The Fate Of Our Nation Lies In Our Hands

The following is an article from The Manila Standard.
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideOpinion.htm?f=2010/april/16/jojorobles.isx&d=2010/april/16

Before you read, a reminder: the fate of our nation lies in OUR hands. Let us vote wisely.

Tomcat’ recalls Noynoy

Readers of this column know that I rarely surrender my space to others in the form of extensive passages quoted verbatim. But today I willingly cede my allotted quota of words, editing only for style considerations, to someone who calls himself “Tomcat,” who recently wrote the following open letter (via Facebook) to leading presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino:

Dear Noynoy:
We were classmates at the Ateneo and I have no doubt that you would remember me even if we were not close. Hint: I was one of those who ribbed you about the low grade that Father Kreutz gave you in math because you could never seem to get your fractions right. Remember going ballistic over that ribbing? [Reverend Wiliam “Bill” Kreutz, SJ, is a long-time Ateneo teacher from New York who founded the Jesuit Volunteers of the Philippines—JR. All subsequent bracketed phrases are mine.]
Anyway, reading the psychological report that was posted on the Internet a few days ago certainly made me remember you. I heard you say on the news that the report was fake but you did admit that there were some things in it that were true. “Part truths” I think were your exact words. It fascinated me enough to want to read the report carefully to check out which were those things that were true.
Obvious things first, those facts that any of our classmates can confirm if asked. One of these is, as the report says, you have a labile disorder. This is whole truth. Even Father Gorospe would be distracted by your drooling during our oral exams. [The late Reverend Vitaliano Gorospe, SJ, was connected for a long time with the Ateneo Theology Department.] Father Ferriols, who made a point of showing he didn’t like you, would make side comments about it that led your classmates to give you the nickname “Cooper,” a reference to Cupertino school where we would teach Catechism to retarded children. I, however, never called you Cooper. [Reverend Roque Ferriols, SJ, taught Filipino Philosophy at Ateneo.]
The report says that you have a “major depressive disorder.” Well, I honestly don’t know if that is true. What I do know is that in school you were very temperamental and had sudden mood swings. Isang minuto, nakikikain ka kay Brudda Francis, maya’t maya nagagalit ka na. Many of our classmates can attest to witnessing scenes like this.
The report said that you used to go with your mom to see Dr. Manuel Escudero. That is a whole truth. I remember seeing you at Tito Maning’s high-rise apartment on Roxas Boulevard when we were still kids. Tito Maning was a consultant with the WHO here in Manila but he was also a psychiatrist who treated only the high society people in Manila. Even Imelda Marcos was his patient. Unfortunately, so was my mom who suffered from insecurities due to my dad’s numerous infidelities.
Tito Maning’s wife, Tita Jo, was a very good artist who had a couple of exhibits of her work before they left Manila for good a few years after martial law was declared. They lived in Topeka, Kansas. After they left, I kept a correspondence for a while with their very cute daughter Nina who I am sure you remember. I had such a crush on her. Maybe you did too. She used to talk to us “little folk” in the sala of their apartment while the “big folk” would lock themselves in the room and discuss “big folk” matters. She wanted to go to ballet school or some dance school which she did, I think, and I eventually lost track of her.
About your smoking marijuana, I also can’t say if that is wholly true. What I do know is that you would try to tag along with a group of students that would hang out with Ma’am Gloria Arroyo. [Yes, President Arroyo herself.] Mga students niya sa Economics. She was always surrounded by bright and handsome students kaya hindi ka pinapansin. Pati si Ma’am Placer, she never gave you the time of day kasi people said you were “medyo weird” and your grades were mababa per her standards.
Pero, you still tried to hang out with those guys. Trying hard to belong ba. I know those guys would drink na kasama pa si Miss Rosales na pag lasing na, kumakanta ng Spanish songs in Spanish. They would drink dozens of bottles of beer at Shakey’s Katipunan because Mrs. Ramos (our Spanish teacher in case you don’t remember) owned the restaurant. This group was also known to also smoke joints in the college auditorium, up in the closed space where the spotlights were. So, if you were hanging out with them then, you were probably also smoking marijuana too.
The report said you had a flight attendant girlfriend. This is another whole truth. I will not mention her name here to protect her but she was a PAL stewardess. I found out about this because I was on a flight with Father Samson [probably Ateneo de Davao president Reverend Antonio S. Samson] once and she was the one who seated us. When she found out we were from Ateneo, she introduced herself and said she was the girl friend of an Atenean and mentioned your name. Father Samson then asked jokingly if you were a good boyfriend to her. She shrugged and said you were “okay” but she was bothered because you were “too conservative.” You didn’t even like to kiss her daw because you were saving her for the wedding night. And you insisted that she dress very conservatively. Jealous boyfriend ka daw. No wonder that relationship ended. Maybe that’s why you got so depressed over it.
About the report. I know that [Ateneo-based Jesuit psychologist Reverend] Tito Caluag is one of your best friends. His group of “friends” are some of the richest and most influential people in the country today. I know that you used to frequently visit his home. He hosts get-togethers where things that are too esoteric for me are the subjects of discussion. At one time, this group of yours even discussed the ousting of [Ateneo president] Father [Bienvenido] Nebres because Tito Caluag had his own ideas on how Ateneo should be run. Maybe your closeness to him is why he was the one you went to when you were depressed and why he was the one who handled your case and signed your psychological report. To keep things quiet.
But I confess I actually don’t know. I do know that Tito Caluag was at one time your sister Kris’ father confessor. He may not be a very trustworthy father confessor, though, because many have heard him say aloud that “walang ginawa si Kris Aquino dito sa Ateneo kundi habulin si Alvin Patrimonio at mag-emote sa quadrangle”.
Anyway, yun muna. Good luck on your presidential run. If you become president of the Philippines, that would be really something, huh? From “Cooper” to “Mr. President” when brighter and more scheming Ateneans like Mar Roxas and Dick Gordon have not been able to make it is an achievement that Ripley should feature.
Your old friend,
Tomcat

