The sky is bleeding, we must fear the flood
There’s something wrong with this town!
May 17, 2007You don't need to work in the government to know that there's something inherently wrong with how everything is being managed. You need only to look around the streets to realise that definitely sometimes the government has its priorities mixed up.
The City of Mandaluyong
I'll take Mandaluyong City as an example since I live there. Now, to be completely fair, I'm not saying that this city is completely fucked up, in fact I find that it is one of the more visible local government units and has a lot of well-intentioned projects - as far as the eye can see, that is. You can check the local government website for more information on their projects.
Maagang pamasko sa mga taga-Mandaluyong (c/o www.Mandaluyong.gov.ph)
December last year, the Mandaluyong City government handed out buckets filled with assorted goods (as shown in the picture above) as early Christmas presents to some of its poorer citizens. At PHP 350 per bucket multiplied by 60,000 which is the number of persons who received the goods, the project cost roughly PHP 21 million. Certainly nothing beats the satisfaction of receiving something tangible and immediately consumable, however PHP 21 million can go a long long way if invested in either a housing, education or livelihood projects (or all three for that matter) for the thousands of informal settlers in the city including the exact same group of people who received the gifts.
PHP 21 million is no loose change. Even if you merely place this in a time-deposit with just 6% interest rate p.a., it would earn PHP 1.26 million a year. I'm not sure whether this was properly budgeted at the beginning of the year or if it's one of those spur of the moment decisions, but if it had been invested properly at the beginning of the year instead of purchasing items outright just before christmas, the money that would have been made would have been enough to maybe refurbish the wet market in Addition Hills, send some kids to school or, if they really wanted something for Christmas, have a party where all 60,000 people could also have had their fair share. One last thing I have a difficult time figuring out is how PHP 350 worth of goods could fit in a small bucket. At 60,000, they could have ordered in bulk and received a very hefty discount.
Traffic and the city streets
The infrastructure in Mandaluyong has improved a lot in just the past year. Major roads have been paved and construction is keeping up with the boom across Metro Manila. However, those little things that tend to get overlooked, also tend to be the most annoying.
The pictures below show the street right by the Pasig River just after crossing the Makati-Mandaluyong bridge. There's this project which has been going on for, I think, a year or so. It has been causing quite a lot of traffic especially during rush hour as this section is a major alternate route to and from Makati. The construction is also right at the intersection of two streets and has forced the closure of one lane of traffic, cars now have to turn right into the other street and make a u-turn in order to cross to the other side.
The construction has been mothballed and there have been no signs of its completion any time soon. There used to be some signs indicating the length and budget of the project as well as posters of the City Mayor which have all disappeared, possibly blown away by last year's Typhoon Milenyo.
The construction
A jeepney making a u-turn
Obviously, it takes a lot of political will and commitment to complete even small-scale projects such as this.
Similarly, a "beautification" project was initiated by the city government focusing on polishing up the superficial facades of the streets and establisments in and around the Mandaluyong circle, which is the city's seat of government where the city hall, police station and Land Transportation Office are located.
The islands of the streets connecting to the circle were revamped.
The "island"
The previsouly existing island was merely tiled and painted over. What's ironic about this is that, while the island was repaired, so-to-speak, the drainage covers lining this street that have basically rendered the inner lane unusable have been left untouched. Any driver courageous enough to use this lane should expect a very jarring experience.
Huge drainage covers
As if that wasn't bad enough, the outer lane of this two-street is riddled with parked vehicles, pedestrians and pedicabs.
The pedicab is king of the road in Mandaluyong
No proper pedestrian crossings and, in the background, a truck during truck ban (this is in front of the LTO, City Hall and the police station)
Pedestrians are walking on the street because tricycles have used the sidewalk for parking
Surely, it must be relatively easy and logical to understand, while I am not against making the city look pretty, that practical matters are more important. An efficient city is really way better than a good-looking city, besides there's an intrinsic beauty in efficiency.
The sidewalk surrounding the circle was also repaired. The sidewalk itself was covered with the same colorful tiles used for the islands and the fencing was replaced and painted.
Note the art-deco-ish style
While all this "beautificatio" was happening, all around this government area, many many violations were being committed. Jeepneys were stopping in the middle of the road blocking several lanes in the process and pedicabs were going against traffic. They might not know it, but just because they're not motorised vehicles, they're not exempt from traffic rules and regulations.
