ICI, ICC, oh I see

“Mix a little foolishness with your serious plans. It is lovely to be silly at the right moment.”

—Horace

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

THERE seems to be a smorgasbord of hot and controversial items in the Philippines these past weeks that some people are already getting confused if not provoked to think critically and chaotically.

While the nation is on tenterhooks for the promised historical arrest and jailing of so-called political VIPs linked in the flood control project kickbacks “before or during Christmas day,” news kept buzzing also about the “possible” arrest soon of suspected mass murderer Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and fugitives Harry Roque and Zaldy Co.

People’s attention has been ludicrously swinging like a pendulum from the International Criminal Court (ICC) to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) vice versa hoping to catch up with some vivacious developments on these major issues based on the timeline.

Will it be Harry or Zaldy first? Will Bato go first? Will Bong Revilla, Chiz Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, et al grab the headlines?

This could probably be the reason why no less than the president himself who has been in full throttle announcing the updates on these cases, which was a major twist given his deafening silence before Zaldy Co launched his coup de grace that went pfft two weeks ago.

 

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No worries yet. Filipinos have already given much leverage to the Marcos Jr. administration to do its homework, and they’re bent to extend that privilege unconditionally.

They’ve tolerated the president and his minions while they were saying the things they needed to say however superfluous they may be sometimes, if they will eventually see and feel the results.

All of a sudden, the cases of missing sabunggero entered the picture when the Department of Justice (DoJ) announced the filing of criminal raps against Atong Ang and several other cops, further widening the people’s curiosity and excitement on who will fall first or which case is being given utmost priority by authorities.

In the next two weeks, we expect the Marcos Jr. administration to step on the gas in order to deliver its promise to neutralize and collect some of the initial names as major players in the flood control project shambles.

It is aware that failure to do so will further erode the people’s trust and confidence in government; President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. himself will lose credibility if no big names land in jail other than erstwhile billionaire contractor Sarah Discaya, who has been this administration’s favorite whipping girl in as far as flood control project scandal is concerned.

 

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I received another email from New York Governor Kathy Hochul which she also sent to other New Yorkers:

Alex, Making New York more affordable is not just a goal. It's a responsibility that I take seriously.

I hear from families every day who are feeling the pressure of higher prices on everything from groceries to gifts for the holidays. As we enter the holiday season, we’re continuing our work to make life more affordable for millions of New Yorkers.

When I said we’d put more money back in your pockets, I meant it. In the last month, we finished sending out Inflation Refund checks of up to $400 to 8.2 million New Yorkers — just one part of our work to make life more affordable for all New Yorkers.

Making sure no New Yorker is left in the cold. When the federal government refused to release heating assistance funds, we took action to protect New Yorkers’ utility bill discounts and help eligible New Yorkers sign up for state heating assistance. After weeks of our demands, the federal government finally restored our funding.

Putting money in parents’ pockets. I want to make it easier for working parents to cover all the costs that come with raising a family. I joined moms and dads to talk about our expanded Child Tax Credit taking effect in January, which gives parents up to $1,000 per child to help make life a little easier.

Kicking retail theft to the curb. We’ve taken bold action to protect New York businesses from retail theft. I was proud to report that these investments, paired with the hard work of State Police and local law enforcement, are continuing to help drive down retail theft in our communities. There’s more work to do, but this is real progress.

Money back in your pockets, communities where you feel safe, and more opportunities for you to get ahead. That’s what I’m going to continue fighting for every single day.

Because every investment we make is about fighting for New York families — always. Ever Upward, Gov. Kathy Hochul

(The author, who is now based New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

No money, no honey? No worry dollar is up

“The lack of money is the root of all evil.”

—Mark Twain

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

AT the remittance center inside a Filipino grocery store in Queens Boulevard, New York City December 9 afternoon, I noticed the Philippine peso was once again “below the gutter” vis-à-vis the US dollar: One US dollar was equivalent to 59.23 in Philippine peso via Ria money transfer.

This meant our peso sank once more to a new all-time low on December 9 to join most regional currencies’ decline against the US dollar on cautiousness before the US Federal Reserve’s policy meeting, reportedly with bets on a rate cut by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) also affecting sentiment.

If peso is down going to the Yuletide season, it’s the right time to remit cash to the Philippines for dollar income earners in the United States.

The local unit slid by 28.5 centavos to close at P59.22 versus the greenback from its P58.935 finish on December 5, Bankers Association of the Philippines data showed.

This was reportedly a fresh low for the peso, beating the previous record of P59.17 logged on Nov. 12.

 

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The local currency has reportedly depreciated by P1.375 or 2.32 percent from its P57.845 finish on Dec. 27, 2024 year to date.

Wealth Insights reported that the peso opened Tuesday’s session weaker at P59.08 versus the dollar. Its intraday best was at P59.07, while its worst showing was its closing level of PHP 59.22 against the greenback.

Dollars traded went down to USD 1.097 billion on December 9 from US$1.423 billion on December 5.

The peso dropped along with its regional peers as the dollar was stronger overnight on higher US Treasury yields as markets await the Fed’s policy decision, the first trader said in a Viber message.

 

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Also, the US central bank was set to begin its two-day policy meeting overnight, where it is widely expected to lower borrowing costs by 25 basis points (bps) for a second straight time.

While a cut this week is already priced in, Wealth Insights added that markets are unsure about the Fed’s future policy moves, especially with Chair Jerome H. Powell set to end his term by May next year and with the latest data showing a mixed picture of the state of the US economy.

The dollar was stronger against most Asian currencies amid escalating tensions between China and Japan, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort added in a Viber message.

“The peso weakened anew past the P59 level as market expectations firmed over a potential BSP rate cut this week,” the second trader said in an e-mail.

 

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Alice Guo, Casandra Ong, Zaldy Co, James Ang, Eric Yap, Bong Go, Michael Yang, Peter Lim, Atong Ang.  

Except for Roque and Bato, Chinese-sounding family names have been dominating the news in the Philippines these past weeks.

They hogged headlines because of their alleged involvement in several criminal activities, not because they are role models for our youth to emulate.

Only Filipino-sounding family names Guanzon (Wengweng because of her infamous Gucci and Rolex-highlighted mall performance), Discaya (Sarah because of malversation case for a “ghost” project in Oriental Mindoro), Duterte (Polong because of his plan to visit 17 countries starting December 15 until February 2026) were able to break the ice.

 

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Cold sore treatment: what works for fast relief and healing. That annoying tingling on our lip, followed by a painful bump. Cold sores always seem to pop up at the worst times. 

Maybe we’ve got a big presentation at work or a family photo coming up. Whatever the timing, we want that cold sore gone fast.

More than 3.7 billion people under the age of 50 (or 67 percent of the population) are infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), according to the World Health Organization, so most of us know exactly how frustrating cold sores can be.

But the right cold sore treatment can cut our healing time in half and make the pain much more manageable.

Let's break down what actually works and what doesn't, so we can get back to feeling confident about your smile.

Best cold sore treatment options: prescription vs. over-the-counter: The cold sore treatment that works best for us depends on how quickly we catch the cold sore and how bad your symptoms get.

Prescription cold sore treatments that work.

Antiviral pills are our best bet for stopping cold sores fast.

The most common ones are valacyclovir (Valtrex), acyclovir (Zovirax) and famciclovir (Famvir).

These antivirals stop the virus from spreading. When we start taking them within the first day or two of feeling that tingle, they can:

-Cut healing time by 1-2 days

-Make the pain much less severe

-Help prevent the cold sore from getting as big

Prescription creams like acyclovir cream can also help when we put them right on the cold sore. They're not as powerful as the pills, but they still speed up healing.

 

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Daily prevention medicine might make sense if we get cold sores more than 6 times a year. Taking antiviral medicine every day can stop most outbreaks before they start.

Over-the-counter options.

-Abreva (docosanol) is the only cold sore medicine we can buy without a prescription that's proven to work. It can shorten healing time by about a day if we start using it right when we feel the first tingle.

-Pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen help with the aching and swelling. We can also try numbing gels with benzocaine for quick relief.

-Ice packs work great during the first day or two. Put ice on the cold sore for 10-15 minutes several times a day to reduce swelling and numb the pain.

-Lip balm with sunscreen protects our healing skin. The sun can make cold sores worse and take longer to heal.

(The author, who is now based New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

Failed assassination attempt on Imelda

“Assassination has never changed the history of the world."

