The World Boxing Organization has affirmed the win of Jeff Horn over Manny Pacquiao last July 2 in Brisbane.
There were complaints from Pacquiao’s camp that the decision was rigged. But, Santa Banana, how could the judges be wrong?
A person should normally be able to accept defeat. But it seems Pacquiao believes he is Superman. Now he is gearing for a rematch.
Actually, we cannot fault him. He has always wanted more money to add to his billions. I can only pity him. He has fallen prey to self-glory and self-importance.
The question now is whether he would finally retire. He will be 39 soon. He obviously forgets his obligation to the people who voted him senator.
His defeat is a message from God. But how can he resist the lure of money?
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President Rodrigo Duterte and the Armed Forces have given themselves another deadline within which to defeat the terrorists who are attacking Marawi City. For the nth time, the President said Marawi will be liberated in x number of days.
Will it, really?
There is a clear disconnect between the timeline given by the President and what is being said about the terrorist groups. They are reportedly recruiting teenage Moros, giving them firearms and money to the tune of P50 thousand to P100 thousand.
We have also heard about foreign jihadists coming to the Philippines to help establish a caliphate in this part of the world. They say that the siege of Marawi is just a test run for the ISIS.
I would like to believe that the government is actually winning the battle for Marawi. I hope that Mindanao will not become a hub of terrorism.
Note that even the President says the ISIS will continue to haunt us. This only means he receives intelligence reports.
Santa Banana, let us hope terror does not spill over to Visayas and Luzon!
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We have been having an overdose of bad news. Let’s talk about good things for a change.
One is that the protest of former senator Bongbong Marcos is now proceeding fast. The Presidential Electoral Tribunal is now meeting to resolve the election protest filed by Marcos.
Marcos claims he was cheated by the Liberal Party. The counting started with him enjoying a wide lead over his rival, Leni Robredo. Marcos now seeks a recount of over a million votes from Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Maguindanao, Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental.
The PET appears decided to resolve the case soon.
Another piece of good news is that the Social Weather Stations found that 57 percent of Filipinos support President Duterte’s proclamation of martial law. Support is highest in Mindanao, and rightly so. Mindanaoans see to what extent terrorism threatens them.
It is also good to hear that the Palace is finally considering a national ID system instead of just having Muslims use them. I believe this is discriminatory!
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President Duterte will deliver his second State of the Nation Address on July 24.
Last year, the Palace’s Martin Andanar said the President’s Sona would “awaken the patriot in each Filipino.” The speech would not take more than 30 minutes.
The actual speech, however, was 1 hour and 32 minutes long. Mr. Duterte rambled on about his promises and the change the people should expect during his administration.
If there was any change at all, it was the absence of the usual fashion show among lawmakers who outdid each other before television cameras.
So what can we expect in the second Sona?
Duterte cannot seem to rely on a prepared speech. He is prone to rambling about his favorite subjects.
Will he say he has won the war on illegal drugs when we all know his cops are still killing pushers and going after narco-politicians?
Will he claim he is winning the war on criminality when we know that syndicated crimes remain?
And corruption? It remains endemic, a part of Philippine culture.
This is why I have not made any assessment of Mr. Duterte’s first year.
In the case of illegal drugs, so long as there is demand for it, there will always be supply. Crime can only be reduced since it is rooted in poverty. Same as corruption—so long as government people are not able to resist the lure of money, corruption will always be there.
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House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez submitted a bill allowing for the dissolution of marriage. It’s divorce thinly-veiled.
The Catholic Church has been strongly opposing moves to legalize divorce. Perhaps Alvarez wants divorce for himself, but I doubt if he can succeed.