I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to Joanna for sending me two wonderful t-shirts, along with some I LOVE PINOY pins. I was overwhelmed by Joanna's generous and thoughtful consideration. I enjoyed working today, wearing one of the shirts. I felt special. It is dirty now though, so its already worn in!
I'm busy packing today. The last bits and pieces are going in boxes.
Reality is starting to set in.
I am scared to death.
But totally prepared emotionally.
Our long time carpenter/handyman and his wife have invited me to have dinner at their farm tonight, to say good bye.
I am so excited because they have great dogs. In door dogs, so I get to play with them.
But I have to leave Pickles and Lucy at home, so they each got a special strip of crispy bacon with their bones for dinner. They also eat raw organic eggs on the weekends which really helps their coats and digestive tracks. And it also helps to stop dog itching. Fresh Aloe Vera is also very good for your dogs coat. Be generous, especially if its free. Your dog will love it. You will too.
Ok, I know, I'm boring today. But I'm tired from work, and I need to get it together before my two hour drive for grub. At least I will get fed a great home made curry, which is one of the reasons I want to go so much.
The 7 deadly unconfirmed sins of **** ******* in a nutshell according to several sources.
3.1Lust (Latin, luxuria) - lusts after minors (boys 18 and below). But how can BANTAY BATA(abs-cbn) run after him, he works amongst them?
3.2Gluttony (Latin, gula) – He eats and drinks like there’s no tomorrow. A bottle of vodka, stolichnaya in fact, is nothing to him- just as long as it’s FREE.
3.3Greed (Latin, avaritia) – He is combating with his brothers and sisters over what’s left with the La Vista ******* estate. Since it is such a big family, and no one really makes money, they say, he is left with less than 20 million pesos. He is furious.
3.4Sloth (Latin, acedia) – except for his job as “editor” of a glossy, he doesn’t really have any job except living on x-deals. No one knows if he even finished college? This is supposedly due to his addiction to cocaine. He is in the PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) headed by Gen. Santiago. His source has tipped him of. He uses the drugs to lure young unsuspecting boys.
3.5Wrath (Latin, ira) – He is a very angry with Philippine Tatler, Lifestyle Asia, People Asia and every glossy that gets in his way.
3.6Envy (Latin, invidia) – He is steaming with envy because his X-boyfriend Anton San Diego made it in the “social” scene. According to him, Anton is nothing without him. He will never let go so he joined Metro Society.
3.7Pride (Latin, superbia) – The has-been “socialite” is the PROUDEST pinoy there ever will be.
To be honest with you, I've been hearing this a lot. Quite a few Manila people have let me know that not all is well in the Montano-Laurel household. A few people have left anon comments as well. I want everyone to know.
Benjie Laurel,
I warned you Mr Laurel. And now you are paying the price for defending the indefensible.
You chose to become involved with DJ's huge dirty mess.
You tried to ridicule me on Korina.
You said, "HE LIVED LIKE A KING".
Really Benjie? You don't know shit about me.
DJ's a grown man, but you still felt the need to go on television and defend a thirty five year old.
I am ashamed for you and DJ.
You know his mother is a well known scammer.
So is DJ.
And you know it mate.
Please tell DJ to give me back my 70,000 dollars Benjie.
And this will all go away.
Use your influence for good instead of evil.
Redeem yourself within your family.
Show the Laurel clan that you are not a lapdog of Aurora Montano.
Because thats how they currently see you. Aurora Montano's lapdog.
You are not even DJ's father.
What did happened to DJ's father Benjie?
DJ told me so many lies.
Instead of telling DJ to do the right thing and pay me back, you chose to defend DJ.
You're OK with him running off with everything I had Benjie?
I guess so.
Your old lady is a criminal just her son.
Aurora Montano should be in jail. And you know that too.
Defend who you want Benjie, but I hope it was worth it, because I know your family is super fucking pissed with you mate.
You dumb ass lemming.
He should have paid me back Benjie.
Now readers, it has come to my attention, that this blog has created a rather large rift, within the larger Laurel family, which of course is a very respectable family.
Now I'm sorry about this ,Laurel family.
