Vilma flips and Pacquiao flops

It's the season for flipping and flopping, and two very high profile personalities have done it recently. There is movie actress and Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos-Recto, who, only a few days ago, was tearfully announcing that family is so important to her that she was giving up her plan to run for governor of Batangas so she would not be clashing with her brother-in-law. The redoubtable Richard Recto, now vice governor, and elder brother of her husband, Senator Ralph Recto, had announced his decision to seek the gubernatorial office earlier.

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But then, her husband wants her (kuno) to put his kuya in his proper place, and make Vilma, his own secret weapon, the governor instead. This was because the senator, and even the Lipa bishop, believed that Ricky would not win, and that, if Vilma does not "listen to the voice of the people (at least two of them)," the incumbent governor, Armand Sanchez, who is neither as handsome as Ricky or as sweet-smelling as Vilma, would surely get re-elected. Which is not good for the reputation and the prestige of the Recto family name.

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And then, in another teary-eyed scene, Vilma says that she is rethinking her decision, and wanted a few days to make up her mind. Of course everybody knew how she would make it, but then, perhaps, she just wanted a decent interval. So watch out today, because this is when she will formally tell us all what we already know, that, it's the voice of the people - and probably God's as well - that she forget all that crap about family unity, and go for the governor's post. Is there any doubt that she'll get it?

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Governor Sanchez, in a show of bravado, claims he is not intimidated by her challenge, but I'm sure he realizes that he should be singing his swan song already. Isn't it that he is the one of the local officials who also has charges hanging over his head? The only problem for the two of them is that Sanchez is with Kampi, Vilma with Lakas and the two parties are supposed to be close friends. The chances now are that Batangas may be declared a free zone, but we know who will call the shots.

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Another flip-flopping case is that of boxing icon, Manny Pacquiao who, last night, declared on TV that he was definitely running for congressman of General Santos City. Who convinced him? He didn't say. But the report also added that he won't even be here on filing day, because he has to leave for the U.S. on Saturday to start training for his next fight. Well, all we can do now is to wish him luck in both rings: the political one, and the boxing.

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Why is it that government agencies hounded by controversies are always hit by fires? I can't recall some of the others, but wasn't the Supreme Court also victimized by a blaze sometime ago when there was some question about its renovation and refurbishing? This time it is the Commission on Election that a fire hit yesterday and as quickly as you could shout "Water", Chairman Benjamin Abalos was there, assuring everybody that, nobody must worry because no papers vital to the coming election were destroyed. In other words, a "safe" fire.

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Reports did say that the blaze affected the General Services Division, the Security Department, the Information and Security Division, the Records and Statistics Office, and the employees' 201 records. The list of voters and other election-related stuff were spared, the chairman stressed. What a providential fire it was, as fearsome as it looked on TV. I also hope it did not eat up the records on the languishing protest cases that have not yet been decided until now.

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Several readers still keep asking me about the developments of the SM affair that I had written about and had elicited feedback from all over. I told all the curious ones, however, that since I know that my message had quickly reached the intended ears, and gotten the intended reaction, it's time to let the case rest.*

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