Life is better without the clowns

“Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate, now what's going to happen to us with both a House and a Senate?"

—Will Rogers

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WE have been advocating for abolition of the Philippine Senate, the Upper Chamber of the House, since 2013 or 12 years ago.

Even before the shameful acrobatics of the “Dirty 18” (composed of unprincipled and cowards who voted to “remand” the impeachment complaint filed against Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio), we already noticed that the presence of senators in the life of Filipinos was antipathetic and maleficent.

At this early, we predict that the impeachment case to be unravelled officially during the 20th congress will end up as a smorgasbord of comedy, circus, humiliation for the crooks and rascals, and embarrassment for the entire nation. 

We just don’t have trust and confidence with most of the incoming sitting judges-senators. They are palookas, nondescripts, unreliable, political hooligans who cower in fear at the mere sight of the Duterte family.  

Our disgust and disappointment originated specifically from the ugly mudslinging bout between the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and now Presidential Legal Chief Juan Ponce Enrile which had wasted millions of pesos in taxpayers' money.

And the mushrooming of flood of pork barrel and other pelfs and privileges so horrendous and scandalous they would dwarf Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.

 

-o0o-

 

Th Miriam-Enrile joust and the presence of the current clowns and political back riders happened because we have a useless branch of government that is actually not necessary and should have been dissolved a long time ago.

If we have a parliamentary form of government, we can never have the likes of Robin, Bato, Jinggoy, Bong (Revilla and Go), Lito Lapid, Joel, the Villars (mother, son, daughter), among other inutile senators.

No pork barrel, no popularity contest, and no unnecessary committee investigations that are only actually in aid of grandstanding rather than legislation.

The early senators in history never resorted to personal insults and slander unlike what we have in the Philippines today.

Senators had been part of Roman government since Romulus, the first king of Rome, who created 100 senators to advise him, especially in the case of alliances and treaties.

When Romulus died, there was no obvious candidate to replace him and the Roman senators feared that one of the neighboring states would take over Rome, so they set up a temporary government.

They gave power to a chosen individual for only five days at time, after which the next in line took over.

The time under this rotating government was called an interregnum meaning it was the government between (inter) the kings.

The Roman People were happy to see the end of the interregnum because they felt that during it they were ruled by 100 masters, instead of just a single monarch.

The late President Fidel Ramos’ former press secretary Hector R. Villanueva was right when he referred to the upper chamber as "disgraceful senate."

 

-o0o-

 

We agree with Villanueva when he once called the Philippine Senate as "a redundant, effete, wasteful, and costly institution that, in reality, does not represent anybody, or any sector, or any region of the country other than the self-serving interests of its members."

It is a myth and parody to believe that senators represent the entire Filipino people.

Once elected, the senators go their own merry ways, and the nation can go fly a kite till the next election, Villanueva had stressed.

"If truth be told, a unicameral National Assembly in a parliamentary form of government can perform just as effectively and rationally without a Senate.

"The Upper Chamber has become unnecessary and irrelevant.

"In many countries, the Senate or upper Assembly is a ceremonial and appointive honorific Chamber composed of retired justices, professors emeritus, retired statesmen, outstanding business leaders, exceptional professionals in the sciences, extraordinary women, and experienced diplomats.

 

-o0o-

 

"Its main functions are, among others, as a treaty ratifying body, an impeachment court, a welcoming party to arriving foreign dignitaries, and other ceremonial duties.

"Expectedly, the members are entitled to respectable stipends and perks sans the PDAF to insulate them from corruption and the vagaries of politics.

"Alas, the current 16th Congress, as a whole, is a disgrace to the nation, and a despicably bad example to the youth of the country.

"Hence, it is an opportune time to renew and revive discussions on Constitutional revisions, term limits, and unicameralism.

"Though we have good friends among the senators, and there are outstanding, fresh, youthful, and exciting newly-elected senators, the Philippine Senate itself in recent years has fallen into disrepute, corruption, incessant squabbling, lackluster productivity, and obsessive partisanship that is making the Senate increasingly unnecessary and not cost-effective.

