OPEN LETTER TO THE "DA KING"

I've gotten this from Postcripts of the Philippine Star.

Mr. Fernando Poe Jr.,
7 Narcissus Drive, Beverly Hills,
Antipolo City

Dear Mr. Poe:

We are ordinary citizens with no political affiliation. We do not support any particular candidate. Therefore, we have no other agenda except our deep and unfailing allegiance to our country and the Filipino people. It is from this loyalty that we draw the courage to write you this letter.

It is in the news that you are considering running for president. If you love your country, we urge you, please deliberate on this with utmost care. We all know you will win because of your tremendous popularity as a movie hero. You have earned the esteem and admiration of the Filipino people such that to many, you have come to represent a promise of hope.

However, this is not enough. The task of governing our country that is beset with problems is much more complex today than it was many years ago. At this moment in our history we need a leader who can gain the confidence, respect and trust also of the international community.

This is paramount. An increase in foreign investments is necessary. It is imperative that we stimulate our capital market with a platform of government that is as specific as it is credible not only to our people but to the world as a whole.

While we are certain that the masses are your primary concern, you cannot ignore the class of people whose abilities are critical in order to propel us forward.

Our OFW’s are true heroes and while their skills serve us well when they work abroad, we also need to retain at home the talents that will give us the comparative advantage we so badly need. It is this group who are highly marketable and, on their own, can take their capabilities elsewhere to the benefit of other countries instead of ours.

Expert leadership is the only way we can extricate our people from poverty. It is the very masses who worship you and will vote you into office who will suffer the most, if the ship of state is not maneuvered masterfully.

We can no longer afford to think in a parochial manner. We need a leader who will make the Philippines a competitive player in the global market.

Our economy is at its breaking point. Our country can no longer afford to be dismissed or, worse, written off as The Sick Man of Asia.

You have secured an untarnished reputation as an artist and we acknowledge that your contribution to Philippine cinema has been significant. We believe, however, that the presidency of this country will best be served by one who has the proper background and experience to enable our beloved Philippines to be part of the global community -- not as an aid recipient but as contributor to the enhancement of this world we live in.

Winning will be effortless. Governing, on the other hand, will not be an easy task. We are, historically, a fractious nation. Consider the toll it will take on your family and the privacy you guard so tightly. We believe that you will be able to contribute much more towards uniting our nation and helping our economy as a private individual -- one who wields enormous influence over our less fortunate brothers. We know of the praiseworthy projects you and your wife have undertaken so quietly; your humility is admirable.

It is not too late. Please, look back and learn from the Erap episode of our history. Do not let individuals with their own agenda gain undue influence over you. Should your administration fail, it is you, not they, who will pay the price.

Let the Filipino people remember you as the man who could have been president but chose not to... because he truly loved his country. We are certain history will judge you not only as a reel hero but as a real hero.

Mabuhay ka, FPJ!

(PS from Postscript: Speak up if you share the conviction that while FPJ is a good man, he may not be prepared for the presidency at this time. If you have Internet connection, you can email the letter to everybody in your address book. Or make copies to snail-mail or hand out. And add you name to the growing number of Filipinos who share the same conviction. Or you can even write your own letter to FPJ.)

PHOTOS



I just can't help but post this Photo. That was me with the big smile on the left, Dinah is in the middle and Ritchie. For the story about the picture, please read it here.

SUPPORT DAVIDE!



I wake up this morning with this message in my cellphone from Atty. Tintin, the wife of my boss:

Wear black on Monday in support of Davide (Supreme Court Chief Justice). Boycott San Miguel Products. Lets Teach politicians and greedy businessmen a lesson. Pls. pass

I don't have a cellphone load already so I am placing it in my blog hoping that honest-to-goodness Filipino Citizen will chance upon this blog.

What strike me as odd when the news the Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide was impeached by Congress was majority of of those who signed were members of the Nationalis People's Coalition (NPC), the political party of Danding Cojuangco, Chairman of the San Miguel Corporation (SMC). While those who are not members of the NPC are closely associated to Mr. Cojuangco. I refuse to believe that Danding does not have a hand on this.

You might might ask me why? After Marcos was booted out of this country, Danding has been battling with the Chairmanship of SMC. The money that Danding used in buying the majority stocks of SMC came from the Coco Levy Fund. During Davide's leadership in the Supreme Court, the court declared Coco Levy Fund is a prima facie a public fund which would simply means that Danding would now have a hard time in securing his Chairmanship in the said company.

I hate it when someone puts down a good man out of greed and I hate when that man is being supported by people that we have elected. I hope to get all the name of the congressmen who signed the impeachment comlaint so that we could all remember them in 2004.

HELP!

Can somebody teach this lady how to dress and to behave!

Dear Sebastian:

First allow me to congratulate you for your CMMA Nomination. Indeed this is a big honor for you and we are damn too proud of your achievements. Now, here's one of the reason why you should attend the awards ceremony:

THE CATHOLIC MASS MEDIA AWARDS 2003 - 26 OCTOBER (from RPN 9)

This year the CMMA turns 25. The CMMA, remains to be one the most prestigous award giving bodies and has been true to its thrust of helping improve the media industry by commending those who have continued to live by responsible and values-oriented media practice.