L-R: A couple pedicabs going against traffic, an owner-type jeep parked in the middle of the road, jeepneys loading and unloading without regard for traffic
But is it really any wonder when the people who work for the government themselve have no regard for the law?
Government vehicles paked in the middle of the street causing a lot of traffic
More ironic still is that while all this money is being spent on things seemingly less important, just around the corner, literally just a few feet away from the city hall is one of the city's largest squatters' areas.
Local Law Enforcement
Law enforcement in the Philippines doesn't have the best of reputations. In fact, it has a bad, nay, atrocious reputation. Nobody trusts the police. Mandaluyong is none the better.
A Mandaluyong police officer making "tambay"
They lack the training and motivation to actually do good and make a difference in society. They lack objective and ambition. It's funny that people fear police officers as much as they would criminals. If you put a criminal together with a police officer less the uniform, there's really no telling the difference. They come from the same social stock.
This guy actually causes more traffic and this isn't even an intersection, his only role is to assist u-turning tricycles and crossing pedestrians
The traffic he's caused
Is it because police officers are poorly paid and so they resort to traffic extortion and other such means to supplement their income?
At the corner of Nueve de Pebrero and Shaw Boulevard is a "No Right Turn on Red Signal" sign which is being exploited by up to five motorised police and traffic enforcers. They usually just stand there waiting for someone, who might not be too familiar with the area, to make the mistake of turning right on a red signal. They often work in tandem with one group waiting right by the corner and another group about a hundred meters down the road. So, if the first group doesn't make the catch, they can just radio it in to the second group.
There's really nothing wrong with apprehending someone for making a violation but really all they do is sit there and wait the entire afternoon. Don't they have anything better to do like, I don't know, maybe, serve and protect the citizenry, or possibly prevent crime? You know, just maybe if they're not too busy.
The sign
Police officers guarding the corner, they seem to have caught a "criminal"!
The second line of defense seems to have caught a fish himself.
Now, why in the world would you ask the driver to step out of his car and walk to your bike? Hmmm. Fish always smell fishy.
A police vehicle without plates parked in Nueve de Pebrero
Where's law enforcement when you need it?
Poverty
No group of people could be more blatanly maligned with impunity than the poor. They are all pawns in this society. They are dis-empowered simply because they are poor and because they are dis-empowered, they are easily manipulated.
We go back to the irony of the city's "beautification" project. What it does is to serve as a consuelo de bobo to the public eye, to keep up visibility and to show that something concrete and tangible is being done by the government. Really, a project that can be seen and appreciated by more people garners more points for the government in the public eye than a project that might offer more substance and effectiveness but cannot be outwardly monitored such as a scholarship program. People cannot seen and thus not appreciate children being able to go to school everyday, learning and enlightenment cannot measured and observed, and it will take more effort for the government to "advertise" their achievements in this regard than it would to, say, build a monument in the middle of the road. It would also, in theory since it's a one time expense, cost less money and yet these projects have a habit of either going over budget or of having just really big budgets. If ever there were any observable effect such children graduating from school or being able to get good jobs, these are in the long-term and would not be directly attributable to the short-term incumbency of the government officials.
Poverty here
Poverty there
Poverty everywhere
Poverty is direclty proportional to corruption in the government. The more corrupt the government is, the more poverty is experienced by society. The arithmetic is fairly simple. For example, we take PHP 21 million and add it to whatever amount was used for this beautification project and that equals a lot of money. A lot of money that can either go to a worthy public cause or to a very private pocket. With all these projects, it begs the question, what is the net effect? Have people's lives improved? Has the quality of living increased? How can you rationalise something like this?
Politics
It all boils down to politics, the politics of fair-weather friends and close family ties. It's all about who has what and who wants whats that determines who gets what.
Politics… it's a family affair
Phil Stocks higher on peaceful and orderly elections
Only 10 election-related deaths on May 14, 118 total from the beginning of campaign season. That sounds peaceful alright. We should have official election semantics.
For example:
If 120 or less election-related deaths occur, it's considered peaceful elections.
If 121-200 election-related deaths occur, it officially becomes relatively peaceful elections.
If 201-300 election-related deaths occur, it's then called moderately peaceful.
And so on and so forth.
