> The Sea
Games
I
AM grateful that my buddy, Atty. Henry V. Briguera out of the blue
came to fill the vacuum when I missed my column last week. It was
a bruising week to meet deadlines and appointments, which robbed
me of precious time to write my regular column. My sincerest
apologies to, ehem, thousands of readers out there.
A true journalist that Henry is, this legal eagle just doesn’t
want to fade away even if he chose to retire, primarily for health
reasons, from his broadcasting profession a year or so ago. He
always comes when man’s foibles need to be whacked by the power of
his pen (which has since transformed into keys of a computer).
This he does with the same depth and passion; except when aching
muscles hit him which is more often than not — the same reason why
he has to retire from the airlanes, giving much needed rest to his
acidic tongue — another fiery weapon of his that in its heyday
roasted many wrongdoers to shame.
As I struggled to meet deadlines, scanned the horizon for new
ideas, and wiggled for not getting the right equilibrium, I
consoled myself with a line which says: “When the world pushes you
to your knees, you are in the best position to pray.” Good grief!
That was what I needed. Sit back, close your eyes and commune with
your Almighty God. Humbled, I never felt so relaxed, so human, and
hitherto reclaimed my sanity and composure.
Yes, one needs to be sane in the midst of so many inanities. One
needs to hold his soul together to reckon with the crazy things
that will unfold with the coming home of strange dudes like Mike
Arroyo, Mark Jimenez and Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano
(did you notice the rhyme?) especially the latter whose face I
have been wanting to spit on live on television. With these three
people around, expect more lies and innuendos to be strewn all
over, notwithstanding the perfect chance of their coming out at a
time when all Filipinos are agog over the 23rd Southeast Asian
Games.
This Gloria administration is really that smart to make
thick-faced Garcillano roll with the punches and for Malacanang
men to pave the way for the much-vaunted resurgence of jueteng.
What helluva time when everyone else is so forgiving and
preoccupied with something less mundane. With the peso muscled up
by OFW dollar remittances that prompted dealers to roll back
prices of gasoline, albeit at token rates, Christmas is the best
time to wash dirty linens because even militant forebodings are
overshadowed by the yuletide carols. At this time of year, we can
laugh with bemusement how Garci parries off media interviews even
with his fly open.
But before my blood pressure comes aboiling again, let me tell you
a joke that Malacanang lapdog Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales
would not like to hear: While on her way to the Middle East to
keynote a Pan-Arab convention of OFWs, PGMA was kidnapped by
extremist terrorists who demanded $50,000,000.00 for her release,
or else they would burn her alive, warts and all. Back in RP, many
of her underlings went on their toes to raise the ransom. None
came from the people, except for 50 liters of gasoline, and a few
dollars to transport the inflammable liquid substance into the
arms of GMA’s Arab captors.
While the ordinary Filipino like you and me resentfully live on
the fringe, it bothers us more that our supposed leaders have been
doing stupid and scrupulous deeds by the day. Just look at our
daily broadsheets; nothing is good news about our government and
our only refuge, aside from the comics page, is the sports section
where Filipino athletes dominate the 23rd Southeast Asian Games.
The entertainment page has nothing to be proud of either, because
the showbiz industry, which was in the old days held in awe, has
hammed it up with politics. Now, we see barong-clad clowns
pontificating in Congress and politicians talking and looking like
the three stooges on the silver screen.
What is it in the SEAGames that the host country becomes the
likely over-all champion, which is very much unlike the Olympics
where real champions emerge regardless of who’s hosting the games.
Thailand was champion when it was held in Bangkok and Chang-Mai.
Indonesia took the crown when it was held in Jakarta; Malaysia
when it was held in Kuala Lumpur, and; the relatively new entrant
Vietnam, which almost coveted the over-all championship when it
was last held in that country. There must be something wrong in
here. Biased officiating? Poor equipment and accommodation for the
guests that favor the host athletes? Hometown advantage which is
not the real yardstick for true champions? Unless those questions
are answered, the SEA Games will remain below par compared to
other regional sports events.
While the RP team is sweeping with ease the dancesport competition
being held at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City, swinging and
swaying for the country’s honor, expect the politicians in the
dance, er, plenary halls of Congress to tiptoe to every beat as
they discuss and bicker over the mind-boggling events of the day –
from Garcillano fiasco to fertilizer scam and pork barrel alamosa.
These politicians, whose names sound and look like Joe de V,
Nograles, Pichay, Louie, and Edcel, among others, are the
country’s best dancers hereabouts. They are your dancers who, to
paraphrase a song, dance for money where any music will do.
