Do you experience days when you don’t want to watch TV, read newspapers, or go online because you are afraid that you would be assaulted by bad news which you feel you have had enough and don’t want any more of it or at least you want a respite from it?
I had that feeling the past days and I found comfort in “The Book of Joy” a conversation between two revered personalities, The Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso and the Archbishop Emeritus of Southern Africa Desmond Tutu assisted by writer Douglas Abrams.
The book exudes a light hearted feeling. Yet the conversation is profound.
Pres. Duterte arrives in Cebu Aug. 21 the conference of League of Municipalities of the Philippines Visayas cluster a few days after rumors circulated that he was in coma. Malacanang photo by Richard Madelo.
President Duterte showed up in Cebu last Tuesday at the conference of the League of municipalities Visayas island cluster walking and as usual, blustering, effectively squelching rumors that he was gravely ill and in coma, as shared by Netherlands-based Communist Party of the Philippines founding Chairman Jose Maria Sison.
Duterte was in his element blasting at Sison: “Comatose-comatose ka diyan. “
He said he is pushing his trip to Israel next month and threatened to slap Sison if he saw the CPP leader.
He said: “Ah sige, tingnan natin. Pag magpunta ako diyan, turista lang. Galing ako Israel. Tignan natin kung sinong — comatose. Hindi ka naman lalaki. You are not a man. Wala ka na. You are spent, you cannot… You are talking nonsense. “
He also said: “Pag nakita kita sa impyerno, p***** i** mo, sampalin kita. Really. Don’t expect to go to heaven. Pero pag nagkita tayo isang kanto sa impyerno… Totoo ‘yan ‘no, pag hindi kita sinampal… “
So, okay, the President is not in coma as spread by Communist Party of the Philippines founding Chairman Jose Maria Sison in social media Aug. 19.
From Netherlands, Sison said his source who was at the national convention of the San Beda Law fraternity Lex Talionis Fraternitas on Saturday said “the darkness of his (Duterte) face had become aggravated from its appearance the other day and that his walk and handshake had become more unstable.”
In the latest still-to-be-verified update from his source, Sison said, “Duterte has gone into coma since the afternoon or evening of today, Sunday, August 19. “
Twice last week, President Duterte complained about China’s activities in the South China Sea- a stark departure from his pandering stand since the start of his presidency.
Always, he was all praises for China’s President Xi Jinping, who will be coming here for a state visit in November, for the military equipment that he said was used in the war against Muslim extremists in Marawi and for the multi-billion infrastructure projects that it is undertaking in the country.
Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in October 2016. Malacanang photo.
Then President-elect Rody Duterte met with Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., who lost in the vice-presidential race, in Davao City June 11, 2016.. Photo by Kiwi Bulaclac of Davao City Mayor’s Office.
It’s easy to believe that President Duterte is tired and weary.He is 73 years old and not the healthiest person on earth. The two years as chief executive of the country showed that he does not have what it takes to be a national leader.
But he will not resign. For the simple reason that he has to make sure that he doesn’t end up in jail for all the crimes that he would be charged with once he is out of power.
That’s why he wants to make sure that his successor is someone who will protect him. And that’s former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos or Sen. Francis Escudero for him.
I don’t know what is more galling: the grossly anomalous contract between the Department of Tourism and PTV4 with the Tulfo Brothers’ Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. or the insolence of the Tulfo brothers. Especially Erwin Tulfo smirking when Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV was speaking.
Broadcaster Erwin Tulfo smirks as Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV was speaking. Screengrab from CNNPhilippines
At yesterday’s Senate hearing conducted by the Sen. Richard Gordon’s Blue Ribbon Committee, the multi-million transaction between the allegedly cash-strapped PTV and Ben Tulfo’s BMUI defies logic and common sense. It’s impunity of another kind.
The Filipino language has the perfect word for it: garapal.
In his latest blast against his perceived enemies (“kayong mayaman”), President Duterte singled out ABS-CBN and mentioned a subject that continues to disturb him and causes him to commit one blunder after another in his desire to kill the issue.
That’s his undeclared wealth exposed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV less than two weeks before the May 9, 2016 presidential elections that Duterte won. Pres. Duterte admits that he released fake documents about foreign bank accounts of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. Malacanang photo.
In his usual expletive-filled speech during the inauguration of the Northern Mindanao Wellness and Reintegration center in Malaybalay, Bukidnon last Aug. 3, Duterte said, “I’m, I am challenging ABS-CBN. Magpunta kami sa Central bank and I will ask the governor to open my account. Pindot lang ‘yan computer. I will not give it to a son of a b**** na kalaban ko. Why should I oblige you with… “
He was apparently referring to Trillanes who has challenged him to sign a waiver to open his BPI accounts which he said contained more that P2OO million during the years 2006 to 2014 which he did not declare in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth when he was Davao City Mayor as required by the law of all government officials.
China’s President Xi Jinping welcomes Pres. Duterte to Beijing in October 2016. Malacanang photo by Toto Lozano.
All these efforts and pronouncements about joint exploration with China in Philippine territory is in connection with the state visit of China’s President Xi Jinping in November.
Xi is expected to proceed here after the summit of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders in Papua New Guinea on Nov. 12 to 18.
This was confirmed by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in his briefing yesterday. Asked how soon the PH-China joint exploration agreement would be signed, Roque said: “No time frame. But of course because of the impending visit of President Xi, I would say that it is anytime between now and the visit of President Xi. But it was not expressly stated as such.”
A twide-a-month gathering of friends of eminent writer Carmen Guerrero Nakpil at Havana Restaurant.
I have received three gifts from two persons I truly admire which have become even more meaningful now.
One is a black cashmere blouse and another is a pair of black leather gloves which came from Mrs. Carmen Guerrero Nakpil.
The third item is a silver rosary blessed by the Pope from Ambassador Jun Lozada.
We were in Portland, Seattle on Nov. 4, 1993 to cover the first summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation at the Tillicum Village in Blake Island, Washington State the next day. I was part of the Malacañang Press Corps and the president then was Fidel V. Ramos.
That is what Malacañang is doing in the case of the undeclared wealth of President Duterte which was exposed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV way back in April 2016, less than two weeks before the May 9 elections.
Last Monday, July 30, Malacañang released the order signed by Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea dismissing Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang from service after Palace investigation found the latter “liable for graft and corruption and betrayal of public trust.” Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang
