The Tall Order
by Mon Datol
from The Philippine Courier
Toronto, Canada

President Aquino wants his Cabinet to undergo training on how to properly deal with the media to effectively deliver their message to the public after two of his cabinet members made a boo-boo in dealing with the media people covering their respective beats. P-Noy said the seminar would be about handling media and improving ‘relations with everybody.’

P-Noy spokesman Edwin Lacierda offered to head the first batch who’ll attend the media relations seminar dahil daw he’s the one dealing with the media. And he’s the first cabinet man who was reported to have a spat with journalists covering the Presidential beat. Kaya’t dapat lang na mauna siya sa listahan na um-attend ng media relations seminar.

Dapat ring isama sa first batch si DepEd secretary Rev. Armin Luistro, na finally ay nag-sorry sa media the other day, sa ginawang magaspang nitong pananalita at pagtrato sa media people when asked his position on the controversial sex education in elementary school.

Well, sa opinion ko ay di dapat si Rev. Luistro ang in-appoint ni P-Noy na DepEd secretary dahil nga member siya ng Catholic church na kontrang-kontra sa sex education in elementary school. Nagkaruon kaagad ng bias attitude itong si Reverend in the treatment of the sensitive issue where morality is concerned. Dapat hindi kabilang sa anumang religious congregation ang magiging Department of Education secretary. Dapat ay isang….

Psychologist ang DepEd sec.

* * * *

And talking about media relationship seminar for P-Noy’s men, it must not be limited only to Cabinet secretaries. The media seminar must include all government employees, lalo na ang nasa Department of Foreign Affairs, particularly Diplomats who represent the face of the Philippines in the international community. A clear case of an undiplomatic attitude displayed by a diplomat against a media group was committed by the Labor Attaché in Canada who is based in Toronto named Atty. Frank Luna.

Atty. Luna, who said he renounced his Canadian citizenship to accept the post ‘given’ him by the then DOLE secretary reportedly because Luna is a ‘dear friend’, did not attend the required PDOS or pre-departure orientation seminar in Manila Office and went straight here in Toronto to sit on the POLO-Toronto leather chair. Luna called some members of the Philippine Press Club Ontario (PPCO) ‘morons’ when some officers of the PPCO, including this writer, criticized him for some of his decisions.

Nakipag-balitaktakan pa itong labor attaché sa nasabing mga PPCO officers thru the newspaper of his BFF daw, by writing opinionated articles na binibira ang nasabing journalists na nag-criticized sa kaniyang pamamahala. Wala siyang by-line, of course, dahil byline ng nasabing BFF- publisher ang ginamit sa artikulo niya. Paano naming nalaman na siya ang mag akda ng mga ‘magagandang’ artikulo? Eh, ‘di naman pala marunong magsulat ang nasabing publisher, eh! Hahahaha …

Buking si Kaka!

* * * *

A formal complaint by the PPCO against Luna was forwarded to the Consular Office and the Embassy in Ottawa several months na, pero, ni ha, ni ho, ay wala pa kaming narinig mula kay Consul General Minerva Falcon. Na-recall na nga sa DFA Head Office si Ambassador Jose Brillantes, eh, wala man lang aksiyon ang mga ito sa aming hinaing.

Sobra bang lakas ba DFA at DOLE nitong si Atty. Frank Luna at ni hindi man lang yata naimbestigahan nina Ambassador Brillantes at ConGen Falcon ang aming reklamo kontra tauhan nila? Akala ko ba, eh, magaling at ‘kinatatakutan’ itong si Congen Falcon sa mga lugar na nadestinuhan niya? Bakit sa ‘kaso’ kontra Luna …

Nawala yata ang ‘asim’ ni Congen Falcon?

* * * *

By the way, I’m calling the attention of PPCO prez Paul dela Cruz. Did you make any follow-up on the PPCO complaint against Labor Attaché Frank Luna? It is our media association stand against abusive government official and NOT a personal battle against Luna and the local publisher here who always say that the PPCO has no clout in the community, thus, he doesn’t want to be part of the Filipino media association. At saka, Paul, kung di mo nakikita, ginagamit ka yata ng nasabing publisher to sow intrigue and disunity within our midst. Wala kang kaaway sa ‘aming grupo’ or kahit kaninong members natin. Unity ang mission-statement mo nuong election natin, pero, this early, your board is starting to spark a fire that would destroy the very foundation that you, Ace Alvarez and other founding members built nine years ago. Internal problem could be solved internally, pero, ang ‘kinakampihan’ yata ng ilang board members ay ang ‘disunity attack’ ng kalabang di-member thru his paper. Kayang ayusin ang problema sa loob ng organisasyon ….

