Instant Noodles

by SIGFREID BARROS-SANCHEZ
(Published in the November 2000 issue of The Engineering Logscript,  the official student publication of the UP College of Engineering)

ibinenta ka sa halagang limang piso
sabay inilubog sa marami-raming kumukulong tubig
tatlong minuto kang pakukuluan
at kapag luto na, hahanguin
saka ilalagay ang mga pampalabok
na hitik na hitik sa mga kemikal
na balang araw ay papatay sa kanila
kung may pera pa, lalagyan ka ng isang itlog
at ilang mga gulay na napulot
sa maputik na kalsada ng Divisoria

ihahain ka sa apat na anak
at aasang mapapatalino mo at mapapalusog sila
accepted ka kasi ng DOH
at may sangkap-Pinoy, sabi ng pakete
hihigupin nila ang mainit mong sabaw
na wala nang lasa sa dami ng tubig
nanamnamin nila ang hibla mo
baka nga naman may naligaw
na totoong chicken o beef
matutulog sila at magkukunwaring busog
bukas, iisipin muli kung saan kukunin
ang ipambibili sa iyo
ano’ng timpla? ano’ng rekado?
anong brand ng instant noodles?

Nissin’s, Maggi, o Lucky Me?

ibinenta tayo sa dayuhan sa halagang mamiso
na naglulubog sa ekonomiya sa kumukulong mantika
minu-minuto kapag pinakukuluan
sa suweldong hilaw at madaling hanginin
bibilugin tayo ng mga pangakong mapalabok
habang sa trabaho’y niluluto sa init at kemikal
na balang-araw ay papatay sa atin
pinararami natin ang kanilang pera at pinalalaki ang itlog
at kapag gulay na ang mga katawan
itatapon tayo sa maputik na kalsada ng Divisoria

pagkatapos, ano ang ihahain sa apat na anak?
paano tatalino at lulusog sa kitang di sapat?
i-a-accept tayo ng DOH
na may sakit-Pinoy, sabi ng x-ray
nahigop na ang baga natin,
halos wala nang natitira at tinutubig
malapit nang namnamin ng uod
ang hibla ng buhay ng bawat isa
at gawing pagkain
ng mga chicken at beef
di tayo makatulog, ni magkunwaring busog
bukas, iisipin muli kung may kukunan pa ba
ng perang ipambibili
ano’ng ipantitimpla? ano’ng irerekado?
kahit na anong brand ng instant noodles.

lucky me nga ba?

When I get the time, I’ll try to write the English translations per line, not that I think that it’s a good idea.  I fear I might not do justice to it.  

Seymour Barros-Sanchez, Meyor to most, is an advocacy filmmaker.  His brother, Sig, is another esteemed filmmaker.  They come from a family of writers and well, wizards too, I’m pretty sure. These guys make me speak in a hushed tone.  What can I say, I’m a fan! I’ll probably make a fool of myself if I’m in their presence so it’s good that I’m not.  LOL.  See?  I’m talking gibberish here!

Meyor said this poem was published in The Engineering Logscript, the UP College of Engineering’s official student publication which he headed for two years. No one kept a copy of that issue and most UP Eng’g majors couldn’t seem to come up with a regular issue of their Logscript since they’re more concerned in dealing with dynamics of rigid bodies so he decided to retype the poem in full for archiving.  I think it’s a good idea.  It’s going to be a “collectors’ item” so I didn’t want to pass up on the chance of being able to post it here. 

Thanks, Meyor for letting me do so.

Not A Political Statement

“Love is a human experience, not a political statement.”

Wow!  In this day and age, such profound words from an amazing and gorgeous young lady are a breath of fresh air.  There’s hope for this planet after all! 

Anne Hathaway IS something else.  She’s the recipient of this year’s HRC Ally for Equality Hero award. 

Pacman Bags It AGAIN!

Manny Pacquiao is the new WBC super featherweight title holder.  According to him, “the business is over.”  The fight that was four years in the making was awesome.  It was a close call.  I thought the best case scenario was a draw because I’ve always been bad with Math but hey, it’s another reason to celebrate again! 

Pacman’s fight has always stopped the clock for the Filipinos.  No rally, no traffic jam, almost zero crime rate, a ceasefire between the rebel groups and the armed forces.  Celebrities flock to Vegas.  Phenomenal.  Even the politicians don’t mind looking like fools trying to raise whatever part of Manny’s body in the ring for photo op!  And they cross party lines for that.  God knows how much campaign money they earned from that bout.  I’m sure it was more than enough to ensure a win since Juan Manuel’s Marquez’s great strategy and play made bets soar to unthinkable proportions. 

Way to go, Pacman! 

After this welcome respite from all the woes that life has to offer, we can get back to business.  It’s only Pacman’s business with Marquez that’s over.  Not ours.  For now, let’s get ready to PARTY!

Coke Anyone? Juicy Tales from the Online Rumor Mill

If you haven’t heard/read about it yet, then you must have been nursing a Jun Lozada fever still.  For some who have been fed up with all the heady (no pun intended) theatrics, the latest catfight online is a welcome distraction.  Beautiful release, Ms. MacLachlan? 

I’m talking about the whole Brian Gorell vs. Delfin Justiniano “DJ” Ocampo and the whole “Gucci Gang” hooplah that overpower the much hyped about Sergio-MariMar wedding, Lobo’s much-awaited transformation, Leo San Miguel’s not so surprising surprise, and the widely monitored Clinton-Obama race.  As Le Superstar Fabuleux Bryan put it, it’s “bigger than the Edison Chen scandal in Hong Kong.”  That’s quite something considering the last one’s really huge too!  I almost forgot Governor Spitzer’s major mishap!  Move over Ashley, we’ve got a new star.

I actually just stumbled upon it by accident.  A few clicks here and there later, it unfolded before my very eyes.  It’s sad for shallow gossipy me to have missed the Comments section of the now uber-popular resurrected blog but what I have read pretty much gave me a clearer picture of the whole hubbub.

Let me try to sum up the now much talked about scandal.  Brian Gorell, a man from Down Under, created a blog in (dis)honor of his ex-lover Delfin Justiniano “DJ” Ocampo Montano II.  He dissed the guy and his friends because the ex-boyfriend allegedly still owes him $70,000.  He said in his blog that he won’t stop until he gets his money back.  Now what’s shocking, other than the staggering amount of money, is that the blog talks bad about people move around in Manila’s party scene far more frequently than the rest of us mere mortals.  They, the Gucci Gang, according to the blog, are the young set of the Manila alta sociedad.  I’m sure you’ve heard of Celine Lopez (Philippine Star writer and daughter of former solons Albertito and Emily Relucio-Lopez), Marcel Crespo (Lopez’s ex-fiance and Mark Jimenez’s son), Wendy Puyat-Hotung (a swimwear designer), Tina Tinio (a L’Oréal executive) and Tim Yap (another party animal and entrepreneur).

