Daddy

Daddy

I have always said that I am a very brave person. I am always up for a challenge and I have always said what is in my mind.

But when it comes to you, I fold. There are a lot of things I want to ask and say to you. Why are you doing this to us? We do not deserve any of this.

I think the bravery that I was bragging about is overshadowed by the respect that I still have for you. You are still my dad even if you turn my world upside down. I just wish that you still have that respect for us. We are still your legal family.

Pardon My French

Pardon My French

The past two weeks had been busy for us newsroom people.

Two Fridays ago, an explosion rocked Glorietta 2 Mall right after lunch. I just got out from a lunch date with my good friend Lester when another good friend Pao texted me about the explosion. I immediately confirmed the news from my GMA friends. Initial reports say that the explosion blast came from the mall’s basement. Eight people immediately died while hundreds were wounded.

Right after the blast, speculations immediately spread like the California wildfire. Some say that this was a terror attack while others say that this was an LPG explosion. Detained senator Antonio Trillanes even pointed his finger to the administration saying he has witnesses and documents to prove his claim. He said this about three hours after the blast.

Few days after, investigators rule out that this was a terror attack. They say that the two tanks of diesel were behind the explosion.

To date, eleven people have been killed by the blast. And the speculations on what caused the explosion are countless. Everyone has something to say --even some unknown personalities. Hey, everyone wants an airtime.

This is one of the problems with us, Filipinos. When something like this happens, we are so busy pointing our fingers to those in fault. Senator Trillanes said that he is willing to bring out his witnesses in an independent investigating body. What’s the point? If his expose is this big, just blurt everything you know in the media. Don’t keep us in suspense. I wonder how Trillanes feels now that even foreign investigators are saying that the explosion was an ‘accident waiting to happen’. Instead of uttering inane accusations, is it not right that he should use his position to help the victims? Seriously, I wonder what the people who voted for him were thinking. I mean he is a senator but he is just sitting pretty. Literally.

Another big news was former president Erap Estrada’s pardon. Last Thursday, PGMA announced, through his Press Secretary, that she is granting Erap an executive clemency.
This news over-shadowed Joey de Venecia’s revelation at the senate that PGMA has a hand at the ZTE deal. Yes, after a month of saying that Gloria has no knowledge in the deal, he comes out belying his own statements. So much for his credibility.

Anyway, going back to the executive clemency, it means that Erap can walk as free as he wants to by the time he signs the pardon that the president has given him. Now, Erap is thanking the ‘country’s president’ for the pardon. With this, he just acknowledged the legitimacy of PGMA’s presidency which has been in question for a long time now. Yesterday, Senator Jinggoy Estrada cannot even answer if he is acknowledging the legitimacy of her presidency. Instead, he focused his attention on FVR (who said that the pardon was the biggest mistake) and threw allegations stating that the biggest scam happened in FVR’s administration.

This is our country’s politics. Surreal but real. Tables could turn 360 degree overnight. Enjoy the show.

*Outdated post. I wrote this last Saturday and saved it as a draft.

He Said, I Said

He Said, I Said

He Said

It started out just fine. I was browsing through an online site when a picture caught my attention. I have to admit, I am picky when it comes to talking to people online, but he really caught interest. After exchanging digits, he admitted, through text, that he is not the person in the picture in his online profile. Weird, but instead of getting mad, I thanked him for being honest. With that, my attention focused on him.

Two days after, we decided to meet up for lunch somewhere around Ortigas. Lunch was okay, we had a great talk. After which, we agreed on watching a movie. From there, it dawned me that something good is about to happen.

After years of not knowing where my love life will lead me, he showed me where it was going. He brought a genuine smile out of my lips. He made me happy more than anything in this world.

We were perfectly fine until he went abroad. I didn’t ask for it but he promised to text me every now and then. Sunday afternoon, he sent me an SMS. He just woke up. This was very unusual since he texted me Saturday night that he was tucking in at 11 PM. And even when he is very tired, he usually gets up early. I kept mum. Later on, he admitted that he went out on Saturday night. Then why did he tell me that he is off to snooze-land at 11 PM?

Another thing: after that, he rarely texted me. I know I said that I didn’t ask for him to text me but one day without a text? Hello. Before going back to the country, he told me that his battery was running low. That was his reason why he was not able to send me messages. I kid him saying that he rarely texts even if his battery was charged. He got mad.

His reaction shocked the hell out of me especially since this was the first time that I have done this. Clearly, the statement is a joke with a pinch of sweetness and sarcasm. But to tell me that I am ruining his trip was out of line. It was way beyond the line.

