Will they call it the Pacquiao Law?

The country should now prepare to watch another exciting teleserye (serial). Unlike the recently-concluded one where there was only one major character, who happened to be a beleaguered chief justice of the Supreme Court, the upcoming one promises to have an all-star cast, with no less than 38 already listed as of yesterday.

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We are referring to the selection of the person who will be recommended to be the next Chief Justice after the ignominious exit of the previous one whose trial and conviction was watched by the entire country, and even other nations where Filipinos are living and working. Probably because of the way the public had lapped up all the details of that trial, it has been suggested that the vetting of the aspirants will also be covered live for the first time.

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And so we shall again be in for several days of watching and listening to how the candidates will present themselves and how they will fare in the interviews, i.e. question-and-answer portion, presided over by the members of the Judicial and Bar Council. We will be able to see them expose their brilliance or their unfitness for the very exalted position they are aiming for. I also hear that members of the media are asking if they can also ask questions from the candidates. Now, I am a member of the media, too, but I think that will be going too far.

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Aside from preempting the actual judges on the JBC, queries from the media could trivialize the procedures, as it has to be admitted that there are some among our ranks who are as conscious of public exposure as politicians are. Furthermore, their intrusion into the functions of the JBC could only delay the procedures, and result in the process taking longer and even exceeding the limits allowed by law for it. Let’s just stick to ambush interviews, guys.

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If choosing a new Chief Justice were only as easy as picking a new successor for the king in such countries as Saudi Arabia. With the recent death of the proclaimed Crown Prince Nayef, King Abdullah has reportedly named another relative as the next crown prince who will succeed him. Now. King Abdullah is said to be 89 years old now, and the newly anointed one is 76. The one who passed away was also 76. What happened to their younger generation?

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The Coca Cola company must be smarting. Some reports have come out blaming them – and possibly other coca cola drinks, too – for the big American problem now that is obesity. Cokes are supposed to contain a lot of fattening sugar, and that is why those studying the causes of so many Americans growing fat are focusing on them. Another thing I could blame, personally, is the fact that in almost all American eateries, especially fast-food chains, free refills of the colas are allowed, so customers tend to drink more than what is healthy for them.

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But, as a coke guzzler myself, I cannot blame them. When we toured the Coca cola main plaint in Atlanta, Georgia, my companions and I were bemused by the number of drinks offered free to visitors who can just tap a glass from the tiny faucets attached to the jars and drink away. I think there were about 40 different kinds, but none of us exceeded ten, the last tests consisting only of sips. It is different when one is also having sandwiches or pastas, obviously favorites there, because one tends to drink more, and forget about obesity.

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So the Pacquiao-Bradley mess has gotten to the U.S. Senate, with Senators John MacCain of Arizona and Harry Redd of Nevada introducing a bill to create the United States Boxing Commission that will regulate boxing bouts in the country. In his speech on the floor, McCain cited especially what happened in the Pacquiao-Bradley travesty, that he said created a “legitimate distrust” for the sport. After the law is passed, I hope they will henceforth refer to it as the Pacquiao Law. That would be fitting, don’t you think?*

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