Everyone loves a juicy tale.  Well, not in huge doses and snorts(!) but every now and then, we lurvvv it.  Schadenfreude after all, is a guilty pleasure.  But this one’s wild!  Not only does it talk nasty of a love affair gone sour, it also talks of the massive and reckless use of cocaine.  If it were to be taken in without question, it will definitely crush to pieces what remnants of reputation these people have left.

A few days ago, the blog was closed but it went live again sans the comments section because apparently it got nuked because of that.  Not that they can’t touch it now.  I mean anything is possible ’round here.  Hell hath no fury than a woman (and the like) scorned indeed but by golly, it gets really uglier by the minute!  Brian Gorell is HIV positive, by the way.  He said so himself.  He claims to have given up his farm in Australia and a lover of 20 or so years.  But he’s back there.  I am not sure how he’s getting on though.  I have one word for him.  Thailand.  The others?  I’m not really sure.  All I know is that they’re getting their share of the limelight one at a time.  And I’m sure they don’t like it this time.  I wonder if ABS-CBN will run this story if this blows.  Or PhilStar.  Tim Yap has been very visible in GMA but I don’t think he’s got that kind of power on the news and public affairs turf.  Gorell said the blog will close as soon as DJ Montano pays up.  I wonder when he’ll post the Western Union receipts.  That should somehow make a case.  This drama marathon is addictive in coke-like proportions!  LOL. 

Sniff.  Snort.  Aaah!

Before the blog closes again, you can check it out here.

Qué horor! Qué barbaridad!

Of Politics and Genealogy: US Edition

My friend, Todd, never runs out of interesting genealogy-related posts.  So I grabbed another interesting one.  Everything after this sentence is taken from his blog.

US Presidential Family Trees

There is always a resurgence of genealogical interest every election season in the United States. In the past, genealogists believed that the presidential candidate with the most number of royal connections, ergo the “most royal” of all the aspirants, almost always wins the election.

Another angle to look at is the diversity of the family connections of a presidential candidate. This early on, using the references of online genealogical databases, let us examine who among Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain has the political, social, and royal pedigree.

Part I: BARACK OBAMA

Barack Obama, one of the two Democratic contenders for the presidency, is perhaps, among the three candidates, the most genealogically diversed. His bloodline consists of Luo (Kenyan), English, German, Irish, Welsh, and smattering of French and Dutch ancestries. His pedigree shows different groups of people spanning several generations from different places. (Click here to see his pedigree chart).

Obama’s Kenyan ancestry is sketchy, and is traced only through the male line. (Click here for a diagram of his Kenyan ancestry.) Much of his known family tree is through his maternal side, and it is here that we find many interesting relations to the senator.

Obama could count at least two royal ancestors: William I “the Lion”, King of Scotland, and Henry II of England. He is related to at least six US Presidents: Jimmy Carter (half 7th cousins three times removed), Harry Truman (7th cousins three times removed), the 2 George Bushes (10th cousins once and twice removed, respectively), Woodrow Wilson (husband of Obama’s 6th cousin five times removed), and James Madison (3rd cousin nine times removed). He is also a ninth cousin once removed of Vice-President Dick Cheney. He has several relative lawmakers and Supreme Court Justices, as well.

But Obama’s ancestry is not limited to political personalities. He is a 7th cousin four times removed of renowned artist Georgia O’Keefe, and his eighth cousin once removed, Elizabeth H. Richardson, was married to novelist Ernest M. Hemingway. Another relative is Gordon B. Hinkley, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Theodore N. Vail, founder of AT&T, is a sixth cousin four times removed, while banker JP Morgan is a 7th cousin four times removed.

Other interesting relations of Senator Obama are actors: Margaux Hemingway, his 9th cousin; Superman Christopher Reeve, a 7th couin twice removed, and Katharine Hepburn, a 7th cousin thrice removed, and Brad Pitt is a 9th cousin. Even Justin Timberlake is Obama’s 11th cousin! A truly interesting approach to American politics.

Part II: HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON

Interestingly, Senator Clinton’s ancestry is also as colorful as Obama’s, though not as diverse as his. While Obama’s relatives include people from the arts, politics, banking and finance, business, the Mormon church, and even royalty, Clinton’s are more concentrated on two areas: politics and the arts. (Click here for Clinton’s pedigree chart)

Her political relatives include Prime Ministers Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chretien of Canada. Other than these two popular Canadian politicians, most of Hillary’s more popular relatives are from the entertainment industry. Shania Twain is her 9th cousin three times removed, Celine Dion is her 10th cousin once removed, Alanis Morissette is her tenth cousin, while Madonna and Clinton are 10th cousins. Three very interesting notes on Hilary’s genealogy: her royal antecedents are supposed to be the Kings of Navarre, but there are no exact evidences for that; she is also a 10th cousin of Camila Shand, the Duchess of Cornwall and wife of Prince Charles; and, finally, actor Jon Voight is the husband of Marcheline Bertrand [and father of Angelina Jolie], Hillary’s 9th cousin once removed.
Part III: JOHN McCAIN

McCain’s antecedents are not as glamorous and diverse as Obama’s and Clinton’s. In fact,John McCain’s genealogy (for the time being) has only been traced to reveal two interesting people: one, to King William I “the Lion”, King of Scotland, who is McCain’s direct ancestor, and Laura Bush, wife of President George W. Bush, who happens to be a sixth cousin of Senator John McCain. (Click here for McCain’s pedigree chart).

In a world where political victories and losses are not as easily predicted as surveys are paraded and believed to be, looking at a candidate’s ancestry sometimes tells us who among the candidates is the strongest.

It is interesting to note that Obama and McCain share a common descent from King William of Scotland, and that Obama and Clinton are relatives by affinity because Obama’s cousin, Brad Pitt, married Angelina Jolie, the daughter of Jon Voight, Hillary’s cousin.

The fight between Hillary and Obama will be long and hard, considering that both have strong royal bloodlines and, while Obama have many US Presidential relatives, Clinton’s two Canadian Prime Minister cousins Trudeau and Chretien are two of the modern times’ most influential. And, between them are [sic] a plethora of singers and actors and actresses, each of whom have made an impact to the world.

Whoever wins in the Democratic race will ultimately face McCain who, while not having as many famous relatives as Obama and Clinton, certainly has the right relationship to incumbent George W. Bush, as well as also a royal descent from William of Scotland. It would seem that this November would be a face-off between Obama and McCain, both of whom are related to the Bushes and both sharing a common descent from King William of Scotland.

