Just as China was protesting the draping of the Philippine flag on the coffin of Rolando Mendoza, the cop-turned-terrorist who murdered eight Hong Kong nationals in Manila last Monday, its submarines were returning home from a successful mission to plant a Chinese flag beneath the South China Sea. It was the latest act of renewed Chinese assertiveness in the disputed region and a demonstration of China’s underwater capabilities.
Of course, the flag-planting doesn’t give the Chinese what they don’t already have with regards to their claims to the South China Sea. It’s not the first time in recent years that China demonstrated unilateral assertiveness either. But the stunt was significant because it was a rebuke to the United States, which has recently weighed in on the dispute.
One thing that sucks in a democracy, especially in one where there is seperation of powers, is that politicians tend to grandstand by recklessly making uninformed comments. This is exactly what two Filipino senators did last week in the aftermath of the hostage-taking crisis in Manila that claimed the lives of eight Hong Kong natonals.
The day after the massacre, Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, a man also known for his xenophobic rudeness, said: “Why should we apologize? These things can happen anywhere in the world.”
Referring to the tsunami of condemnations that hit his organization’s handling of the Manila hostage crisis, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Agrimero Cruz yesterday made this irritating remark: “They (critics) are all in the gallery, watching. They should try being in the line of fire and let us see how they react.”
There was a group of American tourists, a woman who was sitting beside me and two kids who were standing in front of me, in the train this morning.
American woman to the kid: “Hey, move a little. Give him (me) some personal space. We wouldn’t want a Karate chop from him.”
Kid: “Careful mom, he might understand English.”
Many of my friends are pointing out the major defect of President Benigno S Aquino III’s first address to the Congress of the Philippines: His failure to present a long-term or even medium-term development roadmap that will guide his six-year tenure.
Indeed, the President made no mention of his new administration’s stance on important issues like agrarian reform, population control and foreign policy. It is understandable that he seems to accord foreign policy a low priority (this I think is the reason he has accommodated his sister’s alleged request to retain an embarrassingly incompetent and possibly corrupt Secretary of Foreign Affairs) because he seems to judge, quite rightly, that the Philippines must bring its own chaotic house in order first before venturing outside its borders. But it is sad that the President does not seem to see a sense of urgency in the worsening rural poverty that can only be solved through land reform and the ballooning population that can only be solved by proper family planning.
In the mere two months since he has taken office, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has known criticisms. They come from the media, the opposition, and even from within his own party. But the latest questions on his ability to govern came from a rather unusual source: his own wife.
In her book, So You’re Now The Prime Minister, What Would Change In Japan?, First Lady Nobuko Kan reveals many of her husband’s shortcomings: His notoriously-fragile temper, inability to do any household chore and his bad fashion sense. She also said she thinks her husband is a failure as a public speaker.
“I can’t help but feel a sense of wrongness,” writes the First Lady on her husband’s becoming the leader of the world’s second biggest economy. “Since I know him intimately, I ask myself, is it really okay to have him as the prime minister?”
There was a fantastic show in Caracas yesterday. The President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, announced that he is cutting his country’s diplomatic ties with Colombia. Flanked by a visiting Argentine soccer figure, el comandante declared that his country might even go to war with its “brother nation.”
“We would go to war with Colombia weeping,” Chavez said. “But we would have to go.”
And why would el comandante attack Colombia? Because its outgoing president, Alvaro Uribe, has presented to the Organization of American States (OAS) pieces of evidence– including eyewitness accounts, photographs and maps– supposedly proving that Chavez is in fact coddling the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Outrageous, says Chavez. Uribe is doing this to spark war! He is setting up a fake FARC camp in one of the jungles of Venezuela and attack it to bring about war! Que barbaridad!
…is this:
Have a good day, everyone!
The self-proclaimed reincarnation of the Buddha, 53-year-old Tokyo University graduate Ryuho Okawa, said the spirit guide of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has informed him of the dictator’s plans to nuke Osaka , Nagoya and Tokyo . To prevent this, he said Japan must amend its pacifist constitution and prepare for battle with China and North Korea . To this end, he has founded the Happiness Realization Party, one of several political blocs vying for seats in the House of Councillors in the upcoming July 11 elections.
Only in the Philippines do you see an effort to impeach a president a day after his inauguration.
(more…)
21 years old. Hates household chores. Loves books and booze. Click here to know more.
Twitter: @the_nutbox
(Since September 12, 2007)
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Horrible. I admire you for writing this. Go for them. Had the same experience in Camalig, Albay, with an ill-mannered policeman. Keep blogging!
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Thank you very much ma’am! I sent you an e-mail po. 
hope to hear from you soon
hello jj. the incident involving your mom was forwarded to my email by ms. ellen tordesillas, columnist of malaya. immediately upon receiving it, i gave it to my boss, CHR Chairperson Leila De Lima for immediate action.She immediately formed a team to investigate the incident and i would like you to know that one of our investigators, mr. jun nalangan is handling your case. he just wish to ask additional details from you, if it is possible, he can be contacted at the chr-ncr thru phone number 9287098. we would definitely like to be of help to your mom and to those who may experience the same nightmare in the future po. btw my landline po is 9285792, i am the head of the media unit of the commission on human rights, tnx a lot po
Thanks Sir Gerry!