--Benjamin Disraeli

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

IT’S the 53rd year since the failed assassination attempt on 96-year-old former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, mother of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., which happened on December 7, 1972.

The date coincided with the 84th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor bombing and the bolo attack on Mrs. Marcos occurred less than three months after the declaration of Martial Law.

“Everybody was still adjusting to the new life under authoritarian rule, which somewhat resembled the Japanese Occupation at least in terms of a curfew that restrained the population’s taste for boulevard alcoholism and nightclub psychedelia,” Manuel F. Martinez, a 1971 Constitutional Convention delegate, narrates in Assassinations and Conspiracies.

In spite of the civil tension, Mrs. Marcos braced for another day of public functions.

In connection with the nationwide campaign for cleanliness and beautification, an awarding ceremony was scheduled on that day at Nayong Pilipino in Pasay City.

 

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“The rites at Nayong Pilipino proceeded smoothly, with Mrs. Marcos onstage receiving one by one the awardees and shaking hands with them,” recalls Martinez.

“Her guards, naturally, were not on the stage but a short distance away, for who would think any attempt on her life would be made in that most friendly environment.”

In terms of parks and plazas, South Cotabato bagged the grand prize for being the model province.

The municipality of Kiamba won the cleanest award.

Among those who went up the stage in the group that would receive the award was a man in all-black suit and pants who pretended to be part of the delegation.

“When his turn came before the First Lady, he whipped out a bolo and made two determined thrusts at her. A split second before the attack, as photographs later showed, she was looking sideways and did not see the bolo already leveled horizontally a few inches away from her abdominal region,” observes Martinez, a former copy editor of Asiaweek in Hong Kong.

 

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According to Martinez, Mrs. Marcos “was quick enough to parry with her arms and fingers the first blow.”

She incurred lacerations at the back of her right hand, on the right forearm, across the index finger and the ring finger of the right hand, according to hospital report.

“In short, without help from anyone, she defended herself. She fell down from the second thrust,” Martinez stresses.

This was how Martinez completed his narration of facts on that fateful day:

Quickly, 22-year-old Linda Amor Robles of the Department of Education, who was secretary of the cleanliness committee, covered Mrs. Marcos with her own body and suffered a huge three-inch wound on her back.

The First Family a week later, when Imelda could walk around with a sling around her arm, visited her in the hospital.

Tourism Secretary Jose Aspiras also shielded Mrs. Marcos by taking some of the blows.

He sustained a head wound that took nine stitches. Others who tried to cover her were Social Welfare Secretary Aldaba Lim and Josefa Aquino, the wife of Highways Commissioner Baltazar Aquino.

 

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The would-be assassin, diverted from the fallen First Lady, continued to hack wildly until he was shot dead by guards who had jumped upstage.

The whole scenario happened before a shocked, unbelieving television audience around the country who were watching the awarding ceremonies.

Mrs. Marcos was immediately flown by helicopter to the 9th floor of the Makati Medical Center.

Shortly afterwards, President Marcos speedily came to her side, grim and unsmiling, and soon he ordered the scene replayed again and again.

Because they had no equipment or tape at the hospital, a television station replayed it for him on the air, and Filipinos saw the many replays themselves for hours.

Marcos’ anger mounted as he watched them, sometimes banging his fist with tremendous force on a tabletop.

He asked why the assailant was killed—he should have been captured alive to tell the whole story, since it was possible someone ordered him to do the job, which may have been a conspiracy.

In Stalin’s regime, the would-be assassin would have been used as witness to incriminate innocent people and send them to death.

 

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It was said Marcos interrogated the guards who shot down the bolo wielder, for it was not impossible that one of them was part of the plan and shot the assassin to silence him.

Later on Marcos told reporters he was satisfied that the guards could not be blamed for immediately killing the man.

On television, the President assured the nation that the First Lady was safe and recovering.

He said he wished he were there when the incident happened.

He added that when he declared Martial Law “we knew we would pay the price, but I cannot forgive myself that she herself had to pay it.”

But instead of being daunted, he said, he would even more resolutely proceed with his program “to eradicate and eliminate all threats against the stability of our society and to push through the (martial law) reformist program.”

(The author, who is now based New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)