_____________________

This article is based on several online genealogies of the three candidates, the most comprehensive of which is http://www.wargs.com/political.

Is Romulo Neri Gay?

God knows how many gay people I have in my posse.  Needless to say, I have always had high respect for people who have gotten out of the closet to be true to themselves and to others.  But I can only sympathize with those who find it hard to come to terms with their sexuality.  The Philippines is laden with misguided moralists and homophobes who blame whatever misfortune that befall on their families on their gay family members.  Talk about miseducation. 

As my college history professor said, the hardest thing to change in people is the mentality.  The American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders while the World Health Organization reclassified it from being a mental illness to ego-dystonic homosexuality.  But people still pray that gay guys and girls will get well!!! Why, one actress even gave a testimony in her church about how their family was happy when her cousin recovered from homosexuality!  And this lady graduated from UP for crying out loud.  Well, I do know a lot of chauvinist and homophobic UP alumni.

Anyway, the senate hearings have hinted that there is (was?) a special friendship between former NEDA chair Romulo Neri and former Philforest president and ZTE scandal whistleblower Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr.  Former COMELEC Chair Benjamin Abalos also speculated on what kind of relationship the two had.  Now Senator Jamby Madrigal threatened to expose Neri’s personal secrets.  Could there be a homosexual undertone in all these? 

Regardless of whether Neri’s gay or not, no one has the right to condemn him or even maliciously high-hat him because of it.  Whatever happened to human rights?  Are they a special provision for extrajudicial killing victims?  Why am I not surprised?  This world, after all, is heavily tinted with the glass of double standards. 

Which leads me to wonder, could this be Malacañang’s hold over Neri? When there’s smoke, there’s fire but please spare me the drama. Spare the Filipinos the theatrics and the hystrionics that this gut-wrenching soap opera has spewed on a daily basis. We need to know the truth but can’t we have another Clarissa Ocampo or Emma Lim? And please, don’t let one’s sexual orientation and preference get the spotlight.

Castro Out, De Castro In?

Now that Fidel Castro has “resigned” from being Cuba’s president due to intestinal woes, his brother who has been the interim president since 2006 is expected to get the official title.  The man in green fatigues has survived countless assassination attempts, the hostile stance of the US and many others.  His speeches have elicited a million and one mixed reactions all across the globe.  But throughout almost half a century of rule in Cuba, the man has stood the test of time. 

Now that the octagenarian has called it quits, the “moderately greedy” Filipino politicos are wishing that the Philippine president would do the same.  The veep seems to be enjoying the limelight as well, as parties are “welcoming” him left and right.  People are even pairing him up with vice presidentiables. 

Now that Castro’s out of the picture and our local political henchmen are calling for the president’s ouster, is it De Castro’s turn?  Hmmmm…. I’m not sure the shoe fits, really.  One thing’s certain, Willie Revillame will enjoy a good cigar or two if and when De Castro makes it. 

Black and White

I am not pro-GMA. 

If it’s the TV station we’re talking about, then I’d say I am without batting an eyelash, which is impossible by the way because you can’t just bat ONE eyelash!  But really, I am not the president’s die-hard fan.  Let’s just say that I am for this country.  But I won’t claim expertise on what’s best for this country as so many people have already been holding the megaphone.  I guess my time with the mob is over.  I want to grow old real fast but I don’t think I’m getting that old yet so my hiatus is perhaps just that—a hiatus. 

Where does the right begin and where does wrong end?  Does the world really have to be just a choice between black and white?  I am trying  to stifle another bored yawn over what’s going on in our country.  As much as I hate to admit it, I guess I have become someone that I used to hate big time—apathetic.  Not pathetic, you dumbarse.  Well, perhaps partly. 

But really, I’m confused.  This country is so used to corruption.  Since time immemorial, politicians have stolen from us.  And no we don’t have the monopoly of a graft and corruption-infested soil.  Other places have it too.  And so people like me is no longer a rarity.  So there’s a new scandal, what’s new with it?  People steal anyway.  My mantra has become, he/she who steals the least without totally crippling the country is least despicable of the all.  It’s hard to tell, really.  So when it’s hard to tell, I try to just pick whoever’s in power so long as he/she’s not THAT stupid regardless of height or mole size. 

My next confusion steams from the size of the loot.  Ok.  So everybody steals.  Who steals the least is the lesser evil and so that’s the way it should be.  Yeah, so it’s ok to steal so long as it’s not as big as what others steal.  It’s ok to make mistakes so long as they’re not as bad as the ones the other guy made.  This has become our standards and in this grueling world, we can’t really blame people.  Sometimes, we just have to be happy with our small feats.  Yeah it’s not right.  But beggars can’t be choosers.  No one can afford to be choosy.  Yeah it helps to save some dignity inside and maintain ones moral standards but then again, who set those standards in the first place?  Tune in the the radio or turn that TV volume up.  That’s not what’s happening.  People have been hurling accusations against one another as if their lives, and not their political agenda, depended on it. He/she who sinneth not cast the first stone.  My god!  I’ve never seen this many hypocrites in my lifetime!  JDV has been going at it like the fly to the poop!  Is it just me or is eternal damnation really just around the bend?  What with wolves in sheep’s clothing parading here and there like there’s a huge offering coming up I’d be surprised if all of a sudden I’ll see the scene where Moses excitedly came down from the mountain with the tablets of ten commandments in his hand only to find his shenanigans of relatives worshipping an idol! The audacity of people to use the name of God to bring their cases to the streets!  And who are these prophets who act like they have never sinned or partaken of anything that came from under the table!

I am indeed very confused.  And what’s making it worse is the gripping feeling that has been eating me all this time.  I am scared.  I am so scared for this country that I fear waking up the following morning because it might be the day of the great catharsis and it may not be what we all want to see.  I am young by world’s standards and because I am so, I don’t want to spoil the fun by watching it just slip away when I have not yet filled the half-full glass in my hand. 

Will this end?  Will blood flow?  Will people die?  Will I die?  Who is telling the truth?  And how do we measure truth nowadays?  Is it something that our gut tells us?  Or has the standards change?  Is it signified by tears and melodrama?  If I knew the answers, I’d be able to sleep well.  And I’ll stop worrying about tomorrow. 

Tomorrow’s just another day.  Today’s a gift.  That’s why it’s called the present.  But I don’t want to get any more gifts if it’s just like this.  I want to have tomorrow.  But somehow that petrifies me more.