The following terminologies to be used would be relatively violent, moderately violent, violent and really violent. To be followed by relatively brutal, moderately brutal, brutal, really brutal and extremely brutal. And, should more deaths occur, the following may be used relatively grotesque, moderately grotesque, grotesque, really grotesque and extremely grotesque.
In the reverse, if less than 100 deaths occur, the elections should be invalidated.
These terminologies should be followed by each and every journalist and paper to ensure accuracy in their reporting. Otherwise, who knows what sort of mayhem and panic they could cause.
For the love of God, Juan dela Cruz interviews Richard Gomez for the third time
May 10, 2007Juan: Idol, napanuod kita sa MTV kagabi ah.
Juan: Ano nga ba yung sabi mo tungkol sa gagawin mo para sa youth?
Goma: Well, sabi ko nga, simula 1999 I’ve been into anti-drugs advocacy. Ako nga ang naginitiate ng programang MAD. That has been my lifelong advocacy.
Juan: Lifelong? 8 years old ka lang?
Goma. Pero, previous to that I partnered with Juan Flavier of the Department of Health for an anti-AIDS campaign.
Goma: So, in essence, Anti-AIDS for the youth and Anti-drugs for the youth.
Juan. Huh?
Juan: Ah, eh, what about our workers.
Goma: Ganon rin, Anti-AIDS for our workers and Anti-drugs for our workers
Juan: And our senior citizens?
Goma: Anti-AIDS for our senior citizens and anti-drugs for our senior citizens.
Juan: Oo nga, mukhang marami yatang 60 and above na madalas mag-drugs at mag-sex!
Juan: Paano naman an gating mga LGU?
Goma: LGU? Ano yon? Little green unggoy?
Juan: Local Government Units po.
Goma: Ah, dapat kasi i-klaro mo.
Goma: Eh di I will institue programs sa ating mga LGU for anti-aids and anti-drugs
Juan: You have conviction, I’ll give you that.
Juan: What sort of laws are you planning to have ratified?
Goma: Well, first of all, ilalakad ko ang anti-drugs law.
Juan: Meron nang batas na ganyan eh!
Goma : Ganun ba ? Well, hindi mo ako pinatapos eh.
Goma: Secondly, I will have an anti-aids law passed!
Juan: Ha? Anong magagawa ng batas nay an?
Goma: Well, sa batas na yon bawal na ang magka-aids!
Juan: Nge!
Juan dela Cruz interviews Senatoriable Richard Gomez for the second time
May 9, 2007Juan: Idol, mukhang natagalan tayo ah bago kayo naglabas ng mga campaign materials. Is this because of financial issues o nahirapan ka lang talagang mag-isip, siguro na rin dahil wala ka talagang plataporma?
Goma: Juan, it’s a political strategy. Pinag-isipan ko at ng aking mga advisers yung timing ng paglabas ng aking mga commercials at ads for maximum effect. Alam mo namang marami akong experience pag-dating sat v and print ads, diba?
Juan: Ganun ba? Sino-sino ba mga political advisers mo?
Goma: Eh di si Lucy at si Binoy !
Juan : Ah, kaya naman pala kayo natagalan eh.
Juan : Gano katagal niyo naman pinag-isipan ang Goma Laban sa Droga ?
Goma : Matagal-tagal rin, mga isa’t kalahating buwan sigurod. Ang hirap mag-isip ng nag-ra-rhyme sa Goma eh, lalo na sa Richard.
Goma : Iba’t iba ring ang mga nadaanan namin tulad na lang ng Goma for Lola pero parang D.I. ang dating ko nun.
Goma : Meron ring Gomez for Golez eh parang nangampanya ako para sa ibang tao. Tapos Goma Laban sa Bomba, for anti-terrorism o di kaya, Goma laban sa Boba para sa education naman.
Juan: Napaka-creative niyo naman. Para kayong mga rapper.
Goma : May isa pa, Goma para sa Bata. Catchy pero naisip ko, di naman bumoboto mga bata eh di wag na lang.
Juan : Tumpak !
Juan : Huling tanong na. Napansi ko rin na ang gamit mong billboard sa Edsa ay yung mismo ring billboard na ginagamit ng bench. May koneksyon ba ito?
Goma: Bago kita sagutin, thank you sa Bench for my outfit!
Juan: Naka-isa ka dun ah!