He said that I was having doubts about his trip and everything. In the first place, it was just a joke. Second of all, if ever I was having doubts, which I have to admit that I was kinda having, don’t I deserve an explanation? Last I checked: he is my boyfriend.

Few days back, I wanted to meet him up for dinner. He said he was in a mall near my place. He told me He was with a friend. I asked him if he wanted to meet up for dinner. His reply? He said that I was on it again and that I was having doubts if he was indeed with a friend. He asked how we can go on if I didn’t trust him. Wait a minute, wanting to have dinner is all about trust? And if I was really having doubts on who he was with, am I not entitled to be jealous? Again, last I checked, he is my boyfriend.

And what saddens me the most, is that amid of all this, he was the once who asked for time and space. He told me that he cannot handle all the stress of our relationship. So what can I do but give in to his request. Right now, I am giving him all the space he wanted and the smile that he gave me the first time we met is slowly fading.

---

I Said

I have known the narrator above for quite some time now and I think both of us can attest that we know each other so well. For me, he is my only friend who knows when enough is indeed enough. He is one of those who can perfectly define the thin line between right and wrong; too little and too much. That being said, he rarely commits mistake when it comes to crucial decision.

Usually, when a friend seeks me for an advice, I usually speak what they want to hear. But with us, it is different – we do not tolerate. I can tell him straight to his face my uninfluenced and unbiased opinion as he can to me.

After telling me what he narrated above, I told him that he is not at fault. He has every right to ask what he wants to know. Every kind of lover does that. I also believe that all of us deserve an explanation. It is hurt so much to think that we are not even worthy of an explanation.

I have known the guy after the three of us went out for a dinner and movie last week and I really find him very nice. But apparently, the guy did not know the consequence of the time and space he is asking. He just lost one of the two most precious gems in the world – me being the other. As the Janet Jackson once crooned, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. After being drowned with the time and space he is asking, the reality he will face will hit him like a bullet in his brain. And one last thing (sorry I cannot help this), if he does not want the stress of having a relationship, be single forever. And if he does not want to be stressed about life and all its drama, he should curl up inside her mother’s fetus where he is protected from all the world’s anxieties.

And to the narrator above, hey ding, I know it’s hard to end everything that started so well. But as they say, nothing really is forever. Nobody likes endings especially when it comes to relationships but one must know when to hold on and when to let go. Knowing you, I think you perfectly know which one to do. And don’t lose that genuine smile, who knows, you next guy is falling in love with that smile?

PS: I also wrote the He Said part so if there is any lapses of events, I am at fault.

Can We Really?

Can We Really?

How do I put these on words? Let me try.

A lot has been said about the Desperate Housewives' racist slur and it is starting to annoy me.

Can we really blame them for seeing our medical practitioners as such? Maybe the writers have heard of the special Recto's "diploma" and the nursing leakage scandal. Maybe these are the writers' basis for their statement.

IMO, the Filipino is now over reacting. The US based network ABC has already issued their apology, a thing that the Filipino community wants. Now they want more -- ban the show in Asia, have them retract the racist statement, have a Filipino doctor as guest in the TV show, delete/edit the particular scene, etc etc etc.

The exact line of Teri Hatcher's character was "before going further, can I check these diplomas cause I would just like to make sure that they're not from some med school in the Philippines." Let me stress on the word SOME. Susan, Teri's character, said SOME med schools which means that she is not pointing to the whole population of medical schools in the Philippines.

In our country, nursing is the most popular course choice of the high school graduates. This is the reason why, nowadays, there are a lot of nursing schools in the country. I remember hearing a news story about some of the nursing school who did not pass the CHED standard but it is still accepting enrollees. So maybe that is the 'SOME med schools' that the writers are referring to. Maybe this is also the reason why the writers considered mentioning our country. It is not even a blow to the Filipino doctors, it is an insult to that 'some med schools' in our country.

I know we are offended with the remark, but we have to consider that Desperate Housewives is a drama sitcom. It is not a commentary show. Frankly, I found the statement a bit funny because of Teri's delivery.

We, Filipinos, should have humor and should know when a joke is being made. And if we are so secure of our doctors capabilities, we should just laugh it off, right? And instead of whining, we should take this as a challenge. And we should not take everything seriously. Plus, in the country where fake products are at large (not to mention a question in the legitimacy of the president), we should not be shocked with these kind of allegations. It is normal. Very normal.

And I am sure may mag rereact na naman ng bongang bonga. :D