The zealot Celot

I was flooded with feedback on my item yesterday on Candoni Mayor Cicero "Celot" Borromeo. And they were all interesting. Some praised Celot. Others laughed at him. One called him "just one needing attention."

All of them called me naughty. Others said I was playful.

This started when, Tuesday I got a text from one who refused to be identified except saying, he has been my ardent reader, enjoying, he said, my "wit and humor." Yesterday, he thanked me. He said, he is my friend but afraid I might pull his leg.

* * *

Well, the zealous Celot, has a zeal or passion for something. Celot believes in making Candoni a Makati.

Out of this world? No, nothing is impossible. Let us help Celot make Candoni a Makati. I believe Governor Joseph Marañon and Vice Gov. Isidro Zayco should help him realize his vision. Let us call it instead a dream.

And I like dreamers. They sometimes like to be there up in the seventh cloud. Then they sing Judy Garland's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

I also like assertive people like Celot. His father Cesar had been a good friend, remembering always how I stood for him.

Sometime in the early 70s when Jimmy Dacanay was president of NFSP and Rosendo Caruña was the executive secretary, there was a press conference.

Cesar kept on pestering Coruña with questions that peeved and angered Coruña who splashed a glass of whiskey at him.

* * *

I was the one presiding and Cesar turned to me, "What is this, Mr. Chairman?" "That's whiskey," I said. All laughed and I called for a recess and brought them to a room and settled things amicably. Coruña wanted an apology. I said, I would be the one to apologize for Cesar and Coruña accepted.

From then on Cesar behaved in all press conferences, especially when it was about sugar.

The problem was his nemesis Angel Lobaton Sr. always reminded Cesar of the whiskey-splashing incident.

But, the problem was Cesar never became mayor. Now Celot is a mayor. A dream Cesar never realized. And if plans do not miscarry he might become a governor yet.

When my friends heard me mentioning about Governor Celot, they told me, "Ara ka na naman." There you go again.

* * *

Well, one important thing was Celot made a supposedly boring and dry conference an interesting one. The press men told me, "If there is a conference and Celot is there, you attend."

I said, no need. My friend Celot might go ballistic. I would rather have television cover him. And there you will see Celot at his best. But, people must have already known how to handle the feisty Celot whose father so idolized the great Roman statesman Cicero whose philippics has been a classic.

Celot might be dreaming of following his namesake by practicing what the great Cicero did, denounced King Philip of Macedonia. His speeches were called philippics.

But, my Celot will not do that if he wants to make a Makati of Candoni. Or he cannot get help if he loses friends.

* * *

Salute and cheers to Bishop Vicente M. Navarra for campaigning against the sponsors and promoters of Small Town Lottery.

You want Bacolod impoverished? Let STL come in. Only the private operators will make money there at the expense of our poor people who will bet their last centavo in the hope they will make big money, which is near impossible. I will in the future show you the computations why STL rakes in money.

How many combinations are there? How much goes to the operator? How much goes to the winners? For bet solicitors? How much for administrative cost? And where else do other amounts go?

STL operators must answer these questions. Your chance of winning is one over 50,000. But you win only P400. Who pockets the rest?

The income is most likely used to corrupt politicians, including, judges, prosecutors, police and even media.*

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