Noy Noy Is Not A Saint.

Hearing Noy Noy's latest statements transports me to the world of mafia films. Think of Good Fellas or The Departed−nasty movies wherein the God-Father is running the show. He is bad-ass. He tells and shows people what he can and what he will do in order to secure his empire. There's this movie though that dabbles with the funny side of mob culture. Search it up; it's called, Death to Smoochy. Here, a family of Italian mobsters bribes the host of a children's show to include their son in the popular children's program. Their son is 40+ years-old. He is autistic.

Noy Noy, Mafia Boy?
Earlier today, philstar.com reports several statements by Noy Noy in an attempt to sound clever and "saint-like" if and when he is elected as President. In the heat of the 2010 Elections, out of nowhere Noy Noy, as if the God-Father, fearlessly declares that he is to create a  commission that will "investigate and put closure on all of Mrs. Arroyo's deals in the past nine years." He adds, “We will also study and judge her appointments on a case-to-case basis, it will be done fairly and purely on the merits." 

Questions to Noy Noy Yabang Boy
Wow. Are you for real, Noy Noy?
In the three years that you had in the Senate, when the vile Hello Garci scandal broke, and the news that Media Killings continue to rise, where was this fearless effort of yours to scrutinize and guard closely the actions of GMA? Why did you not create this commission that you now so nobly talk about? Also, isn't the Senate itself a body intended to monitor the activities and dealings of the President if and when suspicious behavior occurs? Why do you pretend that this initiative of yours is something special, when in fact, it is but included in your original job as Senator and in which you have failed so miserably?


Reality
The truth is, Noy Noy is a dude with no balls. He is all talk, with no walk. I honestly thought he was nice; incompetent, yes, but nonetheless a nice person. Now, aside from news such as Hacienda Luisita, these statements all the more made me realize that he indeed shamelessly lies- he, in mainstream media, is telling people one thing but doing another. He is telling people that he will wage war against GMA; in short, he is saying that he will wage war against corruption when in fact, his life has proven otherwise. He is chicken. He never did anything while in Senate. No law. No active participation in implementing existing laws. He was not a catalyst of change, nor was he courageous enough to associate himself with the people who were and the people who are. I as a regular citizen honestly cannot recall any significant deed that Noy Noy endeavored in behalf of the Filipino people. This only proves one thing: Noy Noy is Mr. Play It Safe. And with the Philippine's current state, we cannot afford a President who has no balls and no brains. He is not the God-Father after all; he is that autistic 40+ year-old in Death To Smoochy whose parents were so powerful, they created a way to have their child in the most popular children's television show. Noy Noy is autistic for he seems to be living in another world; never was he really engaged in the political arena he is situated in. The 2010 Philippine Elections is the most popular children's television show today. Benigno and Cory are the powerful parents. And like that 40+ year-old who was no longer qualified to be part of a children's show because of, obviously, his age and autism, now Noy Noy too is not qualified to be in the running for President for he has neither the balls nor the brains for the job.

To end, I paraphrase here one promise of Noy Noy as reported in philstar.com. He says, "I shall enforce good governance." Tell me, Noy Noy, what is so good about you not doing your job as Soldier of the Filipino people? Where were you and the guts you now seem to possess when the Arroyo Administration was certainly fooling us? Where were you when laws were needed to be passed? Where were you when laws were needed to be implemented? Sad to say, even the phrase, "good governance" you seem not to know.