But Benjie made his bed.
And now he must lay down in it.
I did warn you Benjie, that you were being horribly misguided.
Like I was when DJ played me for a grade A fool.
Many people are aware of the fact that the Laurel clan has been 'propping up' the ailing Montanos for many years. Any realMontano power died along with the General.
The dynastic 'alliance' between Aurora Montano and Benjie Laurel has been pretty much fruitless. Their trees keep producing spotted failures with no value at market. Low yield crops.
No yield conscience.
When the 'grandmother of all scams' went down, the Laurel clan had to once again bail out the limping remains of the once influential disgraced Montanos. When will the Laurel family tighten their purse strings and take away Aurora's ATM card?
Now Benjie, the fact that Aurora is not even your wife, is none of my business.
Sinners are around every corner. Aurora called me a sinner once.
What does that make your boy then Aurora?
It wouldn't be the first time this woman has sinned.
She was born on a bed of it.
Benjie, neither you or Aurora are in any position to throw rubbish my way.
Both of your closets are littered with rickety old bones.
I just want DJ to PAY UP!
So I can stop exposing them there bones.
Benjie, you know DJ has my money.
But for some insane reason, you chose to go on national television to rubbish me. You supported DJ fables, knowing his previous history with bad loans and law suits.
You're all embarrassed that I am DJ's ex boyfriend.
Aurora is humiliated that I am HIV positive.
She is humiliated that her son is a queer.
That everyone knows her private business.
But wait, there's more.
I can tell my readers today, that DJ has moved out of the Philippines.
No one knows where he is at the moment, but he was asked to leave the Laurel compound.
I've been told that his sisters have both asked DJ to pay me back.
TOO LATE GIRLS!
WHY did you not tell him this BEFORE you went on television?
He's had my money for over a year now.
Bastard.
You could have saved me a ton of heart ache Marvili.
I am in contact with an extended Laurel family member.
Many believe that DJ has fled to live in Hong Kong or Singapore.
He could never live in Manila again.
Unless, he enters the witness protection program.
TEAM BRIAN will always remind him to PAY UP!
The extended Laurel family is furious for having their name dragged into this ultimate battle between good and bad.
Aurora and Benjie and the entire disgracedMontano clan, made the decision to fall into line behind DJ's string of lies and deceptions.
They ignored my proof.
They simply turned the other way.
Pretended that it wasn't there, staring them bold in the face.
I want everyone to know, that I warned DJ, his mother and his lawyer, last November, that I was going to create this blog, if DJ didn't pay me back. At the time, I had no idea that this was going to happen. But it has.
They mocked me on television. They played with me and my truth. They threatened me over and over again.
I didn't know when or how. But I knew I would get the word out somehow. To warn others. They tortured me with threats. I feared for my life. I couldn't do anything whilst in the Philippines. But as soon as I got out. BANG!
And poor Benjie was led astray like a desperately hungry street dog.
He went on television and LIED about me. Every word that came out of his mouth was a lie. Lies fed to him by that bitch Aurora and her wicked offspring.
Her daughters were coached. Poor things. To be dragged into this.
They were all coached. They had plenty of time to get their stories straight.
And they will regret it forever.
It was FIVE AGAINST ONE (six with Korina).
In the final analysis, I am told. Benjie regrets ever getting involved.
I understand though Benjie, because DJ is VERY good. VERY convincing.
He is all timid and nice. Meek and coy. Coos and oohs with butterflies and bunnies all around him.
Its all a fraud.
DJ simply plays the role necessary to get what he wants.
Lex Adonis, one of Davao City’s hard-hitting radio broadcasters, is behind bars after a court convicted him of the libel case filed by House majority leader Rep. Prospero Nograles. Adonis’s misfortune illustrates what happens when a powerful public official uses the country’s libel laws to get back at a journalist who was too poor to hire a lawyer or attend court hearings.
By Germelina A. Lacorte
DAVAO CITY — One of Davao City’s hard-hitting radio broadcasters is now behind bars for libel. If his enemy succeeded in blocking his application for probation, he could stay in jail for a long time.
