Never outshine the master

“Always mistrust a subordinate who never finds fault with his superior.”

—William Collins

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WE won’t be surprised if one of these days or weeks—or even months—the wings of Junvic Remulla will be unceremoniously clipped.

The flamboyant secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has been blatantly and openly “violating” The 48 Laws of Power’s Law 1 that says, “Never Outshine the Master."

Remulla has been “outshining” every major dude in the country’s political cinerama—including the master himself, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Even in smallest items or unfussy subject matter, Remulla wanted to be always in the front seat; he has been excited to always run the show, so to speak, even if his presence and oration weren’t sought and needed.

He goes solo and is ahead of almost everything from announcing the number of people to be jailed in the Payatas jail made exclusively for flood control project criminals, to the whereabouts of suspected billionaire scammer Zaldy Co, the timetable for Harry Roque’s arrest, the possible hideouts of missing sabungero suspected mastermind Atong Ang and his protectors in the NBI, to the announcement of the motive in the twin murders of a lady cop and her son, etcetera.

 

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In all these publicity stunts, Remulla’s presence in the press conferences and media interview monologues weren’t really necessary. But he loved them. He enjoyed doing them. The guy’s so loquacious and already hackneyed.

When it comes to the game of “epal,” Remulla, 58, is neck and neck with Cristina Frasco, 44, the 18th secretary of the Department of Tourism, under the Marcos Jr. administration, who is also a publicity freak.

"Epal" is a Pinoy slang term derived from "mapapel" (one who wants a role), referring to a person or politician who is an attention-grabber, a scene-stealer, or someone who butts into situations where their presence is not needed or welcomed.

It is often used to describe someone meddling or craving attention, often in a negative or annoying way like what Remulla and Frasco have been doing.

Remulla should be told to read Robert Greene's very popular book, which we serialized in our newspaper column in 1998, the year it was published, if he doesn’t want his presidential ambitions to vanish in thin air.

 

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He must learn from Alcibiades’ horrific experience.

The brilliant but incredibly vain Athenian statesman and general (c. 450-404), who thrived on publicity and popularity, was known for his extreme extravagance, immense vanity, and talent for self-promotion.

His ambitious, often erratic, and self-serving actions—including switching allegiances between Athens and Sparta—led to him being ostracized and eventually murdered in exile.

And who can forget Narcissus, known for his excessive self-love and for rejecting the advances of others?

The famous figure from Greek mythology renowned for his extreme beauty and intense arrogance, son of the river god Cephissus and nymph Liriope, was cursed by the gods to fall in love with his own reflection and eventually perished from his vanity?

And Bellerophon, a hero who, after slaying the Chimera, became arrogant and tried to fly Pegasus to Mount Olympus to join the gods? Zeus sent a gadfly to sting Pegasus, causing Bellerophon to fall to the earth, where he lived out his days as a blind, broken wanderer.

In Law 1 of Greene’s book, he—or anybody in Remulla’s position for that matter—must see to it to make his superiors feel superior, not threatened.

 

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By making them seem more brilliant and taking a backseat to their talents, you gain favor, while showing off your own skills can trigger their insecurities, leading to resentment and potential downfall, according to Nathan Glass and Shortform Books.

“You should attribute ideas to them, ask for their help, and generally deflect attention from your own brilliance to secure your position,” says Readingraphics and the official Robert Greene TikTok.

People in power need to feel smart and deserving; your brilliance can threaten that, notes Shortform Books.

Let them take credit for your good ideas; ask for their advice and act as if their guidance led to your success, say Nathan Glass and the official Robert Greene TikTok.

Don't show off or point out others' mistakes, as this makes them look bad and breeds resentment, writes Medium.

Make your boss seem more brilliant than they are; this secures their favor and helps you climb, according to Reddit users.

(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)

 

Fake money

“Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want to impress people they don't like."

