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Bacolod City, PhilippinesThursday, December 13, 2012
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with Ninfa Leonardia
OPINIONS

What Manny learned

Ninfa Leonardia

It really “poured” on our country this time. After the great devastation wrought by Typhoon Pablo, from which we may not recover for a long, long time, we got hit with the unbelieavable knockout of our Pambansag Kamao by the fists of his old foe. Not only was our Pacman beaten, he was knocked out cold by the man he had defeated twice before, and who had never gotten the better of him in three encounters. What a day of mourning it was in the country, still grieving for our countrymen, also knocked out by Pablo.

***

And then last night, another tragedy: our Philippine Azkals, in whose chances of getting into the prestigious finals of the Suzuki Cup we had banked on so hopefully, failed to make a single goal against the Lions of Singapore. Our team tried hard, one could see how much they struggled to land that elusive goal that could have assured them of a place. Only one, even if Singapore already had one, could have made the big difference. But alas, it was not our day, and the fact that our boys were playing on enemy ground, in Singapore, with the hometown crowd lustily cheering for their own, how could they have prevailed?

***

Meanwhile, the voting on the Reproductive Health Bill was going on last night when Congressman Manny Pacquiao from Sarangani walked in, dapper in a gray suit, and looking none the worse from his recent experience in Las Vegas. Of course he quickly drew attention, but looked as if he didn’t notice. Si Jinky naman. She was also there and, unlike before, seemed to be all over him, so sweet and affectionate. Maybe she realized how precious he was when she saw him looking lifeless on the canvass?

***

Pacquiao had not voted yet when this was being written, but we know already what he thinks of the RH bill, so we could already count him among the “NO” votes. But, how do we know, as he had even changed his religion because of his new friends, could they also have influenced his stand on this bill? Somehow, we no longer know this new Pacquiao as we had thought. And, maybe, as his own mother, had also thought. Well, that’s his life he is living, so let him be. But what a pity.

***

Caught red-handed. That was what literally happened to this high official of the Professional Regulation Commission who was nabbed by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation while extorting from a businessman who was dealing with the government agency. Now this unscrupulous official has been charged for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and various other charges under the Revised Penal Code.

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“Nakakahiya”, or shameless, as any self-respecting Filipino would say. A very important official, a commissioner of a very prestigious office, who is not only being suspected of being corrupt, but who was actually caught in the act. The commissioner really acted as one getting commissions – he was demanding a monthly pay-off from a businessman whose building his agency had leased. And he was not asking for peanuts, it was cool P42,800 monthly he was getting.

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When the businessman got fed up he reported the matter to the NBI who entrapped him, and he was caught with the marked money right on his desk! Footages of his arrest had been shown on TV a week or so ago, and he really looked as if he never thought this could happen to him. Let his case serve as a warning to all others with the same proclivities. By the way, this same guy, identified as Alfredo Po, used to be chairman of the Professional Regulatory Examination for Mechanical Engineers. Goodness gracious! Had there been some “commissioning going on already?

***

P.S. Congressman Pacquiao did vote NO last night, and I was able to rush this to the press just on time. He started his speech by thanking his fellow members of the House for their support during his recent fight and got a standing ovation. Then he said that when he was knocked out and was unconscious for two minutes, some thought he was dead, and what happened strengthened his belief in the sacredness of life. So, he said, “Manny Pacquiao is pro-life. Manny Pacquiao votes no to the RH Bill.”*

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