Sentenced in January to four years and six months in jail, Bombo Radyo’s Alex “Lex” Adonis, 43, told davaotoday.com he had no regrets at all for his being a mediaman in the last 18 years. His only regret, he said, was his being poor.
Unable to hire a lawyer during the most critical stages in the hearing of his case, Adonis absconded his right to present his side of the libel case filed against him by the complainant, Rep. Prospero Nograles, the House majority floor leader who represents the city’s first district in Congress and one of this city’s — and the country’s — most powerful public officials.
In October 2001, Nograles filed two counts of libel against Adonis for the latter’s series of reports and commentary on the “Burlesque King” scandal. In his reports, Adonis identified Nograles as the man who, sometime in 2001, was seen allegedly running naked in a Manila hotel shortly after the husband of a woman Nograles allegedly had an affair with caught the two in bed.
Nograles denied the accusation and promptly filed the libel case against Abante Tonite, a Manila tabloid that first reported on the alleged incident, and the other journalists who reported on the alleged affair, Adonis among them.
A similar case filed against another Bombo Radyo broadcaster, Dan Vicente, known on the air as Vic Gensan, was dismissed while Adonis, who had gone missing at the critical phase of the trial, was tried in absentia. He was nowhere to be seen when the sentence was handed down.
But why did Adonis stop attending the trial at its most critical phase? Why did he waive his right to present his side?
“Without questioning the merit of the case nor the court’s decision, Adonis’ case shows what happens to broadcasters who can’t afford to hire lawyers but who dare criticize high government officials who have all the backings of power,” said Dodong Solis, a broadcaster and manager of DXDC, the city’s most popular AM station.
“It was not so much that Lex Adonis had criticized Nograles on the air — it was more about Lex Adonis being poor that he was not able to make full use of the privileges normally accorded by the law. That’s why he ended up where he is now.”
Adonis’s poverty in the last six years — at the time that he was being tried — worked so intricately against him. With his wife and two daughters, Adonis barely survived on a 7,500-peso monthly salary as a broadcaster. In 2004, he was assigned to the Bombo Radio station in Cagayan de Oro City.
At first, Adonis said he did not complain because he was receiving an additional 3,000-peso allowance during his first three months in Cagayan de Oro. He thought the additional pay would become permanent. But after three months, the allowance stopped. The Bombo management explained that the additional pay was just a “relocation allowance,” which only covered his first three months in Cagayan de Oro city.
So, when the relocation allowance stopped, Adonis was living on his old salary 500 kilometers away from his family. “I had to rent a room at 1,000 pesos a month,” he said. For food, he struck an arrangement with an eatery to allow him to eat there and pay for it at month’s end. “When payday comes,” Adonis said during a visit at the Maa City Jail this week, “there was barely enough left for my children, who were already in college.”
His assignment to Cagayan de Oro also made it very hard for him to attend the hearing of his case.
“To attend hearings, I had to finish my 6:30 p.m. radio program first before I leave Cagayan de Oro that same evening so I would arrive in Davao at eight in the morning the next day, in time for the nine o’clock hearing of the case,” Adonis said. “Afterwards, I had to rush back to Cagayan de Oro again in time for my radio program that same day at 6:30 in the evening,” he said. “Sometimes, I couldn’t even afford the bus fare to Davao,” he said, his resentment now boiling over. (The bus ride from Cagayan de Oro to Davao takes at least seven hours by bus.)
Driven by desperation and helplessness, Adonis, in 2005, finally went AWOL (on absence without leave ) from the radio station and disappeared. His disappearance prompted his lawyer, Leopoldo Cagatin, to withdraw from the case. It is impossible for him to protect Adonis’s rights and interest anymore, Cagatin said in a motion to withdraw in February 2006, when Adonis could no longer be found.
Unable to afford another lawyer (according to Bombo Radyo, they were the ones who hired Cagatin), Adonis stopped attending the hearings altogether. Last Feb. 19, police arrested Adonis while visiting his parents in Bankerohan. He could be transferred to the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa if Nograles successfully blocks Adonis’s attempt to apply for probation.
