Potshots
from Manila
By Sonny Pucio
Mirasol
Our front page headline last issue read, “GMA must pay, says
Legaspi”. What do the other Bicol towns and cities say?
The penalty for rape is lethal injection. For electorate rape,
shouldn’t it be fatal rejection?
“Arroyo keeps Bunye in Cabinet,” headline. With the secrets he
knows, what else? But to prevent other colossal PR boomerangs,
shouldn’t be kept in a drawer instead?
Metro Manila main streets are festooned with expensive plastic
color streamers, the kind made by printing machines, of the
never-heard-before pro-GMA Kasangga at Gabay. I wonder how much
taxpayers paid for them and who made a killing as usual.
As we all know, making a killing is what many in the government
hanker for and exist for. So, they’re not only thieves but also
killers – especially when we figure in the state of medical and
educational facilities for the poor wrecked by their depredations.
The dearth of medical care kills bodies, while the sad state, or
lack of, educational quality facilities kills hopes and dreams.
If you don’t like Noli, blame it on the dehin-goli, dollie. ‘Twas
their folly. By golly, by all that’s holy, we’re stuck with Noli.
Dai na puedeng iuli si Noli.
If GMA goes, Noli comes to power, that is, unless the PET says
he’s all wet. So, give the guy the chance he deserves. Who knows,
he might surprise everyone.
Ping Lacson must have been kicking himself since the death of FPJ.
Had he agreed to slide down to being FPJ’s VP, they would have
been unbeatable and he’d now be in the Palace and Gloriagate and
Juetenggate wouldn’t have rocked this banas na republic. Such are
the fortunes of mice and men.
Now that Dinky Soliman is out of the government, can the truth
about the Peace Bonds and CODE NGO come out? Who really profited
from the millions in commissions of that P1.2 billion bond float?
I learned that the PNR chairman is a Bicolano and a fellow Atenean.
What’s he doing to change its decrepit condition?
My father was a PNR retiree. My first regular job was in the PNR
in Naga. So, I’m a railroad brat and I hurt every time I see the
shameful condition of PNR trains as they pass railroad crossings
here.
Reagan, an ex-B-movie actor, gave the US its Star Wars technology
and beefed up its economy. Here, our economist-president can only
come up with oppressive EVAT and other taxes, plus beefs against
her, her husband and their B-movie actor-son.
Cong Dadong came up with his “Filipino First” policy. With
daughter Gloria, is it First Family first?
Have you noticed the eyebags Ms. Glory bee has been sporting since
last week? They were evident in those photos of her in the Bay
Walk photo op last Sunday. What was also apparent was how people
were ignoring her.
The speech of Councilor Bongat urging the city council to approve
his resolution for Gloria to resign, published here last week,
says it all. GMA now stands for Get out of Malacańang, Arroyo!
The other meanings we gave to the initials GMA now appear true;
7.14.05
GMA - Grabbed Malacańang Anomalously
- Gave Mike Accommodations
- Grave Machinations and Anomalies
- Gambling Money for Arroyos
- Gloria Must Abdicate
- Go, Madam, Asap
Step down, madam and step on it! You can’t get away with it. Stop
prolonging the agony. You will have to answer for it, either here
in this world or in the next. Better for you to face up to it in
the here and now. As the Daily Bread says, “The greatest gift
anyone can give us is a good example.”
Levy Aureus’ last Ilampog Ilabay brings to mind the 5-centavo pack
of salted peanuts sold around the plaza, the 10-centavo tinumtuman
in Abella and the 20 c (was it 30 c?) steaming bowl of paksiw na
pata of Economic Lunch across Vic Theater (is it still there?)
which I haven’t tested for 40 years.
My wife, a Tagala who learned Bicol cooking, makes a mean
tinumtuman with sea clams, tahong or shrimps, but I miss the
original with its “bibi” (river clams) and langkawas (which is not
available here and which I plan to bring back and plant for my
supply when I get the chance to see Naga again.)
Other things I miss are the mami of Shea’s lunch, New China’s
siopao, pan bonete of Moderna, toasted raisin bread of Loy’s
Bakery, pinagong of Quality Bakery, lug-lug and rice balisusu in
the market and the baduya and kalingking of Malto’s. I wonder if
those places are still there. I hope I have time to see this year.
Those were the glory days which Mr. Aureus wrote about. Now, all
we have are Gloria days and Gloria’s ways. What a waste!
Proverbs 10:7: “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the
name of the wicked will rot.” . . . Isaiah 59:12 “Our
transgressions are multiplied before you, and our sins testify
against us.”
