At least he was
not like Bush

President Benigno Aquino III had to leave a dinner reception in Canberra, Australia because of a bum stomach. Reports said he left without partaking of the dinner hosted by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who was very understanding. The incident recalls a similar incident when U.S. President George W. Bush was also on a state visit to Japan where he reportedly threw up during the banquet. At least President Aquino did not disgrace himself, or us, that time.

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Anyway, it was good to note that he was up and about already yesterday and attending to all the functions on his agenda. He even attended another dinner, this time tendered in Sydney. I hope somebody remembered to suggest that he be served arroz caldo instead of the scrumptious steaks Australians are known for. Meanwhile, some people are making much of the wheelchair joke he reportedly made before members of the Filipino community in Australia. Supporters of former President Gloria Arroyo are grouching because they feel their boss was referred to. But GMA is not the only official facing charges who uses a wheelchair. The fashion was started, I think, by one of her lieutenants, the wily Joc-joc Bolante.

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Davao Vice Mayor (former mayor) Rudy Duterte has done it again. He has shocked the Human Rights people by offering a bounty for a suspected thief in his city. The suspect, said to be a ring leader of a car theft syndicate in his territory, allegedly implicated a son of Duterte, and the former mayor, fuming mad, has offered a bounty of P5 million to anyone who can get the suspect. The offer is P4 million for killing him, P2 million if alive, and another P1 million for the head, wrapped in dry ice. And, as shown on TV, he was not even batting an eyelash when that was being announced.

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It seems that this time, he is no longer waiting for the suspect to do it himself. A group of journalists from Bacolod who met Duterte in Davao while he was mayor, tried to ask him about the reports that there were death squads in his city, which he reportedly denied. When they asked what had happened to the criminals whose bodies were found, he also reportedly told them without blinking that they “committed suicide”. But I am sure that the alleged thievery ringleader is now having difficulty finding a place where he can hide.

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The heads of National Sports Associations who had openly declared their support for tycoon Manny Pangilinan as president of the Philippine Olympic Commission, must now be having frazzled nerves after their bet declared, as announced in yesterday's reports, that he was not biting, and turned down their offers. Now what? Nobody else has shown interest in contesting perennial POC head Peping Cojuangco who, despite the dismal showing of the country's sports delegations in recent years under him, refuses to give up his post. The NSA heads who had wisely refused to reveal themselves before Pangilinan had agreed, must be the only ones at ease now. At the POC, the show will go on, and the shameless ones who had declared support for Pangilinan will now be licking the boots of Cojuangco again.

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Well, well, what do you know: A survey authorized by Radyo Veritas has shown that more women in the Philippines are drinking alcoholic liquor these days than men. The Veritas Truth Survey said that of the Pinoy drinkers, 52 percent were women, and only 48 percent were men. I had already pooh-poohed the information, but found reason to believe it shortly after. During the MassKara Festival last week, we watched part of the activities at a certain eatery and the table next to ours was occupied by five women – they were surely no longer teenagers – who were guzzling beer like nobody's business. The more beer bottles there were stacked on their table, the rowdier they became, and it seemed as if they were trying to attract attention. One was also continuously smoking and waving her cigaret around as they guffawed everytime one of them said something. They did not sound like Ilonggos, and their faces were not familiar. But they served a purpose, they confirmed, partly, the Veritas survey.

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By the way, the survey also said that only 19 percent were drinkers in Mindanao. That is understandable, because there are many Muslims there and alcohol is taboo to them. I remember during a trip to Kuwait while covering a presidential state visit, that one of our companions told us that some of the Muslim officials were having “happy hour” in the hotel restaurant. Unable to quell our curiosity, we went to the resto and pretended to order some food while spying on the officials. To our surprise, and amusement, they were all drinking, not wine or beer, but plain orange juice!*

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