According to a Sun.Star Davao report, Adonis had wanted to apologize to Nograles but Bombo Radyo ordered him not to do it. “Had it been up to me, I would have apologized, but the management directed me not to do so,” Adonis told the paper.
But Bombo management denied this. “If the person concerned resolved to stand by his word, what are we to apologize for?” Bombo Radyo area manager Janilo Rubiato told Sun.Star Davao. Rubiato also said the station paid for the services of Adonis’s lawyer and provided the broadcaster financial assistance as well.
Nograles, in any case, was not going to take Adonis’s alleged infraction sitting down. “I have long forgiven Adonis but I and my family cannot forget what he did in destroying our reputation,” Nograles was quoted by the Philippine News Agency as saying in February.
Adonis is also facing a similar case filed by Jeanette Lomanta, a host at the time of an ABS-CBN Davao show who was identified as the woman allegedly caught in bed with Nograles.
The case of Adonis brings to the open the debate for the decriminalization of libel, a law that the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) believes has been used to harass and threaten journalists and hamper their duties. Unlike in other countries, libel in the Philippines is a criminal offense. Although there are efforts to decriminalize it, these have not progressed. In the meantime, journalists say the country’s libel law is being used by powerful individuals to harass and intimidate the press.
This week, Gemma Bagayaua, an editor at Newsbreak magazine, spent a night in jail in Pasig City after she was arrested by the police on a libel charge filed against her and her colleagues at the magazine by Luis “Chavit” Singson, an ally of the Arroyo administration who is running for the Senate in the May elections.
But, according to the NUJP, no other public figure used libel against journalists as much as Jose Miguel Arroyo, the president’s husband. Arroyo has filed libel cases against 43 journalists. These cases, the NUJP said in November, was meant to cow the media, a “brazen attack on press freedom” and may set an example for other public officials “to step up the use of libel” to silence critics.
“The trend is dangerous,” the NUJP said. “It not only tramples on the basic right to free expression and freedom of the press — it also opens the door to abuse of authority.”
In the case of Adonis, the probation law allows a “criminal sentenced to less than six years of prison to serve his sentence out of jail under certain conditions.”
But would Adonis, who was too poor to defend himself in court in the first place, have the energy and the money to go through the motion of applying for probation when his enemies, according to him, are bent on blocking it?
“If Lex Adonis only had the money for a lawyer, do you think he would end up in jail right now?” Solis, of DXDC, asked. “I think the greatest mistake Adonis ever did was he remained poor.”
"There is not enough darkness in the world to extinguish the light of one small candle"
By LISA LEFF, Associated Press Writer SAN FRANCISCO - Barring a stay of a historic California Supreme Court ruling, same-sex couples will be able to wed in the state beginning June 17, according to a state directive issued Wednesday. The state said it chose June 17 because the state Supreme Court has until the day before to decide whether to grant a stay of its May 15 ruling legalizing gay marriage. Gay-rights advocates and some clerks initially thought couples would be able to wed as early as Saturday, June 14. The court's decisions typically take effect 30 days after they are made. The guidelines from Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health, to the state's 58 county clerks also contained copies of new marriage forms that include lines for "Party A" and "Party B" instead of bride and groom. The gender-neutral nomenclature was developed in consultation with county clerks, according to the letter. "Effective June 17, 2008, only the enclosed new forms may be issued for the issuance of marriage licenses in California," the directive reads. A group opposed to gay marriage has asked the court to stay its decision until after the November election, when voters are likely to face a ballot initiative that would once again define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Passage of the initiative would overrule the Supreme Court. Under the Supreme Court's regular rules of procedure, justices have until the end of the day June 16 to rule on the stay request, according to the memo sent by e-mail to county clerks. Lawyers involved in the marriage case have said previously the court could grant itself an extra 60 days to consider the stay. A poll released Wednesday found that for the first time, about half of California voters support same-sex marriage. The Field Poll found that 51 percent of respondents backed legalizing same-sex marriage and 42 percent opposed it. A 2006 poll found that 44 percent supported same-sex marriage and 50 percent objected; in 1977, the first year Field posted the question to California voters, only 28 percent were in favor. "I would say this is a historic turning point or milestone," poll director Mark DiCamillo said. "We have speculated in the past there would be some time in the future when a majority would support same-sex marriage. Well, the lines have crossed." The survey of 1,052 registered voters was conducted over the phone from May 17 to May 26 and had a sampling error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. The poll's findings conflict with a Los Angeles Times/KTLA poll of 705 voters released last week that found 54 percent backed the proposed gay marriage ban and 35 percent opposed it. Andrew Pugno, legal adviser for the coalition of religious and social conservative groups sponsoring the measure, said the Times poll is more consistent with his group's internal polling. "We could acknowledge there has been increasing acceptance of the idea of gay relationships over the last 10 or 20 years, but we think when it comes to marriage there is still a solid majority who want to see it reserved for a man and a woman, and that is all this initiative is about," Pugno said.
Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality (crazy bitch) who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following is an open letter to Dr. Laura penned by an east coast resident, which was posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative: Dear Dr. Laura:
Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the other specific laws and how to follow them:
1. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odour for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbours. They claim the odour is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?
3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15:19- 24.. The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offence.
4. Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?
5. I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?
6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?
7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses.. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?
8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27. How should they die?
9. I know from Lev.. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? - Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14) I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.
Sorry readers, but this clip is wonderful too. I just had to post it.
Some friends of mine from South Carolina arrive in the Philippines tomorrow.
I have been sending them these tourism clips to watch.
They are perfect for the blog too. I want people all over the world, to see how beautiful the Philippines really is.
My mates are traveling around Asia for four months.
They have two teenaged children. Hippy family of sorts.
I am very happy to have been able to arrange a great place for them on Boracay.
I made some calls, and everything was quickly in place.
My Boracay mates never let me down.
Thank you.
One of the things that amazed me about the Philippines,is how many of my friends could sing and dance very well. They would sing out loud in front of other people. I would never do that, because I sound like a dying bird. I also know, that many of my Filipino friends could become actors too, because their mimic ability is incredible. And man can they dance.
I love dancing. One particular mate, can make a group of people, double over with laughter with his keen impersonations of famous people. He does an Imelda Marcos speech that is too funny for words. He borrows a pair of shoes from any girl, puts them on and proceeds to hand out fake money. But only to rich looking people. Its a great performance because he is making fun of this system, but not the person herself. Very clever. She is an Iconic figure in the Philippines, and his portrayal of her is very sympathetic of course, but bone cracking funny, nonetheless.
He can also mimic me, but I can't watch.
Its too embarrassing.
I love the song in this video. I've had a great response from the previous tourism video. People really like them. It drives me mad that some people think I am too negative about the Philippines. That's not true. I rave about the Philippines in the majority of my entries. I love it and that's that.
WASHINGTON D.C. - The head of America’s chief global poverty-fighting arm said indications of worsening corruption in the Philippines is blocking the way to hundreds of millions of dollars in additional help.John Danilovich, Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), said they have “serious concerns” with corruption indicators for the Philippines.“The drop in performance was in fact very dramatic,” he told reporters during a briefing at the Foreign Press Center here on Wednesday, January 30. The MCC, established in 2004 to administer the Millennium Challenge Account, is part of the US development assistance infrastructure that rewards countries “that have demonstrated commitment to implement political, social and economic reforms.” The MCC has provided $5.5 billion to 16 “Compact” status nations and another $325 million to 15 “Threshold” status countries that include the Philippines. Finance Secretary Margarito Teves is headed here for scheduled talks with Danilovich on Tuesday. The Philippines’ grade in the area of “control of corruption” – one of 17 categories the MCC is looking at – fell from 76 percent in 2007 to only 57 percent at the start of 2008. It’s still a passing grade, but the drop is so worrisome to the MCC that it is setting aside the Philippine’s elevation from “Threshold” to “Compact” status. “We want to understand more clearly why that dramatic drop has occurred so we can have some clarity as to whether or not this precipitous drop is going to continue or if there was some indicator irregularity or if there are further strong reforms the Philippine government needs to take in this regard,” Danilovich explained. This new concept of development assistance arose from the 2002 Monterrey Summit where US President George W. Bush called for a “new compact for global development” linking contributions from developed nations to greater responsibility from developing