So what now…

Gordon for President

Is it too early to campaign for the next president?  Yes?  Yeah, right!

There have been soooo many of them who have already been giving feelers here and there.  Some of them have even verbalized their “dreams” of leading this downtrodden land.  So why can’t I make my own declaration? I’m not the one running anyway. 

In a previous post, I have shortlisted my presidentiables.  I have already mentioned Richard “Dick” Gordon.  I also said that he will not win.  Why?  He’s not the typical KBL politician (Kasal or Weddings, Binyag or Baptisms and Dedications, Libing or Burial/Funerals).  He may be energetic but he’s not charismatic and patronizing.  But he’s one guy who delivers and whose tail doesn’t go between his legs when his decisions cross party lines.  For that, he’s on my good side.  Well, I think Subic speaks for him. 

Bayani Fernando, on the other hand, is my other living bet.  But I strongly believe that he’s better off as an operative.  While listening to the last episode of Hwang Jin-i (my back was to the TV set because I was beating a deadline), I heard the head Kisaeng say that the committee of dance teachers from all across old Korea chose the other dancer because she’s not as good as the lead of the story but because she sees and acknowledges another person’s talents and that the better dancer is needed by the country to continue dancing because she’s good at it.  Fernando is like that.  The country needs more people like him.  He may not be popular because of the effects of his actions on the surface but because of the longer-term effects of those actions, he has nailed it for me. 

So why Gordon?  Why not Mar Roxas?  Why not Kabayang Noli De Castro?  Why not JDV?  Why not Manny Villar?

Mar Roxas looks really good on paper.  His résumé is awesome.  Why, when he was just starting to make the waves in the Philippines back in the 90s, I was already been a fan!  In fact, when I chaired an event in our dorm in UP, I made it a point to really have him as our guest speaker.  He graciously accepted our invitation, I was ecstatic.  Now that I think about it, I hate it that digicams weren’t that popular then.  I remember that he smelled and looked really good!  He came late because he came from a session in the Congress that wrapped up really late.  Oh, and as a giggly college girl who had a huge crush on the guy, I blushed to my roots when he kissed me on the cheek.  Yeah!  It was just one of those besos that people exchange instead of handshakes but it sent me to cloud 9.  So Korina, my dear, una syang naging akin!  LOL.  But I will not vote for him.  Why?  He’s too politically motivated.  He has changed big time.  I’m pretty sure he’s a good person and that he has really good intentions for the country but the people around him are too strong for him.  I’m not discounting his ability to think for himself but let’s just say that with so many strong people around you, you can’t help but be swayed into doing things that you may not personally like without actually realizing that you’re doing it.  It’s too early for him too.  Perhaps, by the next presidential election after 2010, he’ll be ripe enough.  And perhaps by then, I’ll vote for him. 

Kabayang Noli is not a presidentiable.  I’m sorry but I really do think the shoes are too big for him. 

Why not JDV?  Well, in the 1998 presidential election, I was a NAMFREL volunteer.  The strongest contenders then were House Speaker Jose De Venecia, the late Raul Roco, and then Vice President Joseph Estrada.  I was not qualified to vote during that time because I turned 18 June of that year so there was really no chance that I could vote.  So what I did before that was get myself all-informed about who’s who in the race.  And I started my NAMFREL tradition.  I started volunteering on elections back in the 1995 elections when I was still in high school.  It was VOTECARE then.  It’s PPCRV now.  In 1998, it was NAMFREL for me and before our “shift” we were told to make sure that our flashlights were working and to be on our toes at all times as there were rumors that JDV was going to cause some power interruption to do some last minute “adjustments” and well, it didn’t happen and Erap won hands down.  I remember crying upon seeing the huge whiteboard outside the hall where we were stationed at in Ateneo.  JDV has never been someone that I liked.  I liked Ramon Mitra better when he was still the Speaker of the House and I liked him when he was running for presidency and even before that.  Marcelo Fernan was my favorite politico then.  Alongside Roco, Serge Osmeña and many others.  Recently, JDV has given me more reasons never to vote for him. 

How about Villar?  I must admit, he is possibly one of those who’s got almost everything needed to win a presidential election.  He’s got the money, the machinery and the popularity.  But does he have the balls to run this country, let alone the ability to dance decently?  I don’t think so.  Lest orange becomes a national color, I don’t think we want this guy.  I do love orange but well, I’m not sure about it becoming a good national color.  How about a coat of arms in orange?  Nah!!!

In this time of turmoil and unrest, perhaps, it’s best if we think of what we want in a leader and who out there deserves the key to the golden door that we call our country.  We don’t need someone who has the charisma to make ladies swoon and men bow.  We don’t need someone who can dole out all the time to the beggars that dear Philippines never seems to run out of.  We need someone who can govern conscientiously, be firm, be a good statesman, maintain decent foreign relations and steal just a little without getting caught.  Believe you me, no one will NOT steal.  So let’s hope for someone who will steal just a little and not truckloads of our nation’s treasure chest. 

I’ve made my pick.  That’s Richard Gordon.  He’s not winnable.  He’s an elitist.  But for now, I think I’ve found my man.  Dick’s my pick!

Scripted and Rehearsed!

Lozada got me.

Well, at least on the day he came out and spoke to the press.

But the magic wore off. Perhaps his tears washed away what iota of credibility I gave him credit for. His hidden arrogance looms its ugly head every time he talks down on the government albeit cloaked by the frocks of the church. The long hours he spent in the senate hearing made his act corny and quite annoying, in fact. Yep, to me, it is all an act–orchestrated by people whose love for the country has been a mere facade to a bludgeoning and uncontrollable ambition.

Over dinner, my mom and I got into an uncomfortable tiff. The local news was airing and it was nauseatingly all about Lozada and at almost every juncture, I was spitting expletives, disagreement and ridicule—in that order. Midway, my mom just said, “You are so pro-Gloria.”

First off, that’s President Arroyo, not Mrs. Arroyo, Mr. Vice President. Second, I am not pro-Gloria. When I marched and crusaded against then President Estrada’s regime, I did not for even once think that ousting the man means putting the diminutive and pixie lady on the throne. Apparently, that’s the political reality. That’s the way the constitutional succession works. It was further upheld by a Supreme Court ruling. I will not even bother to argue with those who say otherwise.

When I was one with the thousands of people who kept vigil in the EDSA Shrine complex that fateful week in January a few years back, I was heeding the warning bells that pealed at the back of my head. Hailing a cab in the dark alley so late in the evening to go to Ortigas was pure adrenaline rush. I didn’t think twice. The No votes had it. That was more reason enough for me to go there. The rest is history.

