Threats should
not be dismissed

All ye killjoys who are not infatuated with the new (copied?) slogan of the Tourism Department, stop your belly-aching already. The people who foisted it on us have reportedly got the approval of the President, so they can now thumb their noses at those who do not like it. Well, let us just grin and bear it, and hope to see the proof of the pudding. And pardon me if I am also foisting on you a surfeit of clichés today.

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But I can’t help noting the front page of the Philippine Star yesterday where “It’s a go for ‘More fun in the Philippines” was streamed on top of the page, and right below it, the main headline says: “Terror alert in MM stays”. Isn’t that fun to see? I understand the terror alert referred to in Metro Manila is the one aired just before the Black Nazarene procession on Monday – up to Tuesday – where President Aquino himself warned about the presence of a terror group who may play “unfunny” games during the celebration.

***

Some people have twitted the president, even calling him paranoid for making the warning. The fact that the police and other concerned agencies are still working on their information indicates that something is really going on, so why should we make fun of those taking it seriously? When the late Pope John Paul came to the Philippines, a similar information was made known to our security officials, and they DID discover the lair of the plotters when a miracle of sorts took place, and the explosives being prepared by the plotters exploded in a Manila apartment, leading the authorities to discover it.

***

When it comes to such threats, one can never be complacent because in almost all the cases of those journalists, and officials who had been ambushed or murdered, threats had also been received by them before the attempts, most of them successful, took place. I, for one, admire the President for quickly acting on those intelligence reports. I still believe that any plotters, if they had really been around, would have desisted from their plans, knowing that government agents were on to them.

***

I was surprised to see on TV a scene from the White House where U.S. President Barack Obama was honoring the champions of last year’s NBA series, the Mavericks. Why only now, when the next series has already started? The MAVS were said to have been invited by the President, and they all turned up, led by their top player, German Dirk Nowitzki. The ceremony included the presentation of a Jersey to the President, and, of course, a photo opportunity with him. Still, one can’t help wondering why the MAVS were remembered only now. Could it be because elections are coming soon? Well, politicians, especially candidates, are all the same, wherever they are.

***

Still on sports, talks have heated up again on the possibility of a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. Only the other day, Manny Pacquiao was quoted as saying that the opponent he wants to meet next is Floyd Mayweather Jr. And, surprise, after all his hemming and hawing in past months, the “Pretty Boy” who is not pretty at all, has come out challenging the Pacman! Hmm… maybe he needs to raise funds for all those court cases he still has to face?

***

Well, they do have different laws in the U.S., because it is strange to us that Mayweather can choose the time when he will serve his sentence and go to jail. After being meted a 90-day prison term, his incarceration was supposed to start this month, but he has managed to have it moved to June yet. Over here, a former president and a former Comelec commissioner have only been charged, but they can no longer go around freely, in fact they are both detained, one in a hospital, the other at a police station, because they are not allowed bail!

***

By the way, the “Hornblower” of the former president has tooted again and this time it is to announce that her boss may need another operation on her neck. It will be the fourth one, she says, because none of the three previous surgeries worked. It is strange that GMA’s problem is about her neck, which has worsened after charges were filed against her. Is she worried that she will be convicted? Even so, there is no such penalty as hanging in this country, and never have we any record of such, except for those who did it themselves. What people will soon be speculating on is whether her camp will insist again on treatment abroad.*

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