As we write, the countdown is ongoing and people are eagerly anticipating the arrival of Pope Francis for his first visit to the only majority Catholic nation in Asia. Six million attendees are anticipated for the mass scheduled in Luneta this Sunday, and for a few days at least, we can expect everyone to be filled with good intentions and be on their best behavior.
For his part, President BS Aquino is prepared to make a really big sacrifice by kicking his smoking habit for–get ready for this–a whole day! Wow, we are totally impressed and for a while there rendered so speechless at this major announcement made by the president’s ever loyal buddy DILG Secretary Mar Roxas who was appealing to the rest of the people to show respect for the rock star pope.
You cynics out there, how dare you belittle this extremely difficult decision on the part of the president to fight the urge to light up? You ignorant non-smokers have really no idea. Trying to stop smoking for one whole day is a gut-wrenching, nerve wracking, sweat inducing experience that we woudn’t wish on our worst critic or enemy. How could you malicious-minded people even suggest that this decision of President BS is half-hearted, and that he won’t really be junking the habit for 24 hours but only for the duration of the mass, or that the president will be taking too many CR breaks as an excuse to take a few hurried puffs in secret?
Why, for all we know, the president might just follow the very smart idea of MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino and could also be wearing adult nappies just like the MMDA enforcers who will be in Luneta this Sunday! And please, people, stop being so demanding and don’t ask the president to give up video games. That’s too much already!
So thank you so much Secretary Mar, your revelation really touched our heart and totally opened our eyes. You have just convinced us to also make a big sacrifice by resolving not to make any negative comments against the very compassionate, kindhearted, self-sacrificing president BS for the whole 24-hours on Sunday. Promise.
Who’s replacing Brillantes as Comelec chair?
The impending retirement of Commission on Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes this February has nudged our buddies into making friendly bets about his likely replacement. According to one of our stoolies, it’s not going to be an underling from a department notorious for having its projects derailed by legal tangles.
Nope, the most likely candidate to replace the white-haired Brillantes is a loquacious (more like grandiloquent, one of our buddies harrumphed) Cabinet official who has the experience necessary for the job and who seems to do no wrong in the eyes of the president, one of our buddies insist. This Cabinet official for one is admired for sticking up for underlings and turning a blind eye on their shortcomings despite overwhelming proof of these subordinates’ incompetence and negligence–apparently a much admired characteristic in the present dispensation. More likely than not, this Cabinet official is a believer of selective justice, a disgruntled buddy commented.
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