I call on everyone to make the right choice this 2010 Elections. These statements of Noy Noy prove that he will say anything, true or not, in order to WIN the Presidency. It seems that in the heat of the Philippine economic and political sun, a taste of Orange is refreshing. Go figure.

Manny Villar, Not Poor?

I just farted. An e-hate about Manny Villar just tickled my stomach, and a bit of gas was the product. How embarrassing! But hey, to fart is normal when something funny comes your way. Case in point, this article that goes on and on about corned beef in order to discredit the integrity of number one Presidentiable candidate, Manny Villar.

“Manny and his family were never really poor.” This is the claim of humor man, The Chair Wrecker. He goes on to say that Manny Villar is obviously lying when he is promoted by his camp as a poor boy who rose from rags to riches.

According to the article, the Villar family owned a private, shining steel jeep- a status symbol in Tondo when everyone else used only their legs in order to travel. Their house was a lofty three-storey building where the Villars, a brood of 9 siblings and their parents, lived comfortably. The children went to private schools, with Manny attending the Holy Child Catholic School in particular despite numerous public schools more accessible in their area. But the thing that distinguishes the Villars the most from the poor, would be their food- delicious, canned corned beef, apparently already a luxury during their time.

A Problem in Semantics
The thing that disturbs me about this article is the fact that the writer obviously has problems with English semantics. He seems to be blinded by the reality that there are varying degrees of “poorness.” It’s just like being fat. There are those who are overweight, while others are bordering obese, or obese themselves. But they all fall in the same category- fat. They are not thin, nor are they merely chubby. Their bodies experience and display an excess of something, and the world around them label it as so. The Villars owning a private jeep may not be associated with the “poorest of the poor” of Tondo, but it is certainly not associated with the rich either. Nor is it associated with the middle class. To have a private jeep is still an experience only a certain group of people hold, and that group is the poor, may it be the poor of Tondo, or the poor of Philippine society in general. Will you consider manong, the one who drives the Zapote jeep or the Commonwealth jeep, of the middle-class? Nope. Never was, never will.

Another untruthful story being propagated today is that Manny, and the rest of his family, lived in what seemed like a comfortable three-storey home. In a different article, one that the Chair Wrecker did not author, the writer portrays the old, Villar home as spacious; one that had three floors and where Manny and his siblings can run around and play freely. Correction, the house that the Villars occupied in Tondo cannot even be called a “house” by the way we understand the word. It is a makeshift structure wherein materials were pieced together so that something can hold 11 people from below, and something can shelter the heads of 11 people from above. In that house, when Manny or one of his siblings carelessly stretched an arm, he may be scolded for punching someone in the cheek; it was that cramped. There was a leak in the roof almost all-year-round. The fact that it still stands today is testament to the ingénue of the Villar family: it shows that Manny Villar comes from a breed where one can indeed make something out of nothing; where one can take rubbish and turn it into something as sturdy and strong as a makeshift home for 11 people.

And finally, the mindless talk that Manny and his siblings feasted on luxury food- corned beef. Yes, corned beef in the 1950’s was luxury food indeed- to the poor. Manny Villar on certain days may have skipped salt and rice. On those rare occasions, a small can of corned beef was available. That small can of corned beef would then be savored by Manny together with 10 other hungry people. The poorest of the poor may never have tasted corned beef in the 1950’s. But the poor who get lucky enough to get a hand on one must sacrifice and share the smallest can with 10 other hungry mouths. What’s so rich and luxurious about that?

Look At It Again
Indeed Manny VIllar and his family were poor, that is why all they could afford was a jeep and the smallest can of corned beef. Indeed Manny Villar and his family were poor, that is why they forced the genius out of them and created a makeshift home; a makeshift home that cramped 11 people in one floor yet still stands to this very day. Indeed Manny Villar and his family were poor, and so for him to have been able to study in a private school is proof that sipag and tiyaga do work. How in the world could a government employee and a seafood vendor (take note, vendor, not dealer; no wholesale!) send their child to a private school? The answer is a nine-year-old Manny, going with his mother in the ungodly hours of the morning to the dirty, not-so-fragrant market place, in order to earn extra. Such work ethic of Manny Villar has helped his family, and he himself, to escape the poverty that, sadly, knocks out many Filipinos up to today. Yes, it is precisely due to the poverty that Manny Villar experienced that he is the man he is today: masipag at mapag tiyaga. Lahat nagagawan ng paraan; lahat, kaya.

To be honest, when I look at the person that is Manny Villar, the labels that people append to him are no longer that important to me. It is what he experienced, the stuff of what he went through, and the type of people who resonate and relate to that experience, that matter to me. Like Michael Jackson said, it don’t matter if you black or white. In the end, it don’t matter what people call Villar. I know the man by his life.