"The Filipino would not miss its absence and demise if the Senate were to be abolished.

"When all is said and done, it is never too late for the senators to redeem themselves and regain the respect and support of the general public.

"However, there is a new generation out there of politically conscious and activist youths who are highly skilled in the use of social media that is double-bladed and can cut both ways."

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

How did ‘retired’ Pacquiao bypass 9 ‘active’ contenders for world crown

“Boxing is the only sport you can get your brain shook, your money took and your name in the undertaker book.”

—Joe Frazier

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

YOU may be wondering why boxing—both professional and amateur—is fast losing credibility.

You may also wonder why, as the UFC gains meteoric popularity, the faith of many fans in prizefighting is eroding.

Meanwhile, the most fundamental and very valid question every boxing fan should be asking right now is, “How did an aging and once retired professional boxer like former world champion Manny Pacquiao earn an automatic right to fight for a legitimate world boxing title?”

It boggles the mind, intriguing to say the least, and reeks of anomaly. But it is happening.

On July 19, 2025, 46-year-old Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) returns to the square jungle for the first time in almost four years as a “challenger” to World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight crown holder, 30-year-old Mario Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs).

The 12-round championship setto has been officially announced to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, controversial venue of the Filipino buzzsaw’s bloodiest and most dramatic ring sagas these past 25 years.

 

-o0o-

 

If Pacquiao, a defeated presidential and subsequently senatorial candidate in the Philippines in the past two elections, retired after absorbing a heartbreaking 12-round unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas (27-6, 12 KOs) in August 2021 at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, how did he become instant challenger without defeating any of the nine “active” WBC rated 147-lb contenders?

For the record, the top 10 contenders in the WBC welterweight division are: 1. Devin Haney (US); 2. Souleymane Cissokho (France); 3. Conor Benn (Great Britain); 4. Raul Curiel (Mexico); 5. Egidijus Kavaliauskas (Lithuania); 6. Thulani Mbenge (South Africa); 7. Eimantas Stanionis (Lithuania); 8. Abel Ramos (US); 9. Alexis Rocha (US); 10. Samuel Molina (Spain).

Aren’t they more deserving to earn a crack at Barrios’ crown by virtue of their hard-earned ratings and being more active in the ring? Surprisingly, no one from among the elite 10 contenders has cried favoritism.  

If all of them have willingly decided to pave the way for the Filipino “senior citizen”, will their collusion not destroy boxing’s credibility, which is already reeling from tons of controversy and accusations of favoritism and corruption?

Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division former champion, wasn’t even rated in the top 40 of WBC welterweight division being lorded by Barrios.

 

-o0o-

 

If the top 10 contenders elect to play deaf and mute and allow the Team Pacquiao train to railroad their own chances of earning a title shot at Barrios, then how about the the 30 other contenders (those rated from No. 11 to 40) Pacquiao had sidestepped?

How did the comebacking Filipino fistic hero bypass the 40 “active” contenders in his division to shortcut his way to the WBC 147-lb championship?

The WBC's rules, according to ESPN’s Andreas Hale, state that “a former champion can request a title fight after coming out of retirement.”

Ironically, age limit wasn’t categorically emphasized in this puzzling WBC rule for the returning former world champions. Isn’t this WBC rule on automatic world title challenge unfair and absurd?

What if the once-retired former champion is “too old” to participate in a violent contact sport like professional boxing?

Thrifty five years old is considered “too old” in professional boxing. At 46, Pacquiao will try to become the first prizefighter to win the world crown as a Hall of Famer.

Most of boxing’s Hall of Famers were either already six feet below the ground or wheelchair-bound if not bed-ridden.

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

Most mourned, publicized, sensationalized plane crash

 “Never have doubted it, even when the plane crash happened. I wasn't mad at God. I just knew that there was a reason that I didn't know about why it happened.”

—Reba McEntire

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WE have covered in the media several air mishaps involving commercial, private and military aircrafts in the past, but nothing can compare to the ill-fated Air India Flight 171 crash that killed 270 people when it comes to social and mainstream media extended coverage and impact to many people around the world.