Now, hang in there, I am not a lawyer—because it’s not something that I can get by being related to more lawyers than my one hand can count—but I have worked with more than enough of them to know which is legally sound and not. It does not take a legal genius, however, to know that pure hearsay and drama will never get you past the arraignment.

The president is not a paragon of virtue. Her family does not epitomize sainthood. Like any other politicos, they have their agenda. Like any other people in power, they have been caught in the web of corruption and crime. But calling for her ouster two years shy the end of her term is not only ludicrous but is also a major waste of time. The peso has never been this strong ever since the Asian currency crisis–Thanks to George Soros! While we do not enjoy the typical KBL (kasal/wedding, binyag/baptism, libing/burial) kind of politicism, our present government has managed to map out a stable plan to ensure a better life in the coming years. It’s not like it can happen overnight but if we do our share and abide by the rules, I’m sure we’ll get there in time. But that’s just me, giving myself a pep talk. When hunger strikes and the US recession looms over affording us a good view of what famine is all about, we can’t help but hurl profanities in the air in the hopes that it does get to the palace.

But my argument stays. If we oust the president now, Lee Kuan Yew would laugh his brains out and comment anew that the Philippines is indeed governed by mob rule. Perhaps he’s right when he said that the state of our country is what too much democracy does to a nation. If we oust the president now, who will take the wheel? I am pretty sure there are really good candidates out there but why not level the field and wait for the 2010 elections? If not, why don’t we call for a snap elections now? I am sure we have learned our mistakes. The basic rule of thumb should be followed: Stop, Look and Listen. Look before you leap. If we plunge head on into something, we must find a soft ground to land on, and not another rockbed.

The president may even be a rotten egg for all we know. But for as long as no court admissible evidence is shown to us that she has indeed dipped her hands into boiling water, then perhaps she deserves the time to finish her term. The president is not the best of the bunch. But for as long as it’s not yet harvest time, I think it’s best if we wait for other bunches to be right for the picking. Why limit ourselves to the bunch that we have right now? Yes the country can wait. Good things do not happen overnight but every now and then, we have to draw blood to achieve small victories so that in the long run, greater feats will be ours to cherish and enjoy.

As for Lozada, he has to stop acting like a victim. From wearing an oversized white shirt to claiming that he is impoverished to turning a new leaf via religious propaganda and wearing not just one scapular but TWO for crying out loud to crying spells of OA proportions, he has got to clean up his act and do things right. If he’s the true blue bringer of truth that he claims to be, he does not need the props and everything else. What is wrong with being a hardworking Filipino Chinese? Why try to elicity pity by saying he’s poor? When asked by former COMELEC Chair Benjamin Abalos how a poor man could afford to pay the WackWack clubshares, he haughtily said it was ONLY 400something thousand pesos and he could afford that! No wonder he somehow felt offended when Mike Defensor handed him 50thousand pesos. Who’s next? The highest bidder? Come on! I am not looking for a martyr whose character has no blemishes. I’m merely looking for one who is sincere in giving up his life for his country. And as I have said during the Trillanes folly, someone’s got to die for this country to really wake up from its stupor. And if Lozada is as hardball truth crusader as he portrays himself to be, he should let the angels of death take him so the world can rest and this country can finally move on.

Those Commonly Mispronounced Last Names

Having worked as a publishing consultant for a Canadian-owned, Random House-affiliate publishing services providing company was the closest that I ever had to working for a call center.   Because we catered to mostly North American clients, we had to speak, well, at least passable American English.  Not having undergone any American accent training, I still felt that my English (and other Anglicized words)-speaking skills are somehow above average. 

I never liked trying to sound American by talking nasally.  I’d sound like someone with speech problems like some people I know.  Hehe.  So, I went into training and since I am not at all an idiot, I learned what I was supposed to learn within the period allotted for the process, far more quickly, I believe.  Our trainers were a bunch of characters.  But then again, trainees—and students for that matter—always make fun of their trainers and teachers. 

The first month was a lot of fun.  Our American department head gave us the permission to take 10-minute breaks in between 60-minute of straight serious work.  Those were on top of our lunch breaks and two 15-minute breaks.  That was pure heaven for smokers like us and for non-smokers who took the same breaks as we did to chat and talk about the “characters” in the office.  Since we were told to speak English at all times then, we did.  So breaks were a bunch of breaks indeed filled with funny anecdotes in English.  There were 9 of us in our batch.  We were supposed to be a part of the first batch of 12 but since the first three—who later became our supervisors—were taken in before the Christmas break and they needed hands on deck (not on the dick, you, you!) then, we were considered the 1 1/2 batch.  Hehe. 

So anyway, the main criterion for the beauty contest—er—for hiring us was our English speaking skills.  Our American department head conducted one on one interviews and if you pass his standards—meaning he understands the way you speak and you get to deliver the answers to his questions the way he wants to hear them—then you’re hired.  So we were super proud to have been hired into a position that promised at least a basic fee of twenty grand, well, not in dollars, but in pesos.  We were also given the chance to earn commissions.  It was a good deal!  I will keep mum about what went on after that in terms of monetary concerns because I don’t want to rouse the sleeping monsters here and there. 

The first day we went live—call potential clients—we got lost.  One of the major problems?  Pronunciation of last names.  Pronouncing places wasn’t much of a problem because somehow, I already knew how to properly most of them, like Tucson/TOO-sahn/in Arizona,  Cayce /KAY • see/ in South Carolina, Des Moines /dih-MOYN/ in Iowa, Leicester /LESS-tur/ in Massachusetts, Reading /RED-ing/ (not like READING from the base verb READ!) in Pennsylvannia and many others. 

Nope, we were not given any help in that department.  What I did was create my own pronunciation guide.  Well, it all boils down to etymology for some.  And if you really can’t pronounce it properly, it’s best to politely ask the owner of the name.  I once looked for a Miss Augusta Something only to find out that he’s a HE.  Some countries don’t go by the usual Filipino convention of names ending with (Mario) O or U for men and A (Maria) for women.  By the way, my parents names are Gregorio and Gregoria.  Talk about soulmates!  LOL. 

My research enabled me to learn some new things and to affirm those that I already knew.  I thought it would be nice to share the fruits of my research here.  How’s that?  Most of them are from Inoglo, About.com and The Budget Fashionista.

I started with author’s names. 