Kung magaling ang lider.

* * * *

Philip Juico, the former sports commission chair, and other financial contributors to P-Noy’s campaign kitty should not be given any government portfolio. Para ano? Para makabawi sa milyones na ibinigay sa kampanya ni P-Noy? Pero, teka, na-appoint na yata ang asawa ni Juico sa PCSO, ah. P5-milyon ang nakalistang ibinigay ni Juico sa campaign kitty ni P-Noy. I mean nothing here, ha? Pera.. err.. pero, kadaling bawiin ang P5-milyon sa PSCO.

‘Nak ng pateng! Nangagat na yata kaagad ang nag-abuloy sa buhay.

* * * *

Isa sa pinaga-agawang puwesto ay ang Pagcor chairmanship, na ibinigay na ni P-Noy sa Ateneo classmate niyang si Cristino ‘Bong’ Naguiat. I don’t know this Naguiat from Adam, but, since he was appointed by P-Noy as Chairman/CEO of Pagcor, we have to believe that gambling in the Philippines would ultimately lessen dahil ayaw din ng Simbahan ang sugal. Kung ‘yong small time ‘jueteng’ nga ay ayaw ng mga Obispo, eh, ito pang big-time gambling.

Well, since P-Noy ran and won on a platform of anti-corruption and choosing the high moral road, the President whom I heard plays ‘pusoy2’ and ‘tong-its’ in Malacanan for fun with closest friends when his Mom was the President, must look with priority into the current gambling situation in the country which is the worst of all of Asia and probably the world except Las Vegas.

There were reports of more than a thousand casinos under GMA, FG and Ephraim Genuino, Internet gambling parlors, poker parlors, bingo halls, slot machine parlors, small town lottery outlets and recently, Jai-Alai off track betting stations and soon dog racing in Mandaue, Cebu. And the casinos are much bigger now. Maxims Casino will reportedly have 1,000 tables in five floors.

And you can also bet on boxing, NBA, PBA and UAAP basketball games by telephone or text. Wow! Pang-America na ang dating ng sugal sa Pinas, ah. Kung maganda talaga ang pamamalakad sa Pagcor, aba, madali ang P5-bilyong kita rito, buwan-buwan. Parang kita ng BIR at Bureau of Customs. Ang tanong nga lang …

Saan napupunta ang pera?

* * * *

Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Manny Villar claimed they have 11 voters each, in their fight for the Senate presidency. A total of 22. Teka muna, di ba 21 lang ang puwedeng bumoto, physically, dahil nakakulong si Senator Trillanes at wala pa sa bansa si Lacson? Ang pang-24th senate seat ay binitawan na nga ni P-Noy, kaya’t paanong mangyayari tig-11 sina Kiko at Villar ng kakamping senators?

Ani nga Ambassador Ernie Maceda, the realistic count could be 7 for Kiko and 7 for Manny. For Kiko: Drilon, Recto, T.G. Guingona, Serge Osmeña and Chiz Escudero. For Manny: Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Bongbong Marcos, Miriam and Joker Arroyo.

The bloc of Enrile, Jinggoy, Gringo and Tito Sotto is leaning toward Kiko Pangilinan while the group of Angara, Loren and Zubiri is leaning toward Villar.

Ping Lacson and Antonio Trillanes, if they are present and allowed to vote are leaning toward Kiko. Bong Revilla and Lito Lapid are the two swing votes. They are being listed by both the Enrile and Angara “blocs.” Iyan ang senaryong makatotohan, ani nga idol Ernie Maceda. Sino ang iboboto kong Senate president? Di-tulad ni Kris Aquino na pabor kay Kiko, ako, wala…

Di naman ako senador, eh. Ngekkkk..

(mondatol@rogers.com )