A lot of hogwash in the ‘Year of the Pig’
Credit to Author: ROLLY G. REYES| Date: Sat, 02 Mar 2019 16:34:40 +0000
If I were to define the word “vague,” I could only think of the second summit between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Add this word to “Singapore Declaration” and we will surely have a complete picture.
It reminds me of “The Ballad of East and West,” a poem by Rudyard Kipling, which says, “East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.” When it comes to the possibility of opening liaison offices (which is the established notion in normalizing diplomatic relations), both Trump and Kim are unsure who between them will take the first step.
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Meanwhile, ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen testified at a congressional hearing in Washington, calling Trump a “conman, a racist and a cheat.” He claimed that Trump had not released his tax returns because he feared that public scrutiny would lead to an audit and tax penalties. I cannot help but wonder why Cohen worked for him in the first place.
Truly, there’s a lot of hogwash in The Year of the Pig.
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Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra’s department circular prohibiting partisan political activities among his prosecutors is definitely laudable. He said that electioneering or engaging in political activities is a punishable offense. It would also be better to go after the candidates that seek their help to harass their political opponents. And by the way, is the ombudsman listening as well?
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It looks like the government’s effort to ease Metro Manila’s traffic is beginning to take shape. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has granted funding for a P357-billion subway project that was recently launched, covering 36 kilometers that will cross seven cities from Quirino Highway in Quezon City all the way to Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City.
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President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to appoint a new Governor for Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to replace Nestor Espenilla Jr., who passed away more than a week ago. While BSP Deputy Governor Alamasara Tuaño-Amador is now OIC, others who can be appointed to the post are Diwa Guinigundo and Chuchi Fonacier, both deputy governors. I think that Mr. Guinigundo is a worthy replacement, considering his experience and respect earned from the global banking community.
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It is your right to join rallies, dear students. But bear in mind that by finishing a course, you can turn the reforms that you are fighting for now into reality. Without knowledge, you are likely to find yourselves on the streets forever. And achieve nothing.
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I heard that vote buying is now upgrading the scheme to conform with modern technology. It will be prepaid and postpaid. Prepaid for registered voters and postpaid for newly registered ones. Sorry, no UNLI for party members.
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Media reporting today is far more complex than you can imagine. Mostly, they are about the ratings game, making money on commercial spots, doing stories with the intention of dislodging the competition, incurring less expense to cover as much as possible, mesmerizing us with flashy productions and digital tools and keeping us, viewers, in emotional highs and lows. And we get confused.
Before, it was much simpler and spartan to do the job. Get the story with whatever it takes and report it soonest. And let opinions take their due course.
— and we learned.
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Somebody suggested that networks should post this before airing a legislative hearing: “Warning: This program is not suitable for children and the faint-hearted as it may contain disturbing sounds and images.”
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This was a quote from Ed Murrow in1958: “One of the basic troubles with radio and television news is that both instruments have grown up as an incompatible combination of show business, advertising and news. Each of the three is a rather bizarre and demanding profession. And when you get all three under one roof, the dust never settles. The top management of the networks, with a few notable exceptions, has been trained in advertising, research, sales or show business. But by the nature of the corporate structure, they also make the final and crucial decisions, having to do with news and public affairs. Frequently they have neither the time nor the competence to do this.”
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I am not scared anymore of coming home late. All I have to do is look straight at my wife’s face, tell her, “Look at me, look at me,” and then kneel for forgiveness.
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Sen. Antonio Trillanes said, “Oh there, there are no more drug addicts because they are dead, and so?” PRRD retorted: “Some critic senator, stupid senator. Are you not happy that I’m doing it for you, instead of you, a military idiot, doing it? You do not even know how to count.”
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Pope Francis ended his conference on the sexual abuse of children by clergy last Sunday by calling for an “all-out battle” against a crime that should be “erased from the face of the earth.” Dear bishops, are you listening?
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Quotes of the week:
“Ships are safe in the harbor, but that’s not what the ships are for.” — John Shedd
“The risk of a wrong decision is better than the terror of indecision.” — Maimonides
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Good work, good deeds and good faith to all.
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