Thoughts on this National Week of Mourning

1.    NOW I BELIEVE IN THE CORY MAGIC.  It’s not that I am a skeptic, but I supported the other side of the fence, so to speak.  I AM a Marcos supporter to the core.  But this week was probably the first time I admit EDSA 1986 was not a fluke.  I have always believed what happened in EDSA was not because of the people, but because of the moves of those who supported both camps.  If Ramos, Enrile, and Honasan had not jumped over to the other side, there wouldn’t be any historical significance of what happened then.  And when thousands of people lined up along the road for their final salute to Cory, I had also finally accepted that she was significantly important historically.  Some of us had learned a lot of lesson during her presidency.  Some took the opportunity for political gains, some for personal. 

2.    THE FILIPINOS CAN UNITE.  It took one dead beloved leader for the entire nation to be united.  La Salle and Ateneo, Marcoses and Aquinos, Administrations and Oppositions, people from different sides of the fences, they all were “saddened” by the country’s loss.  And yet when Cory was alive and asking the people to be vigilant to all those who are planning to deceivingly corrupt the entire Philippine Constitution by Charter Change through Constitutional Assembly, those supporters where never to be found!  Amazing!  Just like Michael Jackson, everybody suddenly becomes a fan, everybody suddenly liked him, everybody is suddenly affected by the loss!  We only give importance to their legacy and contributions when those persons are dead, but while alive we were never that affectionate to the point of following by example.

3.    ON A LIGHTER NOTE, OUR MILITARY OFFICERS ARE ALL BUTT UGLY.  Paquito Diaz, Romy Diaz, Joaquin “Buwaya” Fajardo, Max Alvarado – eat your hearts out!  Our officers could effectively pass as villains in any action movie locally produced.  I was expecting to see tall, lean built, shortcut hairs, and elegant and graceful march from majority of our soldiers.  Instead I saw the opposite.  Some tummys are bulging and I see hairs, wherein during my CMT days I was required with that stupid 4 inches haircut and no sideburns.  Ramos, Enrile, and even the bulging Honasan  and Trillanes looks more of a soldier right now than all of them combined.  I couldn’t hide my disappointment at them.  No wonder some of our Filipina women are crazy for American soldiers.

4.    WILLIE REVILLAME WILL ALWAYS BE WILLIE REVILLAME.  I don’t think I need to say more.  There is a fine line separating the ethical and those who are pretending to be ethical for the sake of being famous.  Whatever block-timer reasons you have to put up to, National Interest comes first.  To DISRESPECT a former President AT HER FUNERAL – may the heavens have mercy on this moron.

5.    MY OUTFIT WAS DONE BY NATIONAL ARTIST PITOY MORENO.  WTF?  I thought National Artists are those supposed to have an impact historically and on a national scale.  I have nothing against Pitoy but a National Artist is somebody who did made an impact about the Filipino and nationalism, like Levi Celerio.  Plus I like Patis Tesoro’s Piña barong more.  And how about Carlo J. Caparas?  What are his contributions? The comics industry is dead already.  Can he revive the Funny Komiks franchise well-loved by children of the 80’s?  Yes, he made a lot of money on films without any nudity and currently raking in money on telenovelas but that is not an achievement.  Crying over your loved one who jilted you at the expense of another woman as a blockbuster plot does not contribute for national awareness… believe me…

6.    I NOMINATE MYSELF AS NATIONAL ARTIST.  Cecil Guidote Alvarez is now a National Artist.  Unfortunately, she is the chairperson of the National Council for Culture and Arts, the very same body that deliberates, debates, and approves the awarding of National Artist.  Conceitedly genius on NCCA’s part.  I have no objections though on Francisco Mañosa.  He deserves to be a National Artist.  His Coconut Palace is a personal visionary template for my dream house, if ever I could build one.  But the other three - Direk Carlo, Pitoy, and Chair Alvarez – they are way below Dolphy who probably deserves this award far more than them.