--Will Rogers

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

A SLIGHT commotion occurred inside a Chinese establishment in Flushing, New York where I purchased Mapo Tofu after noontime February 4 when a customer was caught paying fake money.

Prior to the incident, we have been warned anew to be on the lookout for fake money after an uptick in reports about counterfeit cash across the United States.

Fake money, or counterfeit, activity included a surge in arrests involving fake $100 and $20 bills, particularly in the Buffalo and Westchester areas.

Multiple, often young, suspects were reportedly arrested for passing counterfeit currency at local businesses. Additionally, scams involving artificial, fake "inflation relief" checks are on the rise in our state of New York.

Also in Maine, state police reported to have experienced an increase in reports of counterfeit U.S. currency in recent weeks. Reports about fake money have come in from other states as well.

 

While recent incidents have involved $100 and $20 bills, police said it’s important to remember that all denominations of bills should be carefully inspected before being accepted or deposited.

 

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Many of the counterfeit bills identified reportedly included $100 bills marked “For Motion Picture Purposes” and $20 bills marked “Copy.”

We were told these markings can be easily missed during busy transactions, so careful inspection is important.

Police have offered tips to protect ourselves:

-Inspect all cash before accepting or depositing it

-Train employees to recognize counterfeit indicators

-Use counterfeit detection tools if available

-Contact local law enforcement if you suspect counterfeit currency

Fake money or its circulation is a problem anywhere.

And it has been in circulation even during normal seasons.

Anyone can be a victim: students, professionals, vendors, businessmen, government workers, and even those dealing with currency transaction.

Fraud fighter Sean Trundy has been exhorting us to learn to know how to spot fake money, for it is a skill that every cash handler should know.

Anywhere in the world today, creating counterfeit money is becoming easier and easier-and thus, more accessible to a larger number of people willing to risk jail for a few pesos or dollars now that we have advances in desktop publishing and laser printer technology.

 

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It was learned that the most common amateur counterfeits are usually 20s and 100s.

Trundy has warned that while "professional" counterfeiters use sophisticated counterfeiting techniques that can fool the naked eye upon examination, the majority of counterfeits we might encounter in circulation can be spotted if we know what to look for and are willing to make a close examination.

For dollar bills, here are some of the ways that money handlers should watch out, based on Trundy's tips:

There's the color shifting Ink. Modern bills are imprinted with overt (or visible) security features that help identify counterfeit money.

The most prominent is reportedly the color shifting ink used on bills produced after 2006.

To identify the color shifting ink, Trundy suggests that we look at the lower-right hand corner of the bill's face.

Notice the printed numeral and tilt the bill back and forth. Depending on the angle at which you view the bill the color will shift from grey to green and back again. This is the first step in identifying fake money, he added.

Color shifting ink, Trundy said, is very difficult to replicate and usually cannot be done on a laser printer.

 

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Another thing is Intaglio Printing. This type of printing reportedly uses intricately carved plates and extremely heavy printing presses to "imprint" the currency. Imprinting means to physically alter the surface of the paper the money is printed on.

This creates a distinctive raised or ruff feeling to the currency that you won’t find on currency printed without intaglio printing. Look at the image of Benjamin Franklin on the $100 dollar bill.

The very fine detail along his eye and face as well as around the oval surrounding his face are nearly impossible for a laser printer to replicate.

"Of course, that is a good spot to rub your finger or thumb along the bill to feel the "raised ridges" that result from intaglio printing," said Trundy.

Let be wary of the counterfeit pen sold cheaply to many store owners.

This pen reportedly serves only one purpose and that is to determine the type of paper used to create the fake money. U.S. currency is printed on cotton based paper. Paper typically milled for use in copiers and laser printers and such is made from wood pulp.

The counterfeit pen is reportedly filled with iodine. The iodine reacts with the wood pulp and turns from brown to black.

If the pen does not turn brown the paper is made of cotton.

This pen will only tell us if the paper is not made from wood pulp. It will not tell us if the bill, printed on non-wood pulp paper, is fake.

