"In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way."
-- Franklin D. Roosevelt
By Alex P. Vidal
NEW YORK CITY -- President Rodrigo Roa Duterte had in mind the late former Iloilo second district Rep. Pascual "Pascualing" or "Pat" Espinosa when he received Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-installed Iloilo City Mayor Jose "Joe III" Espinosa in Malacanang on November 22.
The President was reportedly curious if Joe III was related to Muelle (pronounced as Mool-ye) Loney's famous hero, Rep. Espinosa, known in history as the "Father of the Magna Carta Law of Labor."
Duterte later learned that Mayor Joe III, a lawyer like him, was Rep. Espinosa's nephew.
The Iloilo City mayor, installed on October 30 when Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog was haphazardly ordered dismissed by the Ombudsman, is the son of Jose Jr. or "Moor," Rep. Espinosa's younger brother.
Rep. Espinosa's son is Sigma Rhoan and lawyer Pascual "Juni" Espinosa, Jr., now helping in the campaign President Duterte's federalism movement in Iloilo City.
-o0o-
Mayor Joe III has invited the President to grace the Dinagayang Festival in January 2018.
Mayor Joe III did not tell the President that many Ilonggos were hurt when he tagged Iloilo City as "the most shabulized" and falsely accused Mayor Mabilog as a "narco-politician" in his various speeches, but assured the President of the "warm" welcome and support from the Ilonggo constituents during his visit two months from now.
"They (Duterte and Joe III) seemed to have hit it off and their body language showed their feelings were mutual," reported a sports executive, who refused to be named as he was not allowed to speak on behalf of the city mayor.
The Duterte-Joe III Malacanang meeting received mixed reactions from both their political allies and enemies.
Iloilo City Rep. Jerry Trenas, who abandoned the Liberal Party (LP) and brought Mayor Joe III and several city councilors to the ruling PDP-Laban, reportedly helped arrange Mayor Joe III's Malacanang visit.
-o0o-
Iloilo City politics used to be dominated by the Trenas-Mabilog-Joe III triumvirate.
Mayor Mabilog, the triumvirate's missing link, became Duterte's arch enemy, while Rep. Trenas and Mayor Joe III, et al are now "sleeping with the enemy."
Although some of those identified with the Duterte administration and former political enemies of Rep. Trenas and Mayor Joe III in Iloilo City were reportedly nervous when they learned about the Duterte-Joe III meeting, they realized that they needed to maintain an open mind and were not supposed to show signs of insecurity.
They feared that if the relationship between President Duterte and Mayor Joe III would blossom, the President might endorse Mayor Joe III when he runs for city mayor in 2019 under the principle of "equity of the incumbent."
Supporters of former Zambales Rep. Pacita Gonzalez, Iloilo City PDP Laban chair, and Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, Mr. Duterte's "point man" in Iloilo City, were still hoping, of course, that the President would narrow down his choices only between Gonzalez and Ganzon, and no one else.
Showing posts with label #Malacanang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #Malacanang. Show all posts
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Why they jump ship
"Honor is not the exclusive property of any political party."
--Herbert Hoover
By Alex P. Vidal
NEW YORK CITY -- When Marcos fell in 1986, many Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) stalwarts jumped ship and were "rescued" by the late former Vice President Doy Laurel's United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO).
Some opted to stay behind the "defrocked" party particularly the "Marcos loyalists" hoping for the strongman's political resurrection which fizzled out with his death in 1989.
When Mrs. Aquino took over and became estranged with Laurel, many of them abandoned UNIDO and embraced PDP-Laban, Tita Cory's official party until 2009.
When FVR reigned supreme in 1992, these unprincipled minions hastily formed a beeline to the new ruling Lakas-NUCD party.
REFUGEES
Then came Erap. From KBL, UNIDO, and PDP-Laban, these political grutnols and druggles "fled" like refugees to Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).
Everyone knows what happened next when Ate Gloria took over: the balimbings, bereft of principle, were again in mad scramble to take oath this time as KAMPI members.
When P-Noy became president, the political pendulum abruptly tilted to the Liberal Party (LP)'s favor in a mass exodus that could dwarf the myth of Israel.
Under the new dispensation, some LP members did not only forsake the party that helped enrich many of them through "pork barrel", they also burned their bridges swearing allegiance not only to President Duterte's PDP-Laban, but to many of the hard-hitting former mayor of Davao City's programs that didn't sit well with their previous political party.