Paulo Coelho—paw-LU ko-wel-YU (my own version based on the IPA guide)

Chuck Palahniuk—chuhk PALL-uh-nik

Ayn Rand—ine rand

Roland Barthes—roll-AH(NG) bart

J.R.R Tolkien—“TOLL”-keen

Ivan Illich—ih-VAHN IH-lich

Jodi Picoult—JOE-dee PEE-koe

Marcel Proust—mar-SELL proost

Kathy Reichs—KA-thee ryks

Jon Scieszka—jahn SHESS-kuh

Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky—FYOE-dur mih-HY-loe-vich dahs-tuh-YEF-skee

J K Rowling—”rolling“
 

Then artists:

Jan van Eyck—yahn fuhn ike

Caravaggio—kar-uh-VAHJ-o

Rembrandt—REM-brant

Eugene Delacroix—uu-ZHEHN deh-lah-krwah

Edgar Degas—ED-gar duh-GAH

Claude Monet—kload moe-nay

Paul Gauguin—pall go-GA

Jean-Auguste Ingres—zhahn-o-gust angg

And what last name pronunciation guide would be complete without fashion designers?  So here’s a not-so-complete guide from The Budget Fashionista.  They’re divided into A-G, H-M, and N-Z. 

Giorgio Armani: Jor-ji-o Ar-ma-nee
Manolo Blahnik: Muh-no-low blah- nick
Andre Courreges: AN-Dre Courreges
Balenciaga: Bal-en-see-AH-gah
Bottega Veneta: Bo-TAY-ga Ve-NE-tah
Roberto Cavalli: RO-ber-to Ka-VA-lee
Chanel: Sha-nel
Chloé: KLO-ee
Comme des Garcons: KUM de Gar-SOHN
Christian Dior: KRE-shtaan DEE-or
Dolce and Gabbana: DOL-chay and Gab-BAH-nah
Ellen Tracy: EL-lin TRAY-see
Salvatore Ferragamo: Sal- va- tor Ferr-A-ga-mo
Gianfranco Ferre: Gee-an-fran-ko Ferr-ay
John Galliano: Gall-lee-a-no
Givenchy: Gee-von-she
Halston: Hall-stun
Hermes: Air-mez
Hugo Boss: He-you-go Bo-s
Imitation of Christ: Em-ma-ta-shun of Cry-st
Marc Jacobs: Ma-rk Jay-kob-s
Betsey Johnson: BET-see JON-sun
Calvin Klein: CAL-vin KLYIN
Donna Karan (DKNY): Don-NAH KA-ran
Michael Kors: My-kal Ko-ors
Karl Lagerfeld: Ka-ral La-ger-fell-d
Helmut Lang: Hell- Mut Lay-ng
Jeanne Lanvin: John La- vin
Ralph Lauren: LORE-in
Nanette Lepore: Na-net LA-pour
Christian Louboutin: KRI-shtaan Lu-bu-TAHN
Louis Vuitton: Lu-wee Vee-tuhhh
Catherine Malandrino: KATH-er-in Mal-an-DREE-no
Alexander McQueen: Al-ex-AHN-der Mac-KWEEN
Isaac Mizrahi: Eye-zak Miz-ra-hee
Issey Miyake: E-say Me-ya-kay
Zac Posen: Zak Poo-zen
Proenza Schouler: pro-en-za skool-er
Emilio Pucci: E-MEE-lee-o POH-chee
Tracy Reese: TRAY- cee Ree-s
Elsa Schiaparelli: EL-sa She-a-pa-REHL-lee
Anna Sui: AN-na SOO-ee
Gianni Versace: Gee-a-nee Verr-sha-chie
Diane Von Furstenberg: DY-an Von FUR-sten-berg
Vera Wang: Veer- ra Way-ng

About.com also has an audio pronunciation guide on how designers’ names and brands are pronounced.  Check it out here.  It contains the correct pronunciation guides of Balmain, Byblos, Ermenegildo Zegna, Jean Paul Gaultier, Les Copains, Yves Saint Laurent and many more.

As a largely English-speaking country, I believe that pronouncing these foreign names and last names—English and Anglicized—are not merely about sounding good or whatever but it means giving respect to people from other countries whose names are not that easy for us Filipinos to pronounce.  My name is constantly mispronounced and misspelled either and while I have gotten used to it, it still gets annoying sometimes.  So, I think learning how to pronounce these names properly is a way of giving respect to others.

I Miss Starbucks

When Starbucks first opened in the Philippines, the caffeine-operated robot that I claim to be moi got ecstatic. I was in college then. And while cab fare alone from UP to Makati was enough to get me a Venti of my favorite frap, I didn’t mind, despite the fact that my monthly allowance from home required an austere lifestyle, I still couldn’t stop my Starbucks urges. And so there started my love affair with the specialty coffee biggie. Of course it didn’t take that long for Starbucks to mushroom all over the place. I used to hang out near La Salle Taft because I once had a boyfriend who lived somewhere thereabouts and because I lived in the dorm, we hung out in his place. So when the branch in Torre Lorenzo opened, I did somersaults!

When I went home, a huge part of then overly huge moi missed Starbucks.

After a year or so, I moved to Cebu. And there, I reunited with the big S. Meetings, meet-ups, get-togethers and whatnots were always held in Starbucks in Ayala. I tried another coffee shop. But they couldn’t get the Coffee Crumble right and they don’t cancel orders the way Starbucks lets you.

After around 3 years, I moved again to where my parents have moved. Nope, we’re no gypsies. Not that I don’t suspect that we are. And I so miss Starbucks. It’s Christmastime once more and I’m sure Starbucks fans are busy filling their cards with stickers to get the much coveted Starbucks organizer. I guess I won’t be getting my 2008 copy. Sigh…

But more than anything else, I just miss Starbucks. There’s a coffeeshop near my place but I don’t think it’ll give me satisfy my cravings. I do not want to sound shallow and elitist but I just want to indulge myself with at least the idea of really missing Starbucks. I’m sure they have Crème Brûlée now as part of their Christmas specials. I can even smell it now. Sigh…

Oh well, guess I’ll just curl up in bed with a book to forget about things that I can’t have…I’ll just drink black coffee in my Starbucks mug. That would give me the illusion that I’m there.

Ok, nuff of this shit. I just miss it! Grrrrh!

And that my friends, is how the coffee crumbles…

My Latest Favorite Word (Phrase?): Oh, Position

I’ve been busy bloghopping lately that I have been writing more comments than blog entries but it’s awesome because I get to see a lot of things that have been written by really brilliant people in this virtual city that we live in. 

