Luisita and the
sugar industry

The conditioning coach of Manny Pacquiao suddenly left Baguio last week and his departure puzzled some and angered others on Team Pacquiao. Even promoter Bob Arum fumed and called Alex Ariza “unprofessional” for apparently leaving the training camp high and dry. But what caused Ariza to leave, just like that? Some jokers say maybe he got fed up with Manny reciting from the Bible to him while they trained.

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But that's a joke only. There are also talks that Ariza was enticed by a bigger offer from another boxer who is also due to fight a week after Manny in Las Vegas. Does Ariza think of Manny as a sinking ship this time? But Pacquiao himself has not said anything bad against Ariza, he even told the media that his conditioning coach will join him when he moves to Los Angeles before his fight with Tim Bradley, and they will take up the coaching from there.

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I hope so, because Ariza seems to have done very well as a member of Team Pacquiao. And none of them is looking at Bradley as a patsy. If Pacquiao fans remember, the guy was on the undercard during Pacquiao's last fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, and he practically made mincemeat of his opponent then. I also read somewhere that Bradley, is not a clean fighter, and our Bible-quoting and “reformed” Pacquiao may no longer be as aggressive as he used to be.

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What's in a name? Even beer products can get into trouble with the law for the names they choose. A wire report said a drink called “Fat Bastard” was allowed to produce and sell, but not another one named “Dirty Bastard”. This happened in Alabama where the State Alcoholic Control Agency banned the latter for containing a profanity in its label. Obviously they think “fat” is a more acceptable word than “dirty.”

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To many people here the affair that led to the sacking of several of U.S. President Barack Obama's security men was quite hilarious. Here were the guys supposed to protect their president, and who were in the advance party on his out-of-Washington trip, who decided to have some fun before their boss arrived. So they reportedly hired some girls go to their hotel rooms to entertain them. Apparently, however, at least one of them was a tightwad and would not pay the charges agreed upon. Instead of $800, one would only pay $30. And so the aggrieved woman squealed, and the boys all got into trouble.

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Reminds me of a similar incident reported by Radyo Bombo then that was also reported by a correspondent to the STAR. Then it was a taxi driver who complained to Bombo that the “customers” who were peace officers, did not pay him fully for the transport of the girls. But it was the town executive who got mad at us, even if the driver stood his ground. Until now, we cannot understand why he was so concerned. Fortunately they're no longer in power.

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Why is China warning the Philippines not to “internationalize” the Scarborough issue? The statement came after Philippine officials were poised to raise the matter up to the International Tribunal. Why should we not call for international settlement or mediation, since the Big One doesn't want to listen the reason? It looks as if every statement, every move coming from China is now loaded with threats or hints about its superiority in size and number. And in wealth and firepower as well.

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Meanwhile, how will the Supreme Court decision on Hacienda Luisita affect the country's sugar industry? Are the beneficiaries of the land willing and ready to continue planting and producing sugar when they own the property? In an interview yesterday, former Comelec chairman Christian Monsod warned against what he called “over-compensation” to the recipients. Indeed, the government may be so anxious to help the new owners that it may allocate more for them than it can afford. Never mind the original owners, they are all well-off, even without the so-called “just compensation” that the government has to pay them, too.*

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