countries. Staying in “Threshold” status or moving up has immense ramifications for the Philippines. As a “Threshold” nation, it will receive $22.1 million this year to improve revenue administration and anti-corruption efforts. The program will specifically benefit the Office of the Ombudsman, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Bureau of Customs and Department of Finance. Compare that amount – average for “Threshold” status nations – to countries that have made it to “Compact” status. Morocco will get nearly $688 million for fruit tree productivity, fisheries and artisan crafts; Ghana with $547 million to boost farmer incomes in that country’s poorest regions; Mozambique with $507 million to improve water systems, sanitation, access to markets, land tenure services and agriculture in targeted districts; Mali with $461 million to develop two of that nation’s key assets – its international airport and the Niger River, among others. Charges d’Affaires Carlos Sorreta pointed out that the Philippines has been improving steadily to meet all the MCC benchmarks. These are grouped into three main subjects: - “Economic Freedom” which measures fiscal and trade policies, inflation, regulatory quality, business start-up and land rights and access; - “Investing in People” which measures natural resource management, girls’ primary education completion, primary education and health expenditures, and immunization rates; and - “Ruling Justly” which measures rule of law, voice and accountability, political rights, civil liberties and control of corruption. “We’ve improved across the board on practically all categories so we’re very close now to possibly Compact status. We passed that corruption indicator but it’s a competition to attain Compact status so they want us to improve more,” Sorreta said. In 2007 the MCC gave failing grades to the Philippines in the fields of fiscal policy, business start-up, primary education expenditures, health expenditures and immunization rates. But at the start of 2008, that number had been trimmed to just three areas – fiscal policy, primary education expenditures and health expenditures. Sorreta admitted that the MCC puts a premium on fighting corruption. While there has been marked improvement in “Economic Freedom” categories, and mostly maintaining 2007 levels for “Investing People”, indicators for “Ruling Justly” categories have fallen over the last year. He explained that the MCC relies on “third party assessors” to evaluate how participating countries are faring in all its pre-determined benchmarks. “Third party assessors don’t actually have hard evidence. I’ve seen their reports, they don’t have the kind of evidence that you can go to court with,” Sorreta averred. He surmised that the deluge of negative media reports on Philippine corruption may have contributed to the MCC’s unfavorable outlook on the country. “It’s really research, open sources. So the MCC in a sense of fairness is giving us the opportunity to address those things that were raised to them,” he added. Regardless of how the Danilovich-Teves meet fares, the Philippines has already blown its chance to be elevated this year. The MCC board, headed by State Secretary Condoleeza Rice, meets again in the summer, and if the Arroyo administration can convince them the state of corruption in the Philippines is not as bad as it’s been portrayed, it may get another chance to move to the next level.
RODNEY J. JALECO ABS-CBN North America News Bureau
I found this great video on YouTube. I'm surprised that so few people have watched it. Its beautiful.
More people should see it.
I receive so many e mails from people over seas.
They ask me what the Philippines is really like.
This video is perfect. Most people know that every country has its issues. Especially the one that they live in.
But my blog is about the Philippines.
I lived in the Philippines, so naturally, I have become passionate about my time spent there. You just don't walk away from everything that you experience and live through.
You don't have to live somewhere for twenty years to get it.
Well travelled people learn to assimilate very quickly.
And I did. Very quickly.
Its a testament to my character that I blended so well with Filipinos.
I get them.
I never had a single problem during my life there, except for DJ and his pathetic world of make believe.
And my detractors will never take that magic away from me.
They can't, because I have over five thousand pictures to remind me.
My readers also know that the Philippines is great is many ways.
Because I've made that very clear in my blog. And this video proves it.
I am PRO Philippines, and I always will be. I've watched this video a few times. I get emotional.
Its the Philippines I dream about when I close my eyes.
A very beautiful place.
With beautiful people.
And then I wake up and remember.
Its like a roller coaster.
Love/hate relationship.
Like I have for Australia.
And Canada.
Its normal.
The Philippines really is a beautiful country. And the Filipino people inspire me to be a better person.