The mass exodus from LP to PDP-Laban appears to be "only the beginning."
Duterte's political party is expected to make a major sweep of the remnants of LP and other coalition parties once his pet program, federalism, takes the center stage.
What does the changing of political bandwagon from one disintegrating political party to another ruling party indicate?
OPPORTUNISM
It's neither a sign of renaissance nor headway. It's pure and simple opportunism.
Philippine politicians fight for survival and can't afford to stay away from the political party of those in power like President Duterte.
Many of these politicians have pending graft and corruption cases in courts. Some of them are engaged in protection racket.
Illegal loggers, smugglers, gambling and drug lords financed some of these politicians during elections. If the sitting president will lower the boom, they will find their way to the doldrums like tottering fools.
If they are "outside the kulambo", so to speak, when the new administration beckons, there are strong chances that their slumbering cases will be expedited; and they might end up snoring in the calaboose.
We will wait when Mr. Duterte makes an exit from the Malacanang and another president will occupy the presidency.
We will surely see the same political merry-go-round similar to what we are seeing today. That's the reality of politics--only in the Philippines.
--Herbert Hoover
By Alex P. Vidal
NEW YORK CITY -- When Marcos fell in 1986, many Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) stalwarts jumped ship and were "rescued" by the late former Vice President Doy Laurel's United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO).
Some opted to stay behind the "defrocked" party particularly the "Marcos loyalists" hoping for the strongman's political resurrection which fizzled out with his death in 1989.
When Mrs. Aquino took over and became estranged with Laurel, many of them abandoned UNIDO and embraced PDP-Laban, Tita Cory's official party until 2009.
When FVR reigned supreme in 1992, these unprincipled minions hastily formed a beeline to the new ruling Lakas-NUCD party.
REFUGEES
Then came Erap. From KBL, UNIDO, and PDP-Laban, these political grutnols and druggles "fled" like refugees to Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).
Everyone knows what happened next when Ate Gloria took over: the balimbings, bereft of principle, were again in mad scramble to take oath this time as KAMPI members.
When P-Noy became president, the political pendulum abruptly tilted to the Liberal Party (LP)'s favor in a mass exodus that could dwarf the myth of Israel.
Under the new dispensation, some LP members did not only forsake the party that helped enrich many of them through "pork barrel", they also burned their bridges swearing allegiance not only to President Duterte's PDP-Laban, but to many of the hard-hitting former mayor of Davao City's programs that didn't sit well with their previous political party.
The mass exodus from LP to PDP-Laban appears to be "only the beginning."
Duterte's political party is expected to make a major sweep of the remnants of LP and other coalition parties once his pet program, federalism, takes the center stage.
What does the changing of political bandwagon from one disintegrating political party to another ruling party indicate?
OPPORTUNISM
It's neither a sign of renaissance nor headway. It's pure and simple opportunism.
Philippine politicians fight for survival and can't afford to stay away from the political party of those in power like President Duterte.
Many of these politicians have pending graft and corruption cases in courts. Some of them are engaged in protection racket.
Illegal loggers, smugglers, gambling and drug lords financed some of these politicians during elections. If the sitting president will lower the boom, they will find their way to the doldrums like tottering fools.
If they are "outside the kulambo", so to speak, when the new administration beckons, there are strong chances that their slumbering cases will be expedited; and they might end up snoring in the calaboose.
We will wait when Mr. Duterte makes an exit from the Malacanang and another president will occupy the presidency.
We will surely see the same political merry-go-round similar to what we are seeing today. That's the reality of politics--only in the Philippines.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Miss Universe and sex tourism
"I think the pageant system is about empowering women. I think that aspect of it is great, but when you take parents who are forcing their children to do anything, I don't think it's healthy."
--Olivia Culpo
By Alex P. Vidal
NEW JERSEY -- When the Philippines first hosted the Miss Universe in 1974, the pageant not only showcased the country's "warm" hospitality and "greatness" before an international audience, it also deodorized the human rights violation-tainted Marcos administration which placed the country under Martial Law on September 21, 1972.
Most of all, it reportedly promoted sex tourism, or so it seemed.
In fact, that year's winner, Ms. Amparo Muñoz of Spain, who became an actress, was implicated in a sex scandal.