As of this writing or several days after the shocking crash, photos and videos of passengers and flight crew, including that of the two pilots taken before, during, and after the horrific tragedy continued to flood in the social media and TV networks all over the world.

People around the world continued to mourn like members of family were among those killed. Airport departure stories, last photos and videos taken while saying goodbye to loved ones, premonitions by some passengers, excitement-turned-gruesome endings, anguish of family members, etcetera.

The massive and widespread mourning probably was heavily influenced by the victims’ voluminous photos and videos the netizens regularly see on the social media.

The impact of the tragedy couldn’t leave the memory easily after seeing the once vibrant and active lives, including entire families, suddenly gone in seconds or minutes after they were taken in the airport and inside the cabin before the crash.

 

-o0o-

 

It’s impossible not to be affected and touched by the sorrows and heartaches felt by relatives shocked by the sudden turn of events.

According to Hari Kumar and Mujib Mashal of New York Times, Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal, 55, had been considering early retirement to care for his octogenarian father. His co-pilot for the day, Clive Kunder, 32, had just started to build momentum in his career.

Together, they brought nearly 10,000 hours of flight experience to the cockpit. But now it is the final moments of their last flight, the ill-fated Air India Flight 171, that investigators will be studying for months to come.

The flight, which took off on June 12 from Ahmedabad City bound for London, lasted less than a minute in the air before crashing into the campus of a nearby medical college, leaving at least 270 people dead.

The impact ignited a fireball so intense that the bodies of most of the victims are damaged beyond recognition, officials have said. By Sunday afternoon, three days after the crash, the remains of only 35 onboard the Boeing 787 had been identified through DNA tests and released to the families.

 

-o0o-

 

Investigators have sealed the crash site and the hostels of the medical college that were hit. They have recovered the aircraft’s flight data recorder and continue searching for the cockpit voice recorder. They hope the conversation between Captain Sabharwal and First Officer Kunder, along with other information recorded in those devices, known as black boxes, can shed light on whether the plane crashed because of mechanical failure, human error or some other combination of factors.

Regardless of what went wrong, officials and experts agree on one point: The pilots had virtually no time to regain control of the plane as it began going down.

The aircraft carrying 242 people left the runway at 1:39 p.m. local time and had traveled just over a mile, passing the slums along the airport’s perimeter. It never climbed higher than 650 feet, said India’s civil aviation secretary, Samir Kumar Sinha. Within seconds of takeoff, the aircraft “started sinking,” he said.

Captain Sabharwal issued a “Mayday” call to the air traffic controller, declaring a full emergency, but the plane went down seconds later.

 

-o0o-

 

“When the air traffic controller tried to contact the plane, there was no response,” Mr. Sinha said at a news conference. Only one person on the plane survived.

Both Captain Sabharwal and First Officer Kunder, who lived in Mumbai, had parents who had built their careers in the world of air travel. Captain Sabharwal’s father had worked as an officer in the civil aviation authority of India before retiring, while Mr. Kunder’s mother worked as a flight attendant, also for Air India.

Captain Sabharwal, who was unmarried, was the primary caregiver of his father, who is now in his late 80s. His mother died three years ago, and his sister lives in Delhi with her family. The captain’s neighbors and friends described him as a soft-spoken, reserved man, whom they often saw accompanying his father for walks in the garden of their housing complex whenever he was home.

“His father would be alone when he went flying,” said Sanjeev Pai, a retired wing commander who said he was a friend and neighbor of the captain.

Mr. Pai said Mr. Sabharwal has been grieving since learning of the crash.

“He doesn’t speak much,” Mr. Pai said in an interview. “We try to offer him tea, et cetera, but he won’t have anything out of sadness.”

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

We can’t vanish lousy politicians by mere insult

“Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.”

—Will Rogers

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

EVEN if we make multiple bogus social media accounts or mount the loudest microphones and speakers in Calle Real to slam and vilify all those lousy politicians, there’s no way we can vanish them.

