Feisty Davao city mayor Sarah Duterte wields a haymaker (a powerful and mean punch) while Jose Antonio Vargas is a Pulitzer Winning journalist (which makes him a news writer and of late a newsmaker).
Duterte whacked a city sheriff last July 2 with a four-punch hits to the head and face whose only sin was to follow a legal order to carry on a demolition of an illegal squatter area.
Vargas is a US resident who recently admitted that he is an “undocumented immigrant“ after finding out that he was living in America with false documents. His story became an instant hit after his confession to the prestigious New York Times.
Now Vargas is the famous face of some 20 million illegal immigrants who are fighting to stay in the US.
Mixed reactions about the two are now the hottest issue. Are they sinners or saint ?
My take: Duterte is a public official and a lawyer whose mandate is to uphold and follow the law. Her intentions must be good and noble but she herself broke and took the law in her hands. She said she requested the sheriff to hold off demolition for two hours so she can talk to the affected residents to avert violence but the sheriff ignored her .Duterte then became furious and resorted to violence herself by raining punches on the man.
Vargas, on the other hand is a journalist whose job is to report and uphold the truth at all times. He admitted a lie only after turning 30 years old.
What do you make of the two?
Sarah Vaughan, the great jazz singer sang in her classic “Who cares what people say of you, who care what pictures they paint,
…..Saint or Sinner, Sinner or Saint “.
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BRINKMANSHIP: The multi-nation claim to a group of islands in the Western Philippine Sea called the Spratly islands is now a hot international issue that many fears could spark war among contending nations.
The question is ”will China go to war against the Philippines? A Goliath against David. A big bully of a nation against a small
country like the Philippines.
Already, protest rallies denouncing China are mounting in countries where Filipinos are situated.
China is not only practicing BRINKMANSHIP but engaged in saber-rattling with its military posturing in the disputed area, sending troops and ships disguised as research vessels.
Its time to go to the negotiating table not in the field of war.
More so, the sheer number of Tsinoy population who has roots in China, including the Henry Sys, the Gokongweis, the Yuchengcos, the Tans and many others who call the Philippines home will not allow war between the two Asian neighbors to happen.
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SUMMER BASHES: Time for community picnics, reunions and of course festivals. Congratulations to the officers of the FARHRA or Filipino Association of Richmond Hill led by Miguel
“Mike “Caducio as the new president.
The Tanza,Cavite Association of Canada is also holding its traditional “Tata Busting“ karakol honoring the feast day of its town’s patron St. Augustine on July 27,2011 at the Earl bales Park.
Association president Lope Perea said they are planning to join the two-day Filipinos Making Waves festival at Dundas square to feature their version of the “Karakol “ of St. Augustine.
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NOT BY CHICKEN ALONE: Who says that iconic Max’s Chicken is good at serving its famous fowl only. It seems the first
Canadian franchise of the Manila-based famous resto also serves a wealth of other feel good Filipino traditional dishes .
The father. Mother and son team of Pidoy, Ting and Clyde Pacis introduced us to their version of Kare-Kare, crispy pata among others but the revelation was their novelty of the Tilapia with Laing (a Bicolano dish) and their crispy crunchy calamares.
They have indeed elevated Filipino cuisine to a new level comparative to other international fine dining cuisine experience here in Toronto.
Oh by the way, Max’s will be at the Mabuhay festival “Go kapamilya “festival July 23 at the Metro Convention center.
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BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: My friend Romy Marquez had a strange and odd experience at the hands of a restaurant owner in the York mills area… It seemed that he stumbled on this under new management place formerly frequented by the Filipino media and did an interview of the owner, said to be a former beauty queen.
But the session, which was supposed to dwell or feature the facets of the new resto, did not turn out that way, as the owner insisted on how Romy should do the interview and focus more on her past as a beauty queen. When Romy refused to be dictated as to how to do his job as a journalist, he was told by the owner to scram and never to set foot on the place again. Maybe Romy, you are a beast to that beauty.
The lesson here is: Be nice to former beauty queens, they might still be a beauty to behold, but a little bit grumpy!
Pre Romy, that’s the hazards of our trade.****