And as they celebrate their silver year, CMMA will bring together the best media practitioners and the biggest artists of today. Jaya, Ana Fegi, Luke ijares, Jay-R, Kyla, Jolina Magdangal, Roselle Nava, Ciara Sotto, Montet Akoimo, Dessa and Gary Valenciano will be among the performers in the awards night.


TJ Manotoc and Donita Rose will host the program.
The Catholic Mass Media Awards 2003 will air on October 26 at 9 PM on RPN.

And of course, the possibility of being discovered by who knows who, the possibility of making beso-beso with the stars, the possibility of bumping into Miko Palanca!

So if you have a chance, please go and attend. We want to see your face on TV and proclaim to the rest of the world that "hey! that guy is our friend."

QUOTES, ETC.

I've got these while rummaging through my notes:

When you finally accept that you're a complete dork, your life gets easier. No sense in trying to be cool.

- Reese Witherspoon

Amen to that Reese! Back in high school one of my insecurities is my inability to "belong" to the cool people in the campus. Then I realized there is no sense in trying to be like them. I mean they are so preoccupied with hooking up with fellow cool people that that what consumes them most of the time. And it consumes them so much that only later they realized that there's more to this world than beeing with cool people.

Now, I live a much better life compared to them. While the "cool schoolmates" are left in that small town with no choice but to make a living for their kids having impregnated their girl friend or gotten pregnant while they are still finishing college.

Now here's another one:

What are clouds
But an excuse for the Sky?
What is life
but an escape from death?

- Death Poem of Lord Yabu
in James Clavell's "Shogun"

I really don't know why I wrote this poem in my notes. But i think becuase it is so dark. Or probably it reminds me of how much I love life that even in the lowest moments of my life, I still believe that somewhere there is a good place for me.

LAZY DAYS

Here I am again. I am back to my lazy days.

I have a lot of things to talk, err, write about but I just couldn't bring myself to write the first word. All day, i sit just staring at the PC monitor yet, I can't start anything.

Probably because all my "writing energy" has been foucsed lately on the Appellants Brief that I have to compose for one of our client. Draining it is for me because I have to start from scratch. I don't know how to write an Appellants Brief and worst, I don't know anything about the legal issues (redemption, moral damages, etc.) involve. So while learning the nuances on how make an Appellant's brief acceptable to the magistrate at the Court of Appeals, I also need to learn about these issues. Worst,I need to double time because I have a deadline to meet.

I need to go back to law school!

Hopefully I would be going back to school next year. I finally found a good school after that stupid Ateneo denied my application because I am a transferee even if I was willing to go back to first year. Pray for me guys, I will be taking the exams sometime this November for the Juris Doctor-MBA program of De La Salle University and Far Eastern University. This is a five-year dual degree program which will enable me to have a Juris Doctor (this is a doctorate degree for law as opposed to the usual Bachelor of Law degree that is common in all law school in the Philippines, Ateneo also have a JD program) and a Master in Business Administration after graduation. Our (see I am claiming it na!) campus is located at RCBC Plaza in Ayala Avenue, one of the prime business location in the country.

Ooops! I wrote something already. Hehehehehe

SEND IN THE CLOWNS


I just love Jay Leno when he said this:

"Tonight is a testament of just how important one appearance on "The Tonight Show" can be, ladies and gentlemen. You know the critics said, 'Well, Arnold can't be an administrator, he's an actor. Oh, Arnold can't be an environmentalist, he's an actor. Oh, Arnold can't be governor, he's an actor.' Of course Arnold is thrilled -- for the first time in his career the critics are calling him an actor."

I can't say anything more.

COINCIDENCE (?)

A crazy idea hit me yesterday while watching television and this about the Kris-Joey issue.

I just find it strange that after all the accusations thrown on air by both camps, last Thursday it suddenly ended with Joey asking for forgiveness to Kris on primetime TV and immediately, Kris accepted. Take note, it did not happen any other time but on primetime.

That was it? No bloodbath? With all these wild accusations (gun poking, STD, etc.) I was expecting a war. But no - - the drama ended all of a sudden.

And this is what I found strange. Kris went the police to blotter Joey's alleged gun poking (take note, the media was already waiting for her which means that they received a tip), then that interview with Korina with all the sound effects, lighting and yes set design (picture of Ninoy in the background, flowers, should I name it all). On the other hand, Joey was insinuating that Kris is lying. Then Kris filed a case at the prosecutor's office in Pasig. However, filler was flaunted by Kris side that they will not pursue the case if Joey will issue a Public Apology. Then a day after, Joey issued that apology and Kris readily accepted it and even saying that Joey is not the only one to be blamed, she too committed a mistake.

