It seems, like an occasional fashion show parading former heads of state toward their incarceration, we take pleasure in seeing the once powerful and mighty diminished to a prison cell.
This happened to Estrada, Arroyo, and even to some senators. Methinks Noynoy Aquino would have suffered the same fate but the grim reaper had other plans for him.
All these were not quite dramatic without the presidential accessories. Erap’s wristband, Gloria’s neck brace, and possibly Noynoy’s straitjacket.
But what about Digong’s? A walking stick perhaps, since seeing a photo of him recently holding one. A baston, him being the "bastonero" of all the DDS.
Reason for this is from a recent revelation by the embattled former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III that it was no less than Rodrigo Duterte himself who ordered the transfer of P47.6 billion Covid funds from the DoH to the PS-DBM.
Based on a COA report, the fund includes contracts with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp., accused of selling overpriced medical supplies to the government in the thick of all the chaos during the pandemic.
When Sen. Richard Gordon failed to bring his committee report to the plenary because it lacked the required sufficient number of signatures of our senators, only nine of them, including Gordon, signed the draft report (but it lacked two more to reach plenary).
Gordon said some senators chickened out because the report had the name of Rodrigo Duterte. And thereafter, Gordon has called for a probe of Duterte’s involvement right after the Ombudsman flexed its muscles for an investigation versus Francisco Duque III and Lloyd Christopher Lao.
Gordon made such remarks soon after the Ombudsman ordered the filing of graft charges against them over the alleged unlawful transfer of billions of pesos for the purchase of Covid supplies in March 2020.
The transfer could not have been done without a direct order from the former president himself. He must also be made accountable for this grand stink.
Aquislings
Aquisling (you won’t find its meaning in the dictionary) is a word a friend coined some years back.
A reader of this column sent me quite an “impressive” list of accomplishments during the Aquino regime and then pathetically linked those with her son’s achievements too.
I really don’t care what these mother and son’s contributions were to the country. It was just full of spin, if you ask me. And then he goes on to remind me about Noynoy’s “successful” trips (junkets) to Europe and compares those trips to Bongbong’s today.
So permit me then to tell you what really happened in one of Noynoy’s trips to Europe with his posse (usual suspects): the mission nailed down the distinction that Pinoys are the world’s classiest beggars.
The stylish PH delegation went about their mendicancy mission with such flair and savoir vivre that put to shame delegates from thirty-four other beggar-nations who had gone to Paris to plead for economic aid from the Group of Seven wealthy industrialized nations.
The puny Bangladesh mission looked particularly pathetic compared to the classy Philippine mission. And oh those chic wives of officials who had no business joining the mission in the first place.
Reports from the PH diplomatic folks in the German and French cities the mission visited so far bell-ached what a pain in the fanny these wives were. Philippine media also noted that embassy personnel were herded to act as guides and utility people for these matronas for their wild shopping sprees and forays in ritzy cafes and night clubs.
This was especially true in the case of attaches and other overseas employees of the various cabinet departments who were ordered to attend exclusively to the needs of their respective cabinet secretaries and of course to their clingy wives. Beggars can’t be choosers you say?
Not for this swinging Pinoy group! They had the best accommodations, tickets to the best shows and operas, wined and dined at the most expensive restaurants and shopped at the trendiest stores.
They were also highly visible at the extravaganza and merriment of the bicentennial celebration of the French Revolution in Paris. But the high visibility of the Philippine missioners in glitzy French places could have been harmful for the aid-seeking trips of the Aquino group.
Donor countries could get rubbed (robbed?) the wrong way, especially because of reports of graft and corruption, misuse of foreign aid, extravagance and human rights violations flowing out of Manila regularly to these countries.
This could have been the reason why Japan suddenly failed to include our country among the priority countries to benefit from a $43-billion package brought to Paris by then Japanese PM Sosuke Uno for aid to impoverished nations.
Uno listed Mexico as scheduled for an aid package of $1 billion and six African nations from a $600-million outlay. PH was lumped among “other countries” which could benefit from the whopping Japanese economic aid package.
The danger was that prospective donors might have believed that asinine statement by a Malacañang favorite then who was booted out from his job, that Ph is really “a rich country pretending to be poor.”
Under the new Marcos regime, expect the economy to shoot up with all that economic packages President Marcos is fueling the country with.
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The Palace’s Social Secretary’s Office thru Deputy Social Secretary Bernardina Lourdes Tantoco sent me an invitation to attend a press preview of Likha 3: “Likha Ko, Lahi Ko” which is happening today at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). This event will showcase Filipino traditional crafts in anticipation of the nation’s 126th anniversary celebration of our independence. In view of this, I thank Deputy Secretary Tantoco and will be in attendance.
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Factoid: Corazon Cojuangco Aquino was president from the years 1986-1992, and the Gulf War lasted from 1990-1991. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was president from the years 2001-2010, and the Iraq War lasted from 2003-2011. PH joined both coalition forces in these wars. Cory and Gloria are both native Kapampangan speakers. An EDSA revolt made them presidents.
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