Conventional Wisdom tells us who are winning and who are losing


winner-

loser-

50/50-


Philippine Economy. Peso down versus the dollar. Businessmen are jittery. Amazingly however, the full impact initially thought the GloriaGate scandal will bring to the economy hasn't happened (yet!).


Filipino People. Call it people-power fatigue. Call it political maturity. Call it apathy. Call it pragmatism (no-better-alternative-syndrom e). The Filipinos are more discerning now of issues and are aware who is taking advantage of what. Either that, or we are pathetically dulled already not to react anymore to series upon series of scandal s inflicted upon us.


PGMA. Finally, an admission of what all of us knew already. It is of great irony that the same type of charges hauled by her camp against Erap a few years ago (jueteng and integrity )are now being used against her and her family. Sabi nga ng commercial.."Bilog Ang Mundo". Her simple aspiration "not to be a great president but be a good president" has failed so soon. And her betrayal (once proven true) will be more hurting because she once epitomized our ideals and our hopes for our country.

She has been lucky though that the confluences of the apathy of the Filipino people, the still-loyal military, the sober Susan Roces, the rainy season, the school season, the not-so-photogenic whistle-blower that is Sammy Ong , and the not-so-conducive-for-revolut ion Guadalupe bridge are working to her advantage. But for how long? As Randy David said "if you will ask me if she will be president next week? I will say yes."


Noli de Castro. Some sectors are already courting him to replace PGMA. To his credit, he has not bitten the bait?..yet. (God help us when this happens!)


Susan Roces. For being the picture of grace, sobriety, and common sense. For showing us the decent face of show business after our exposure for the longest time to the likes of shabu-using Ate Guy, tax-evading Richard Gomez, kidnapping-linked Dennis Roldan, almost-pedophilic Kris Aquino, and the general antics of Annabel Rama, Boy Abunda, and Christy Fermin. These are the showbiz creatures who inflict their disgusting presence on us... Truly, Swanee is the face that refreshes.


Rez Cortez. I reserved one full paragraph for this opportunist leech. Rez, please don't leave the day-job you are very good at: playing goon, bum, rapist, murderer, arsonist, and yes, Judas Iscariot. You have become to PGMA what Amay Bisaya was to Cory. (No offense to Amay!). Unsolicited advice to the government: first thing in your reform agenda is to uplift the plight of the movie industry so that unemployed actors like Rez and Nino Mulach will have worthwhile things to do other than dip their hands into politics.


Samuel Ong / Sandra Cam. While they may be telling the truth, their initials make me suspect their true motives and characters. S.ONG and S.CAM. One sings a not so perfect tune and the other is attempting to stage a scam.


Secretary Bunye. The most unenviable position in the land. Super ang dapa na una ang mukha. To be caught lying, fumbling and mumbling on national television at that. If I were Sec. Bunye, I would demand for a salary raise for all the humiliation I've experienced.


Garci. Instant celebrity. Maximum exposure for minimum effort.


Globe / Smart / Sun Telecoms: Text messages and ring tones galore. Panalo! Whoever made the "Hello Garci ring tone" should be honored with a Magsaysay Award.


Sgt. Doble. Doble, meaning double. In his case, double-faced. The dramatic rescue by his wife through the help of texts will remain to be one of the comic highlights of this incident. This again proves how pusong-mamon our soldiers are. Bring in the crying wife, the wailing mother, and the wide-eyed innocent children and whatever attempt to grab power dissipates. (see Oakwood mutiny)


NTC / DOJ. For having no balls to make good of their threat to arrest anyone in possession of the tape and ring tone. Suggestion: Arrest Secretary Bunye first. Sige nga.. arestuhin ang may tape at ringtone? Hahahaha..baka mapuno ang kulungan.


Nene Pimentel. Give it a rest Nene while we still have an ounce of respect for you. Please do other worthwhile things for yourself at the twilight of your life (like having your huge eye bags removed, for one). Same goes to Ping Lacson, Kit Tatad and all those who are obviously trying to maximize for their own benefit this gloriagate scandal. Ang babait ninyo....sana, kunin na kayo ni Lord.


Cardinal Jaime Sin. For supporting and being a main player in two successful People Power movements, and for having the presence of mind to die and not witness what People Power has been reduced to.


The Arroyo Men. Gloria, these men are literally the rust that will destroy the steel that is you. The mere physical appearance of Mike Arroyo (despite the cosmetic surgery) is repulsive enough. And that... that.. that...... Mikey Arroyo has the guts to have a movie shown at the height of the jueteng and gloriagate scandal. Pity to the movie producer and more pity to the moviegoers. These Arroyo Men are simply walking human rights violations.


San Carlos Seminary. This is definitely no Edsa Shrine. There is nothing photogenic with this place and hardly the place to inspire another people power. True, the "Filipino can stop military tanks" in 1986, but this time no amount of courage can make us stop smoke belching flying buses driven by a maniacal drivers along Edsa. While the Edsa Shrine has the prominent statue of the Virgin Mary for inspiration, San Carlos Seminary has the view of the Mesolipo advertisement billboard of Dra. Belo.




And so the question remains..... Will there be Edsa 4? As Melanie Marquez would say "you can fool me once, you can fool me twice, you can even fool me thrice?...but you can never fool me four."



This is the story of our lives. Same s**t, different politicians. It constantly amazes me how resilient, humorous, masochistic, and patient we are as a people. God Bless the Philippines, indeed!

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