Chiz met Jojo in a new restaurant owned by the returning congressman of Davao del Norte, Tonyboy Floirendo, whose wife Cathy is a chef par excellence.
Binay attended two events in Davao del Norte last weekend, a Boy Scouts Jamboree and a reunion of his APO fraternity. Escudero was likewise in Davao City for some engagement.
The short ménage a deux, arranged by Floirendo, was really a non-event, because Binay was cold and distant, while Chiz was trying to shake a few laughs. But social media speculated and some spun intrigue about a “Bi-Chiz” in the making.
In the topsy-turvy world of Philippine politics, that may yet happen, if: (1) Grace Poe is disqualified, owing to her questioned citizenship and residency credentials; (2) Duterte totally quashes all hopes of a run on or before 10 December this year. Otherwise, the “serendipitous” meeting is much ado about nothing.
* * *
In the new hotel where Binay and Escudero checked in, Alan Cayetano was also billeted. Alan flew in Friday last week on the invitation of Mayor Digong Duterte to guest in his weekly TV show, “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” (From the Masses, For the Masses).
Alan and Chiz are cordial, but what if Binay and Cayetano bumped into each other in the relatively small lobby of the hotel? Mercifully, that did not happen.
* * *
Mar Roxas was likewise in Davao last weekend, after a DSWD-arranged assembly of cash transfer recipients in South Cotabato. He tried to get a meeting with Duterte, but the mayor reportedly declined to see his “friend.”
It seems that all roads led to Davao City last weekend, excepting of course Senadora Miriam who had a “meet and greet” with her avid supporters in the UP Bahay ng Alumni Monday evening. The most avid of those supporters, ironically, was the mother of Heart Evangelista, Madam Cecille Ongpauco.
So how would Heart’s mom vote? Miriam-Chiz?
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Speaking of the Davao mayor, there’s a trending video uploaded during the weekend by some creative netizens from Cebu, together with their network of friends from Manila and Davao who compiled footages of interviews of the mayor and his daughter Inday Sara.
It is called #Duterteserye Untold, and readers of MST can use this link:
https://www.facebook.com/100010319566897/videos/153738641646787/
The video, which I am told has gone viral, uses a part of the poignant musical composition composed by Jimmy Bondoc and played out by fellow musicians Luke Mejares, Paolo Santos, Joel Guarin, Gail Blanco and THOR, Rickson Ruiz, Pido, Ian Fajardo, Mike Caleda of The Crib, Njel de Mesa, violinists Jerome Nunez and drummer Gibson Viduya, and excellent mixers and arrangers.
In case you haven’t heard or seen the music video, link up to:
http://youtu.be/IMeQ0Q-XmKc
The Jimmy Bondoc composition, entitled “Takbo” has haunting melody coupled with great lyrics, and was done on pure volunteerism by these musicians to prod Rodrigo Duterte to run for president. It begins with a statement: “This is NOT a paid advertisement”.
“Takbo” is a great testament to the engaging Duterte phenomenon, never before witnessed in Philippine political history, where citizens, with the aid of social media, are by themselves clamoring for real change through a colorful personality who, unlike others, says it as it is, and as it should be, with a track record of administrative performance none of the other presidential moist eye wannabe’s can hope to match.
* * *
Which brings me to the issue of senatorial wannabes. Notice how there is a dearth of “may karapatan” candidates.
By that I mean those who have enough name recognition, enough academic and professional credentials, enough experience either in legislation or public service, even experience in the private sector.
So much so that cobbling together an exclusive mix of 12 candidates is impossible. Even the super-funded, supra-large political behemoth called the Liberal Party has two or three candidates shared with other presidential competitors. And had to, at the last minute, open their “baul” of unknown keepsakes to trot two “who they” candidates.
The UNA has a mix of six original and instant party-mates, with six adoptions. Miriam and Bong-bong have Isko Moreno and Martin Romualdez, and still searching. Grace Poe and Chiz, to whom everybody and his mother wanted to flock a month ago, are also adopting from other parties and stand-alone guys with stellar political attraction.
Adoption. Adopted. These words seem to be the flavor of the current political scene. Nagpapa-ampon sa ampon. Ina-ampon ng mga kapos sa kandidato.
Standing out, aloof and impervious to the maddening crowd, is my good friend and political strategy mentor, Senator Serge Osmeña, in a class by himself. Running as an independent, refusing to be adopted. Walang pakialam.