There’s this nice blog entry that I share sentiments with.  Lemme post it…

The ‘Wala na bang iba?’ Manifesto

People who want change: hear us.
• We scoff at the actions of Trillanes and other stupid politicians, celebrities, church figures et al BUT we are not necessarily pro-GMA.
• You are making a big mistake if you assume so.
• We are also frustrated at how things are going but doubly so thanks to your bumbling idiocy. To the various oppositionists we say– hello? Can you see how funny you appear to us? Do you even know and hear us? Do you know that we just want to live a peaceful life here?
• By criticizing those who dont care, you fail to win us over.
• Making stupid Trillanic and Guingonic moves doesn’t help either.
• It also doesn’t help that there are too many opposition leaders but all with the collective IQ of a door knob. At least yung door knob may silbi.
• The more you squabble and bungle, the more GMA looks smarter than you. You don’t deserve to lead us if you can’t even lead yourselves.
• Ano pa nga ba ang pwede naming gawin? Sino mang ipapalit nyo ngayon all look puny compared to how GMA has handled the crisis you’ve been trying to stir since day one. Nung una, okay lang. Pero you guys have all proven your incompetence.
• What really miffs us is every time you disturb the peace, di naman kayo ang immediately affected eh. KAMI!
• So please– we won’t even ask you to get your act together. We’ll just wait. We advice na tumahimik din kayo at baka sakaling may lalabas na better leaders than all you selfish brats.

That was posted by Ben C. in Ang Tagal Naman.

As for my title, Durano, my latest favorite blogger coined the term Oh, Position.  In his comment in this same entry that I mentioned, he said, “The current anti-GMA politicos are salivating for Malacanang Palace. They can”t wait to get their slimy hands on the country’s coffers just like GMA. They are of the same breed! We should refer to them as Oh,Position! No one has credibility. You’re right, lets wait for someone new to rise above these scum. These politicians should all make like a fart and blow. After that stink, we can have some fresh air.–Durano, done!” Very well said, comrade! 

You should check his blog out. He’s got really nice whips and spits. 

Another blogger, JC Smith created an ID for Trillanes.  This one’s really funny.  Check it out at his blog. 

The Philippine Comedian made me laugh with his own Trillanes Fans Club entry. 

Gotta rest now.  I’ve been hopping around all day that my virtual feet hurt.  LOL.  This is better than getting the eBay fever.  Jeez, that one drained my piggy bank!

Of Politics and Genealogy

I grabbed these two blog posts from my friend Todd’s blog.

The original titles of the two separate entries are: RP Politics: A Family Affair and Tangled Webs of Families and Intrigues respectively.

They’re a tad too long for those who do not have the patience to read stuff like this but instead of separating these entries, I decided to enter them as one, hence the length. I find this very interesting. I hope you will too.

RP Politics: A Family Affair

In 1898, Emilio Aguinaldo declared the Philippines an independent and sovereign state and became this nation’s first president. A century plus three years later, his cousin, Gloria M. Arroyo, rose to the same position when Joseph Ejercito Estrada was toppled from power through the event known as People Power II. As it happened, Erap, too, was Gloria’s relative. In fact, in a complicated and Byzantine manner, almost all of our former leaders were related to one another, in one way or the other. Allow me to extrapolate.

Emilio Aguinaldo’s first cousin’s, General Baldomero Aguinaldo, great-grandson was Cesar E.A. Virata, the first and only Prime Minster of the Republic of the Philippines.

The Virata family, through marriage, is connected with the Acuña family. One Acuña married a scion of the Roxas family. The product of this marriage was former President Manuel A. Roxas, whose son Gerry Roxas was a former Senator and whose grandson, Mar Roxas III was a Trade and Industry secretary and currently a Senator of the Republic.

Also, due to his dalliance with Juanita McIlvain, former Miss Universe Margarita “Margie” Moran Floirendo just happens to be President Roxas’ granddaughter.

“President Manuel Roxas’ wife, Trinidad de Leon, was the daughter of former Senator Ceferino de Leon. Sen. De Leon’s brother, Jose, married Dona Narcisa “Sisang” Buencamino, one of the most successful movie magnates in her time. Narcisa’s first cousin’s son was Philip Buencamino, who married Nene Quezon, daughter of President Manuel Luis Quezon.

Further, another scion of the Roxas family was Margarita Roxas, whose marriage to Antonio de Ayala produced Trinidad de Ayala. Trinidad later married Jacobo Zobel and started the legendary Zobel De Ayala family.

Some of the minor branches of the Zobel de Ayala family married into the other aristocratic families of Manila. The Aranetas, Ayalas, Elizaldes, Prietos, and more. Through the Roxas family’s connection with the Aranetas, former Tourism Secretary and beauty queen Gemma Cruz-Araneta is also related to Pres. Roxas.

It must also be remembered that Gemma Cruz’s paternal great-grandmother was Dona Maria Rizal, the sister of our national hero, Jose P. Rizal.

Gemma Cruz’s mother, Carmen, remarried Mr. Angel Nakpil, the nephew of Julio Nakpil, composer of a version of the Philippine National Anthem, who in turn was the husband of Gregoria De Jesus, the “Muse of the Katipunan.”

Gregoria de Jesus was also the widow of Katipunan founder Andres Bonifacio. Similarly, two of Gemma’s first cousins, Paz and Maria Cruz Banaad, married Bienvenido and Roberto Laurel, respectively, relatives of former Vice-President Salvador “Doy” Laurel, son of President Jose P. Laurel.

Two branches of the Araneta family further married presidential daughters; the first one being Juan Miguel Arroyo, whose second cousins are Aranetas. He married then Ms. Gloria M. Macapagal, daughter of President Diosdado Macapagal. Of course, GMA is now the country’s Chief Executive. The second to marry a presidential daughter was Greggy Araneta who married Irene Romualdez Marcos, the youngest child of President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos and Imelda Romualdez. The Araneta-Marcos marriage further stretches our already complicated family connections.

A maternal grandfather of Marcos, Don Fructuoso Edralin, was a cousin of Gen. Antonio Luna and his brother the Filipino national artist, Juan Luna. Juan Luna in turn married Paz Pardo de Tavera, of a rich and powerful Spanish-Filipino family.

Ferdinand Marcos’ grandfather’s sister, Crispina Marcos, married Hilario Valdez. Their daughter, Angela Valdez, married Ambassador Narciso Ramos, father of Fidel V. Ramos, also a President of the Republic. Narciso Ramos, after becoming a widower, married Alfonsita Lucero, whose father’s maternal family, the Birondos of Argao, Cebu, married into the Almendras family of Cebu and Davao.

Alfonsita’s fourth cousin, William Birondo, married Kukit Tecala, whose uncle, Pedro Tecala Sr., married Sofronia Almendras. Two of Sofronia’s siblings married into political families. Her brother, Paulo Almendras, married Elisea Durano, the daughter of Demetrio Durano and progenitor of the Durano family that has ruled Danao and Sogod, Cebu for many years. A prominent member of the Durano family is Ace Durano, a former representative and now Tourism Secretary.

