Some blessings to count

Let’s play Pollyanna’s Glad Game for once and express our appreciation for some of the nice things that have been happening lately. For one there is the rollback in oil prices, that is bigger than any we have had in more than a year. Imagine, gasoline and diesel have prices slashed by some P1.60 per liter! Other fuel products like petroleum, are also cheaper now. Me, my first reaction was to rush to my suki gasoline station and use up all the cash in my wallet to “fill ‘er up”.

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And then, commuters have also been gladdened by the announcement that jeepney fares are going down by 50 centavos. That will certainly mean a lot of savings, especially if it keeps on until classes open and beyond that. As for Bacolod City, it is hosting so many gatherings, conventions and professional meetings that our shops and eateries, and especially our hotels, are very happy these days. And that is not to mention again that our MassKara Dancers have captured the national championship of the ABS-CBN program “It’s Showtime,” that brought a P3 million prize! Aren’t those things to crow about?

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In the sports area, Fil-Am Brian Viloria also overcame his Mexican opponent Omar Niño Romero with a ninth round technical knockout. Viloria retained his world title, and another Pinoy boxer on the undercard also triumphed at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig. Rodel Mayol finished off Julio Cesar Miranda, also a Mexican. In the meantime, their “dean” Manny Pacquiao is now brushing up on his strategies to apply in his coming match with the younger Tim Bradley, who keeps boasting about how he will end the reign of the Pacman.

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Meanwhile, it was a surprise to learn that the newly elected president of France, the one who defeated the charismatic Nicolas Sarkozy, has an equally interesting persona as the latter’s wife, model and singer Carla Bruni. But Hollande does not have a wife, he has a “partner” called Valerie Prierweilen, a journalist from the ranking French newspaper, Paris Match. Just as glamorous as Carla, Valerie is said to be quite an asset to Hollande, only she cannot be a “first lady” because they are not married. A commentator said she must be the first presidential “partner” who is not wearing a wedding ring.

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I had stopped watching the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona because it was getting quite boring, with the defense seemingly bent on delaying things, for what purpose, I couldn’t see. But when Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales was called to the witness stand yesterday, I could not help peeking at the TV screen, every now and then. I guess Defense lawyer, former Associate Justice Serafin Cuevas met his match in the former lady justice, who trotted out her testimony and accompanying documents matter-of-factly.

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Unlike many other witnesses in the special trial, Morales was unruffled and could not be browbeaten by Cuevas. It got so that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who presides over the hearing, had to call his attention for seemingly beating around the bush. I guess Enrile really wants to end the trial as quickly as possible, and wants to stick to a timetable. But one could tell that the defense panel was getting rattled. During the press conference later, their spokespersons seemed to be trying to keep a stiff upper lip, as the British would say it.

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But I’m sure things will really start cracking when the Chief Justice himself comes to the witness stand and is questioned by both the prosecution and the defense panels. From his pronouncements, he sounds very sure that he can extricate himself from all the charges against him. His lawyers keep harping on the fact that the prosecution had dropped some of their charges because they would not be able to make them stick. But the three that they are focusing on seem to be the most dangerous, and, anyway, as one lawyer put it, it will take only one charge to seal the impeachment case.

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Meanwhile, what is happening in the National Press Club? Is it being deserted by journalists from the major newspapers of the country? The announcement about its newly-elected officers does not show the name of any reporters or columnist from the bigger dailies, except one from Manila Bulletin. Nobody from Business World, Philippine Star, the Daily Inquirer is in the list. Maybe they did participate, and they all lost in the voting? It would be interesting to know why most of those named were from the tabloids.*

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