Was Obama match-making?

So who is surprised that President Aquino picked Marvic Leonen to be the Supreme Court justice to fill the slot vacated by the elevation of Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno to the highest post in the SC? The signs were very clear that Leonen was the chosen one. Talks had been rife that it was PNoy himself who had prodded Leonen to seek the position, which was why the former Law dean of the University of the Philippines allowed himself to be nominated.

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But nobody is complaining about the appointment that was announced yesterday. Everything fell into place for Leonen, who came to favorable national notice with his role in carving out the much-lauded framework agreement with the Moro National Islamic Front. He does not also seem to be an attention-grabbing person, maintains a low profile, but quietly doing his work. He may look like Teacher’s Pet at this point, but it is doubtful that he will always toe the presidential line in the Court. By the way, he is only in his early fifties, which means he will serve for about 20 years, longer than the sitting chief justice.

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The Manila Bulletin appears to have scooped them all in the publication of the kissing scene between U.S. President Barack Obama and Myanmar’s “Lady” Aung San Suu Kyi. So far, I have not seen a similar photo in any of the major national dailies. The rest only had the, well, hugging scenes, but the Bulletin’s front page, enlarged edition was quite a prize. And the lady did not look as if she was objecting, even if nobody can say that the American president was only being fatherly.

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But Obama must be somewhat mischievous, because yesterday’s photos also showed him between our President Aquino and Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra looking as if he is cooking up something between them. And both were smiling sheepishly, but one can only imagine what Obama is saying since he had his back to the camera. Wasn’t there somebody who also tried to insinuate something between PNoy and Yingluck in a previous gathering of Asian leaders? But the lady is married, so I hear, although she is still using her maiden name. Well, it’s fun trying to speculate on romantic possibilities, especially when such important personalities are involved.

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The latest on the Aman Futures scam in Mindanao is that the police has already filed syndicated estafa charges against the culprits. But they must have been charges in absentia, since the ringleader, a certain Manuel Amalilio, is nowhere to be found. Rumors say that he has fled to his homeland, Malaysia, and the plots thickens further because it is mysterious that Filipinos in Mindanao would be so willing to entrust their money to someone who is not even a Filipino. Let us hope, for their sakes, that something will come out of President Aquino’s request for help in locating Amalilio to the Malaysian government.

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While we are on the subject of scams like the one perpetrated by Aman Futures, let us also remind our people here of the continuing activities of the so-called “bodol-bodol” operators who are still victimizing people in the city. A very recent case involved a woman who fell for the old ploy of being asked for help with some project, then cajoled into placing her money into a box of bag, supposedly containing wads of “money”. At this point the tricksters leave her with the “cash” and a promise to be back, but never show up. As in all the cases, the victim discovers the package left with her to contain only cut pieces of paper bundled to look like money, and her own cash and valuables gone. Maybe the police should seek media help, especially the radio, to continuously repeat stories of this kind, so more people will be alerted.

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Whatever happened to that incident in Davao where the mayor – a “lady” at that – boxed a sheriff who was implementing a court order, in full view of the public, and actually recorded on camera for the whole country, maybe the world, to see? It was later hinted that the poor sheriff decided not to file charges because he knew what was good for him. Well, that has been relegated to Davao history (maybe), but another, more exciting incident also took place in Dinagat (City? Town? Island?) recently where the vice governor and the budget officer (both “ladies”, too) had a hair-pulling session to the entertainment of the mail officials, who later said they did not see who started it all. Spineless males.

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Of course the name Dinagat rings a bell.Was it not one of the local government units included in the Supreme Court flip-flopping acts? And also the realm of the notorious Congressman Ruben Ecleo, now in hiding because a warrant is out for charges that he killed his wife? Well, the vice governor happens to be his sister, Geraldine, who had to post bail, declaring she is not afraid to go to prison. So very unlike her brother, who cannot face the music. Brave girl.*

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