Also the watermarks. Every modern U.S. currency reportedly contains a water mark security feature. By holding the bill up to the light we should be able to see a water mark next to the portrait of the president on the bill.

And the security thread. Look for a woven thread running from the top to the bottom of the bill. This thread is not printed "onto" the paper, rather it is woven into and part of the underlying paper the bill is printed on.

Trundy said this is very difficult for counterfeiters to replicate in fake money.

(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)

We forget easily

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

—Confucius

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

THE reason why cases against the bad characters in the Philippines should be expedited and prioritized is because the Filipinos forget easily.

If the cases drag on, there is tendency for anger to subside and the cry for justice fades away.

When the cases are tackled in snail pace, many things can happen when no one is watching. Arm-twisting tactics, back-door manipulations and mysteries gesticulate.

If the cases are delayed, justice is denied.

Such is the predicament the campaign against thieves in the flood control project anomalies is in danger of heading to.

People are not only getting forgetful, but they are also losing interest in the subject matter. Zaldy Co, et al remain scot-free and there has been no solid accountability among thieves in the higher echelon.

Only in November and December 2025, there was public revulsion and untold indignation; the taxpayers agitated for the blood of the rascals and looters in the DPWH and their conspirators in the House of RepresentaTHIEVES and SINnate.

 

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Moments of lethargy and boredom beckoned when only former senator Pogi Revilla Jr. was canned along with a host of nondescript contractors and DPWH hooligans.

Frustrations are now enormous among those who expected too much from the promises (that many corrupt solons and SINators would be spending Christmas in jail) made by the Ombudsman and President Bongbong Marcos Jr. himself.

To add insult, the talkative Remulla political brothers, presidential wanna-be Junvic “Laway” (saliva) and Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Laway” (saliva) offered no satisfactory explanation why the rest of the white-collar gangsters weren’t arrested yet other than saying, “we are still tightening up the cases against them.”

The cases weren’t yet “tight” and yet their lips broke loose in repeatedly giving the public false hopes and expectations?

Today, or barely two months in 2026, we can only count in our fingers characters who are willing to make a noise and demand from the Marcos Jr. administration to round up all those scalawags who stole billions of pesos in the flood control project scam.

 

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WINTER COLD UPDATE. Even if we hardly recovered from the January 25 monster snowstorm New York City has now warmed above freezing for two consecutive days.

“OK, maybe don't go that crazy, but enjoy the warm spell while it lasts — because the floor drops out from under us again this weekend. Get ready for some of the coldest wind chills we’ve faced so far this winter,” cautioned the NBC New York.

Another blast of arctic air will reportedly descend on the Northeast overnight Friday (February 6) night.

A cold front will mark the leading edge of the bitter arctic air mass that will lock in through the weekend. It could come with some light snow during the overnight hours but will bring little to no accumulation, warned the NBC New York.

The biggest issue with the onslaught of the cold air will be the wind that will come with it. According to report, Saturday (February 7) temperatures will hold in the teens. Sustained winds will be 15-20 mph with gusts as high as 40 mph.

That means the wind chill will hover below zero throughout the day across most of the region.

 

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“You’ll need to cover as much exposed skin as possible to avoid frost bite, which can set in on bare skin after just 30 minutes,” NBC New York added.

“The wind will continue to bite through early Sunday, so you’ll wake up Sunday morning to some of the coldest wind chills of the season: 5 to 10 degrees below zero in the city.”

Winds will relax throughout the day on Sunday, so the wind chill will be much more tolerable – but still cold – during the afternoon.

The most optimistic news in the long-range forecast is that this weekend may be the last deep, deep freeze we feel for a while. Next week we expect a return to above-freezing afternoon temperatures that may help to melt some of the big snow we got the last week of January.

Looking out two weeks from now, weather forecasters said the story remains the same: no new arctic blasts. Temperatures for most of the country are expected to be above normal, with the Northeast likely to feel near-normal temperatures. 

(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)