How convenient, isn't it? After all the tearful confessions, emotional word war between both camps, the pointblank denial, it all ended as simple as that with Joey swallowing his pride and Kris suddenly became all forgiving. Was divine intervention made them end this issue? Or was it planned to end that way.

Now this is much stranger. What if there was no apology issued? What if, Monday came and still both camps are still exchanging accusations on air? What would have happened?

Now you would like to ask me, why Monday? Because this Monday is the scheduled launching of the reformatted version of Game KNB? which is hosted by Kris. Wouldn't it look bad for Kris to look all too cheerful in her "new" game show with still the issue hounding her?

Strange isn't it that it all has to end before Monday?

Now, here another strange thing. This reformatted show is under threat because GMA-7, their arch rival, has launch four weeks ago Extra Challenge, a game show with a twist of reality TV (pinoy style). This show hosted by Miriam Quiambao and Paolo Bediones already has a following. Do I need to mention that it is aired exactly the same time as the airing of Game KNB?

So what a coincidence then that Kris "new" show is launch while everybody was all too eager to see her on TV again. I just could imagine the ratings she would reap this Monday night.

No, I would not conclude that something "fishy" is going on with all this issued about her lovelife. Let us just say, she was making the best out of the worst that has happened to her. What a lucky life then?

And here's another strange thing. Haven't you notice that all the ads that Kris endorsed are flooding our TV screens. And here's one more thing, did you notice her new ad for Smart StarTxt? At the end part of the said ad, where she was being interviewed, she said this, "I will survive, life most go on, smart na ako ngayon (I am smart now)." Isn't this a big coincidence that such ad would come out after the "conclusion" of her real life drama that captivated the whole nation?

My question is, when was this advertisement made? It couldn't be after Thursday (the day Joey issued a public apology), they would barely have a day to shot, edit the ad, that would be too impossible. Was it taken then while the issue was still hanging in the air? So while Kris was having those tearful confessions or her sullen look while she filed the case, she was also shooting for the ad where she was all smiles. Or was it made before the issue erupted? How lucky then for the advertisers that the line Kris have spoken has become more meaningful today because of the issue of her failed love.

All these are one hell of a coincidence. Or Kris and the people working for her are just making the best out of this "worst" episode in her life? Poor Joey, he can't do the same. Or this was all planed? If it is, then this is the biggest coup ever and much better than the lame excuses that Magdalo group continues to assert.

I really don't know. I am just thinking out loud.

RANTS

I HATE DRIVERS AND BUS CONDUCTORS who think of nothing but the commission they get from every trip at the expense of their passengers comfort in travelling.

As I was waiting for a bus along Buendia this morning, one bus stopped in front of me and the conductor (for those who don't know, they are the one who issue tickets and collects your fare) wave at me and bid me to take the bus. So I went in thinking that the bus still has a sit for me, only to find out that there was none. Unfortunately the bus moved already and I was also in a hurry so I said to myself, "well, I guess I would be standing all the way from Buendia to Ayala." At that time there were already five passengers standing along the aisle.

Unfortunately, the bus keeps on stopping and continued to pick up passengers. Five minutes after I took that bus, there were almost 20 passengers standing. The bus conductor keep on barking "usog lang sa likuran! (move to the back)" So we keep on moving towards the back portion of the bus to a point that we were already compressed liked sardines in a can.

Worst! With the limited space along the aisle, the bus conductor keeps on moving back and forth to collect the fare of the passengers. To add to our agony, the bus continued to pick up passengers.

"Pasok, pasok, maraming bababa sa Ayala (come in , come in, a lot will be disembarking at Ayala)", the conductor keeps on shouting.

"What does he mean", I asked myself. "So they'll have all the right to discomfort us because many of us are going down at Ayala anyway!"

I was already fuming mad. And what really gets my ire is, if one passenger is blocking his way along the aisle, he shoos them as if they were chicken or something. No excuse, no manners. When he came near me and did that to me, I waited for him to come back, and when he did, I said out loud for everyone to hear, "Pwede ka namang mag excuse ah! (you can actually say, "excuse")" But instead of being apologetic, he retorted with a threatening tone, "ano yun sir? (what did you say sir?) I did not respond but instead I gave him that look, the same look that sent chills to my news reporters before at the Weekly Sillimanian whenever they commit mistakes.

If looks could kill, I could kill that rude bus conductor at that moment. He never said anything again

(This is just the first part of my "rants", just "stay tuned", I never realized that I have been keeping a lot of these for a long time)

NEW LINKS

I have two new links in my blog. First is The Secret Tango Dancer by Sebastian, an award winning writer based in Dumaguete. The second one is Mom's Closet by my Sydney base friend KK Maslog.

By the way, these two person are so in love at the moment so forgive their being mushy and corny at some point in their resepctive entries.

I am supposed to write something about "Rants" today, but I am just happy at the moment (I don't know why, probably the thought of meeting two goodlooking person this evening),so I don't want to destroy my mood. Tomorrow, I might write something about people I met and how dangerous my mind could be sometimes.