No strikes. Just “OUT” immediately. I don’t know why the thought of baseball just came to my mind when I learned that Congress never gave second thoughts, or another chance at bat, before declaring ABS-CBN out of the game. Of course nobody questioned the referee, they all know who his own coaches must be. Some of my own colleagues have expressed apprehensions at what could also happen to our own fellow practitioners who may dare step on tender toes, but I always console myself with what the late Msgr. Antonio Fortich used to tell us: “They won’t bother with you, you are only mosquitoes”.
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I am sure, though, that a great number of Filipinos are distressed over that development. Especially after the members of Congress themselves, whether because of agreement with the National Telecommunications Commission, or to abide by the “unspoken” wishes of someone else, decided to drive the final nail and draw the curtain over all screens featuring ABS-CBN reports and entertainment numbers. What crimes had it committed? Expired franchise? But some reports said it had already filed for renewal. But those are matters beyond the comprehension of us mosquitoes. So let them be.
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But I am sure people have heard about plans to adopt a “people’s initiative” type of protest to demand the return of the network. Will it work? And are there that many fans of the ABS-CBN who will join such a move? Will it be worthwhile? Those who decided to gag ABS-CBN made sure they had what they believe are legitimate reasons to justify their actions. They will cite all the laws and their provisions, so what more can viewers and fans do? Well, they can move on to other channels, there is no monopoly in the media, and after a while may even forget the serials they had not finished viewing!
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Would you believe that there are people who are actually grateful that the coronavirus plague broke out when it did? Yes, 8,000 of them are prisoners in California, who were set free to prevent the spread of the pandemic among the rest. I wonder, though, if those released had been declared negative of the virus, because if not, what a terrible effect that would have, not only on their families, but to all other people they may be in contact with! I hope there is no such plan among our own jails in the country. If those freed are hardened criminals, I doubt if they care how many they infect, so long as they are free.
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Girls, aren’t you glad you live in the Philippines where women enjoy such equality with men that we even elect them as presidents of the country and let them hold so many important positions in government? In France, women’s groups are staging protests because their government appoints mostly, probably all, men for important offices! In this day and age! One would have thought France were more cognizant of woman power, but apparently no… Seems the Philippines is one country that is leading in the recognition of women’s capabilities. If you have doubts, go make a check of the members of Congress, the Senate and the cabinet, etc. how many are females.
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By the way, this may be nitpicking, but aren’t you, like me, also annoyed when you hear people being interviewed on TV answering “Thank you” when the interviewer thanks them at the end of the exchange? Even in elementary school we were taught that the reply to “thank you” should be “You are welcome”, or “Don’t mention it”, and anything else, but not the same words. It would not be so jarring to hear a reply of “Thank you, too, for the privilege” or something, of the sort. I was very happy to hear journalist Vergel Santos, after an interview in Tagalog, reply “Walang anuman”. How appropriate.
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Could it be that drug syndicates are taking advantage, now that there are so many problems in the country, to push their business? In Parañaque the other day, it was reported that the police were able to intercept P244 MILLION worth of shabu! For that we must congratulate the policemen who were able to trace and arrest the “capitalists” in charge of such amounts that seem unbelieavable. But how many small-time pushers would have been the outlets for that had it not been traced and seized? Because that was in the news, I hope that that seizure was honest-to-goodness, because we also hear of stories about the such seizures turning out to be “Finder’s keepers”. Congrats to the cops involved!
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In the United States, election season is now in the air and incumbent President Donald Trump must be on tenterhooks thinking of the campaign and his chances. The latest from him is his announcement that he had taken a cognitive test and passed it. What that has to do with the election, he does not say. He is also mum about when or who administered it. Does that insure victory, or only his sanity?*