Running amuck in the social media is sometimes good for our mental and emotional health if we want to express disgust and wrath against political hooligans like Chiz, Bato, Robin, Loren, Cynthia, Joel, Alan Peter, to name only a few grutnols in the senate, but our social media rages are not darts that can drill holes in their backs.

In the first place, it’s our fault for electing them during the elections; we have the good opportunity to elect the best and most qualified leaders, but we always went for the sikat (famous) who will always make pasikat (show-off), entertainment macho men and nymphets, film stunt men, children of religious cult leaders, carpet baggers, land grabbers, cry babies, etcetera.

In other words, we are partly to blame for the gradual and sweeping ruins of our hollowed institutions and revered public offices like the Upper and Lower chambers of the national legislature.

 

-o0o-

 

IT’S better and healthier politically if Iloilo City Mayor-elect Raisa Treñas-Chu, Iloilo City reelected Rep. Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda and sister, Vice Mayor-elect Love Baronda will meet, sit down, and smoke the proverbial peace pipe even without the presence of their senior citizen parents.

In the first place, the peace pipe here is a misnomer since there was no actual enmity and personal hatred that unraveled between the two camps before, during, and after the May 12, 2025 election.

While the adults were tearing each other apart, the kids hoofed together like Bini dancers.   

They must learn to form their own fraternal ties and cooperation in the name of public service without necessarily asking permission from the olds.

The Ilonggo electorate brought them to their offices, not their parents. They are beholden to the public, not to papa and mama.

Now that they have been given the opportunity to chart the future of Iloilo City, they can create their own destiny as Gen Z leaders and upgrade the quality of public service for future generations to enjoy and emulate.

Iloilo City will be in good hands if the trio—Treñas daughter, Baronda ladies—will learn to paddle their own canoes and cultivate their own gardens.

 

-o0o-

 

REAL AND PRESENT SHORTAGES. Immigrants with opportunity to study or acquire a second profession while living in the United States, must go for the healthcare jobs: Home Health Aide (HHA), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), (Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Nurse (RN), Physical Therapist (PT), Occupational Therapist (OT), Medical Assistant (the best of all is RN).

I personally witnessed and experienced how hospitals, medical centers, nursing centers and rehabilitations, urgent care clinics grapple with shortages of the aforementioned healthcare professionals.

This can explain why my evenings (I am a New York State-licensed CNA, phlebotomist and EKG Tech) are sometimes mornings vice versa (never mind my afternoons because it appears I have none of them now).

Overtime and evening shifts are in demand. If we’re robots or machines with no wear and tear, everyday would be harvest season financially.

Healthcare industry pays incredibly much higher and offers head-turning benefits more than what anyone can imagine.

But we’re humans and (in my case I) don’t have anymore illusion to get rich, thus it’s but logical to accept only shifts and other “responsibilities” in consonance with our endurance, mental, emotional and physical strengths and limitations.

Health and happiness are always more important than the sparkling US dollars.

 

-o0o-

 

FOUR BASIC ANSWERS. Former Obama cabinet secretary Robert Reich said, “I heard four basic answers” as demonstrations against President Donald Trump’s emerging police state are growing, not just in Los Angeles but around the nation.

In New York June 10, demonstrators walked through the streets after assembling in Lower Manhattan near a large government building that houses federal immigration offices and the city’s main immigration court.

Thousands gathered in Chicago, chanting anti-ICE and anti-Trump slogans while marching through the city.

This coming June 14 (Saturday), in response to Mr. Trump’s display of military might in Washington (ostensibly to honor the 250th anniversary of the creation of the U.S. Army but also to honor himself and his own birthday), many pro-democrats will be protesting in “No Kings Day” events across the nation, Reich revealed.

Mr. Trump says anyone who protests during his military parade in Washington will be met with “very big force.”

Reich asked: “All of which raises some basic questions: What is the purpose of our protests, in concrete political terms? What should our strategy now be in the face of Trump’s emerging police state? How do we avoid playing into Trump’s hands? I’ve heard four basic answers: ...”

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