It's not the kind of sex scandal though that has bedeviled some politicians and showbiz stars today like the Hayden Kho sex video or the alleged Senator Leila De Lima-driver taped tryst.
It's the slapping incident involving Muñoz and a prominent socialite accused of pimping the Spanish beauty.
MOVIE
When Muñoz slapped the alleged pimp of big time Manila businessmen, the episode was not part of the Hayop sa Ganda movie that also starred 1969 Miss Universe Gloria Diaz.
"It was a real skirmish that shocked the entertainment world," the late Joe Quirino once remarked in Seeing Stars with Joe Quirino.
Since it was a Martial Law, the press could not report in complete details what really had transpired.
Muñoz was reportedly declared as persona non grata as a result of that tumult and left the Philippines in a huff. She died in Malaga, Spain on February 27, 2011 at age 56 due to Parkinson's disease.
Although nobody came forward to confirm that other Miss Universe contestants had also been pimped at that time, the reported slapping brouhaha underscored fears that sex tourism could have reportedly penetrated the prestigious international beauty contest.
CIRCULAR
Meanwhile, one thing good about the Philippines' hosting of the 2017 Miss Universe, is the Malacanang memorandum circular dated December 28, 2016 which ordered that no public funds shall be expended for the international event which will unfold on January 30, 2017.
“The DOT (Department of Tourism) may call upon any such department…. for assistance as the circumstances and exigencies may require, read the circular signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.
“Officials concerned shall adopt such measures as may be necessary to ensure that there will be no disruption of work and services in their respective offices by reason thereof,” the circular says.
“Except for such reasonable resources required in providing support for the hosting of the Pageant, no public funds shall be expended for the hosting of the 2016 Miss Universe Pageant,” it adds.
When the Philippines hosted the pageant for only the second time in 1994, the organizers suffered a shortfall and the Ramos administration reportedly covered some of the expenses in the $5.3 million-event.
--Olivia Culpo
By Alex P. Vidal
NEW JERSEY -- When the Philippines first hosted the Miss Universe in 1974, the pageant not only showcased the country's "warm" hospitality and "greatness" before an international audience, it also deodorized the human rights violation-tainted Marcos administration which placed the country under Martial Law on September 21, 1972.
Most of all, it reportedly promoted sex tourism, or so it seemed.
In fact, that year's winner, Ms. Amparo Muñoz of Spain, who became an actress, was implicated in a sex scandal.
It's not the kind of sex scandal though that has bedeviled some politicians and showbiz stars today like the Hayden Kho sex video or the alleged Senator Leila De Lima-driver taped tryst.
It's the slapping incident involving Muñoz and a prominent socialite accused of pimping the Spanish beauty.
MOVIE
When Muñoz slapped the alleged pimp of big time Manila businessmen, the episode was not part of the Hayop sa Ganda movie that also starred 1969 Miss Universe Gloria Diaz.
"It was a real skirmish that shocked the entertainment world," the late Joe Quirino once remarked in Seeing Stars with Joe Quirino.
Since it was a Martial Law, the press could not report in complete details what really had transpired.
Muñoz was reportedly declared as persona non grata as a result of that tumult and left the Philippines in a huff. She died in Malaga, Spain on February 27, 2011 at age 56 due to Parkinson's disease.
Although nobody came forward to confirm that other Miss Universe contestants had also been pimped at that time, the reported slapping brouhaha underscored fears that sex tourism could have reportedly penetrated the prestigious international beauty contest.
CIRCULAR
Meanwhile, one thing good about the Philippines' hosting of the 2017 Miss Universe, is the Malacanang memorandum circular dated December 28, 2016 which ordered that no public funds shall be expended for the international event which will unfold on January 30, 2017.
“The DOT (Department of Tourism) may call upon any such department…. for assistance as the circumstances and exigencies may require, read the circular signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.
“Officials concerned shall adopt such measures as may be necessary to ensure that there will be no disruption of work and services in their respective offices by reason thereof,” the circular says.
“Except for such reasonable resources required in providing support for the hosting of the Pageant, no public funds shall be expended for the hosting of the 2016 Miss Universe Pageant,” it adds.
When the Philippines hosted the pageant for only the second time in 1994, the organizers suffered a shortfall and the Ramos administration reportedly covered some of the expenses in the $5.3 million-event.
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