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Bacolod City, PhilippinesWednesday, February 8, 2012
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with Ninfa Leonardia
OPINIONS

Is her slip showing?

Ninfa Leonardia

At the time of this writing, almost 1,040 aftershocks had been recorded since the Magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit Negros Island and parts of Cebu Province, at 11:49 a.m. on Monday. No wonder many residents of the affected areas complain about feeling groggy now and then. Even if no actual shaking is felt, there was something that gave people some uneasiness throughout yesterday.

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No wonder those in the worse-hit areas in Negros Oriental refuse to go back to their homes and would rather endure the discomfort in evacuation sites. Add to their fears the wickedness of those who send out text messages warning of dire events, like tsunamis and other ill effects of the quakes. No matter how local officials try to allay the fears of those affected, they would rather believe the evil texters, who must think they are just playing practical jokes.

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But it is alarming to hear that some people insist on staying in elevated spaces, believing they would be safer there in case of a tsunami, which they suspect is possible because of perceived strange movements of the sea. But experts have expressed fears that those high grounds where they are perched, are also dangerous, because that is where the landslides could start, and God forbid, even bury them in the split of a second.

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It is unfortunate that earthquakes, unlike typhoons, are not given names to identify them from other calamities. The latest one even confused media reports, with varying figures coming out from different sources. Yesterday, for instance, five national dailies had different figures on the alleged fatalities. The Manila Standard had 13, the Philippine Star and the Daily Tribune both had 43, the Daily Inquirer had it at 52, and the Manila Bulletin had a very conservative 7 only. At the DAILY STAR, we gingerly resorted to saying, 43 “Feared Dead” only.

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President Noynoy Aquino is marking his 52nd birthday today. My, that’s a ripe old age for a bachelor who seems to have everything to ensure a happy marriage and a talented family. Once upon a time, England also had a bachelor prince who, everybody thought, was loveless and not bothered by it. Until the time he picked a beautiful young teacher, also from a blue-blooded family, to be his bride. How the world adored the idea of a prince anda beauty, so fit to be a queen.

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It didn’t take very long, however, for the truth to come out: the prince was really pining for a married woman with whom he had a dalliance. Even if the woman was as plain and unattractive, as his bride was lovely and adorable, the latter was no match to the “other one”, who continued to be the obstacle to a happy marriage. Worse, the young princess soon discovered that she had only been made a breeder for the future king. We all know how tragically she died, and how she continues to be loved and admired until now.

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As we are on the subject of royalty and love affairs, we also recall that Queen Elizabeth of England, mother of the faithless prince, marked her 60th anniversary as queen of that country the other day. Now already 85 years old, she has stuck to her marriage to Greek Prince Philip, father of her sons and daughters, who is now 90 years old. Despite their ages, there is still no sign that Queen Elizabeth will hand over the throne to her son Charles, now in his 60s also, and married to the one called “the third person” in their marriage by his first wife.

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Oh well, back to the mundane events in the Senate acting as a court that allowed the other day the sub poena for the bank records of the impeached Chief Justice, Renato Corona and his wife, to be presented as evidence, over the protests of the defense. And surprise – or maybe not – Senator Miriam Santiago, who was not at the hearing, reportedly sent an appeal to the Senate-court not to allow the presentation of the bank records. Why the great concern after her fellow judges had granted it? Is her slip showing in this impeachment case as it did in that first one involving a president?*

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