Another cousin of Alfonsita, Dr. Procopio Lucero, Jr., married Gliseria Gullas, sister of politicians Jose and Eduardo Gullas.

Still another fourth cousin of Alfonsita is Hilario Davide, Sr., whose son is Hilario G. Davide, Jr., a former Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court.

A son of Paulo was former Senator Alejandro Almendras, whose marriage to a Bendigo of Davao City connected them to the ruling families of Davao: the Banggoys, Palma Gils, Lizadas, Nograleses and others. The current House of Representative Majority Leader is Prospero “Boy” Nograles from Davao City. Senator Almendras’ brother, Josefino, married Rosita Dimataga, the sister of Leonila Dimataga, who in turn was the wife of President Carlos P. Garcia.

One of Sofronia’s sisters was married to an Osmeña, thus linking them to the family of President Sergio Osmeña. Most of President Osmeña’s male descendants have become senator, governor, mayor, Representative, and councilor at various points in time and his family remains the premier political dynasty of Cebu: Tomas is the current mayor of Cebu City; other members of the family who held or are holding political offices are Jing-Jing, Emilio “Lito”, John, John-John, and many more.

President Osmeña’s half-sister was Doña Modesto Singson-Gaisano, the matriarch of the affluent Gaisano family of Cebu City. Modesta was a progeny of Don Pedro Gotiaoco, whose other descendants include Atty. Agusto Go, President of the University of Cebu and Honorary South Korean Consul; John Gokongwei, Jr., a great-grandson of Don Pedro Gotiaoco and the owner of Cebu Pacific, Robinson’s Mall, JG Summit, and many more; and the Sy-Gaisano family, who operate chains of shopping malls all over Visayas and Mindanao. A grandson of the brother of Don Pedro is Andrew Gotianun, who owns FILINVEST Group and East West Bank.

Imelda Romualdez’s marriage to Marcos also brought in many famous personalities. Imelda’s daughter, Imee, currently a member of the House of Representatives, married Tommy Manotoc, whose mother was related to a wife of Genny Lopez, whose own nephew Beaver married Jackie Estrada, daughter of Pres. Erap Estrada.

Her own niece, Marean Romualdez, daughter of her brother Gov. Alfredo Romualdez, married Thomas Pompidou, the grandson of the French President Georges Pompidou.

Imelda’s first cousin, Senator Danieling Romualdez, married Pacita Gueco of Tarlac. In an ironic twist of fate, Pacita Gueco happened to be the first cousin of the Senator Benigno Aquino Jr.

Of course, the Aquinos themselves have allied with many political families, and a scion of the Aquino clan was Senator Eva Estrada Kalaw, one of the Philippines’ very first female senators.

Ninoy’s marriage to the heiress Corazon Cojuanco also allied his family to another political dynasty. Corazon Aquino, after her husband’s heroic death in 1983, later became the country’s first female Chief Executive. Her maternal family, the Sumulongs, have also produced several lawmakers. The Cojuangco family, on the other hand, owns one of the oldest-existing haciendas in the country today, and the Cojuangcos control many of the country’s business enterprises.

Two Cojuancos, sons of Cory’s cousins Ramon and Eduardo, respectively, married (sic) Rio Diaz (Charlie Cojuanco), sister of former Miss Universe Gloria Diaz and Gretchen Baretto (Tony Boy Cojuanco). Gretchen’s sisters are Claudine and Marjorie, themselves married to actors. Cory’s niece, equestrienne Mikee Cojuangco, married Dodot Jaworski, son of basketball legend and Sen. Robert Jaworski. Senator Jaworski, on the other hand, married Susan Bautista Revilla, daughter of Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr., whose son Bong Revilla was a former governor and Senator. This connection, no doubt, extends this family tree to most of the country’s movie personalities.

Clearly, this Byzantine illustration of family connection is proof of the intricacies of Philippine politics. In this short presentation we have already linked no less than 12 of our 14 Presidents, one Prime Minister, two former Miss Universe winners, several senators and many other personalities, political or otherwise. We have even connected our “Philippine Family Tree” to a former French President! Imagine what further research into the other family trees could reveal?

Philippine politics, undoubtedly, is a family affair.

Tangled Webs of Families and Intrigues

What do President Arroyo, Ping Lacson, Erap Estrada, Imelda Marcos, Danding Cojuangco, Ace Durano, and Nerissa Soon-Ruiz have in common other than all being involved in the Davide impeachment, one way or the other? Well, they all also happen to be related to each other, in one way or the other.

President Gloria Arroyo, alleged to be behind the Davide impeachment, is married to Mike Arroyo, of the infamous JOSE PIDAL CONTROVERSY, whose own grandfather, Jose Maria PIDAL Arroyo, married a Lacson, who also happens to be related to Senator Panfilo Lacson, whose KURATONG BALELENG case has been reoppened by Davide. Mike is similarly a second cousin of Aranetas, whose one member, Greggy, is married to Irene Marcos, daughter of Imelda Marcos, also having recently received a negative SC ruling on her SWISS ACCOUNTS. Irene’s sister, Imee, married Tommy Manotoc, whose mother is related also to the wife of Geny Lopez, whose family has recently also received a blow from the Supreme Court because of their MERALCO RULING. Another Lopez, Beaver, married Jackie Ejercito, daughter of deposed President Joseph Estrada, whose ouster was legalized by an SC ruling declaring GMA’s presidency constitutional in 2001. Meanwhile, Imelda’s first cousin, Danieling Romualdez, married Pacita Gueco, first cousin of Ninoy, whose marriage to Cory Cojuangco made related him to Danding Cojuangco, another recipient of a negative SC ruling, this time on the COCO LEVY FUNDS. He is similarly related to Rep. Teodoro, his own nephew. Imelda’s marriage to Ferdinand Marcos goes on to relate her to FVR, who was Marcos’ 2nd cousin. FVR’s stepmother’s, Alfonsita Birondo Lucero vda. de Ramos’s, fourth cousin William Birondo married an Almendras, who is in turn a cousin of Ace Durano, a signatory of the impeachment rap against Davide. Another fourth cousin of Alfonsita, James Lucero, married Nazarena Soon, the sister of Nerissa Soon-Ruiz, another impeachment signatory. It seems really astounding that all those involved in the Davide impeachment are related, but what’s more astonishing is that they are all also related to the man they are trying to persecute. How? Well, FVR’s stepmom is also the fourth cousin of the embattled Chief Justice, both coming from Don Agustin Cristobal Bayot of Argao, Cebu, who is both their great-great-great-grandfather.

Who says genealogy is boring?