma is reportedly involved in shady deals with the media in the past.

Now, while these groups fight it out, the Escudero-Banayo media group is having a field day, positioning their forces inside the new administration. One of them already became an Assistant Secretary, while others are being primed to occupy certain board memberships and other government posts. 

A long-time buddy working for the government (he's not co-terminus with Arroyo) says that government employees of both PIA and OPS are feeling insecure and scared. The entire government is being destabilized by the infighting between the two groups. They don't know who'll head the Communications group and this is causing so much stress and low morale.

During Arroyo's time, this scenario was averted when the president separated the two agencies. Arroyo placed her most trusted men in the OPS while she gave the PIA to the mercy of other groups who helped her ascend to power. Arroyo knew that these agencies will cause friction among her media groups. To avoid discord, and maintain harmony, Arroyo decided to allow each and every member of her media team to get a slice of the power pie. 

Unfortunate that, in Aquino's administration, discord and disharmony prevails over genuine love for country. While they fight amongst each other, the very stability of the country remains in a very tenuous position.