I know I will go back one day. I hope I do.
But if not, I have enough Filipino friends who will suffice.
No problem. I don't have to come back.
Because my best friends house in Toronto, is just like a little Philippine country.
Hahahaha.
I have Filipino friends who live all over the country and all over the world.
I've taken trips into the provinces which I loved.
My friends in Manila are very normal, with normal lives.
Not flash. Not trash. Hard workers like myself.
Yes I met some horrible people and had some horrible experiences.
But horrible people are all over the world.
And another bad experience could come tomorrow.
But I will be much wiser for my wonderful time in the Philippines.
Boracay was amazing.
I will never forget it.
Not one bad experience the entire time I lived there.
Today, I am going to help a friend with his garden.
Pocket money for my move. I love it. I already have a great job lined up in Toronto. We'll see.
Its a great opportunity for me though.
I will be working with flowers again if I take the position. I can't wait to start my life fresh. People are waiting for me there. Its such a nice feeling to have friends like mine. Fiercely loyal and devoted. My best friend would do anything for me, as I would for her.
I'm so excited to be in the dirt again.
The plants I have are amazing and will blend perfectly with the house. I usually just help my friends for nothing. But this is a big job.
The radio show was great this morning. I love chatting to MoTwister , Mojo and Grace.
Grace gets sooooo much fan mail at my blog. I tell them to e mail the station.
Hahahaha. MoTwister is right, the numbers on my blog are up. People can trash me all they want in the comments. I'm like teflon now. I talk about things in the news.
And whatever else I wish to discuss.
Some people have to get on board with this concept.
And my loyal readership, well they know the truth.
There is a lot of content on the blog.
I don't expect everyone to make the journey from its beginning.
So I understand why some people are so feral with recent posts.
Its cool.
I'm glad they have a place to vent though.
I just wish some were more clever, instead of being so hateful and cruel to me.
This achieves nothing.
These people will never see their comments posted.
And I know that pisses them off.
I won't apologize for my blog or what is on it.
And if you want to defend JMR, please don't just sit there and write like twenty comments in a row. Its so obvious what's happening. Changing your writing to trick me does not work anymore.
I'm afraid I've had to sharpen my skills over the months, in order to compete with this crafty bunch.
OK I get it. JMR is perfect. Blah blah blah.
Whatever.
JMR should have called or e mailed me before he started his campaign against me.
Why the hell would I call him?
My source is not wrong.
And JMR did the wrong thing.
He poked his nose in where is does not belong.
He attacked people who are only trying to help me.
Therefore he has opened himself up to the blog.
Its simple.
I am on the offensive.
Not the defensive.
I'm sure JMR is writing half these comments.
Because I know how the blog works now.
I can smell bombardment now.
Desperation.
JMR was supposed to appear on Magic 89.9 this morning with me.
It was his idea I'm told. I'm sure he thought about it for a second though.
I'm really looking forward to being on the radio tomorrow morning with Mojo and Grace. I hope your listening JM. MoTwister has been in America interviewing the new American Idol. I'm so jealous.
I'll be on at 730 am Manila time as usual. The past week on the blog has been so big. I'm never really sure how people are going to react to my entries. I just write what I feel and think. I never thought I would ever be called a racist though. Honestly, that one surprised me.
And this week, the blog had some mixed reactions! I only discuss things that are in the news readers. I never want to upset people to the point where they threaten my life. Its all too much sometimes. Gosh, what am I up against here. I will not be bullied.
Being on the breakfast show with Mojo and Grace gives me the opportunity, to be normal about this whole thing. It also lets me put things into perspective for the listeners. I am both grateful and thankful to Magic 89.9, MoTwister, Mojo and Grace for being so kind to me. They have helped me so much, I could never thank them enough. Many people have been doing battle with Magic, over my weekly contribution to the Wednesday breakfast show. The station has been threatened many times. They have dealt with much flack, over their decision to help me, by giving me a voice among the chatter. People listen to my interviews, and they hear a normal guy. They tell me, they forgot that I was actually a real person. Some people forget that I really am just trying to move on. And in my own way, I already have.