Goma: Oo, pinahiram muna sa akin yon. Kelangan ko magtipid eh kasi kung saka-sakali at di ako nanalo, eh di kelangan ko bayaran ng milyones ang BIR.
Juan: Ah, isang pahabol. Bench ba yung polo shirt mo dun sa ad mo?
Goma: Lacos…este, Bench yon!
Reasons why I will not vote on May 14
I will not vote on May 14. I never have, probably never will. At least not until I begin to have some faith in the Philippine elections, faith being the operative word. It’s funny how Filipinos approach the elections. One must have faith, as if to worship an unseen deity, in order to select those who we deem are worthy to be called our leaders because really there is no telling who they are and what they abide by. It’s all a matter of faith, a reflection of how Filipinos have relegated their lives’ decisions to spirituality. No wonder it’s such a big deal to receive the blessings of our so-called spiritual leaders, it is as if they could, with one fell swoop, already cast the votes of their congregation.
I will not vote on May 14 because these elections are a hoax, a loose play, nothing but mere theatrics. The population thinking itself free to choose when they are in fact puppets in this play, their strings pulled to and fro, their mis-educated minds swayed by sweet euphemism which only seem to mean something. There is no true free will when you are forced to choose between lesser and greater evils. When the entire gamut of political wannabes consists of actors and actresses, artists and singers, soldiers and even convicted criminals. Our votes are posthumous. The decisions have already been made for us behind closed doors, and we are all innocent and hapless, helpless bystanders.
I will not vote on May 14 because to do so would be to participate in fraud and injustice, it would be as if I myself had aligned with debauchery. To vote would be to commit a public crime, giving meaning and lending support, making absolute that which is purportedly the very thing that the elections guard against. To hell with those who say we must exercise our right to vote, our one vote. It is quite clear that suffrage is not only overrated, it is moot. The only real exercise of personal freedom is to exclude ourselves from this national scandal. And so I urge everybody not to vote. Let us invalidate these elections.
We do not need these elections. These elections merely whitewash a corrupt and blackened government. The Philippine Government has grown to such a state that it is now inherently corrupt from the grassroots all the way to the top. It is no longer sufficient to address individual corruption, what must be engaged is systemic corruption, a corruption that has become naturally intertwined with the ins and outs of government. As such, a good politician or, at the very least, a politician with good intentions, by joining the system, becomes corrupt. The only truly good politicians are the ones that quit while they’re ahead and their integrity intact. Or, the ones that die or get killed before they have the opportunity of becoming corrupt. One would be so lucky to die a hero in a martyr’s death, than as a politician sprayed with lead days before the elections.
The only way to achieve true reform and real change is through a rare but unlikely revolution, a revolution far from the fanfare of EDSA 1 and 2. A revolution that, in these modern times, is really impossible to achieve.
Juan dela Cruz interviews Senatoriable Ping Lacson
May 7, 2007Juan : Pabili nga dalawang stick !
Ping: Ha? Anong akala mo saking tindero?!!
Juan: Eh diba nagbebenta ka ng HOPE?
Ping: Sige. Ilang stick gusto mo?
Ping: Baka gusto rin tsokoleyt?
Juan: Sige, ano meron?
Ping: Heto BIG BANG, libre na ‘to!
Juan: Kaw naman, di ka na ma-joke!
Ping: (dukot baril) PING! PI-PING! PING!
Juan: (lundag sabay gulong sa sahig ala action star)
Juan dela Cruz interviews Senatoriable Tessie Aquino-Oreta
May 4, 2007Juan : Anong masasabi tungkol dun sa pagbansag sa iyo bilang isang dancing queen?
Dancing Queen: Sorry talaga ha. Sorry talaga sa buong sambayanan.
Juan: Mukhang di na importante yon kasi pinatawad ka na ng administrasyon.
Juan: Pano ka nga ba napasok sa Team Unity? Hindi ba’t oposisyon ka dati?
Dancing Queen: Ah, wala yon. Wala naman talagang katuturan yan mga party..…
Dancing Queen: oopps…
Dancing Queen: I mean, kumakampi talaga ako sa makatarungan at makatwiran.
Dancing Queen: Pero sorry talaga sa sambayanan.. huhuhu.. Pinagsisisihan ko ang nagawa ko.
Juan: O, tama na. Wala namang iyakan. Heto panyo.
Juan: So, ibig mo bang sabihin, nagbago ng paninindigan ang oposisyon o ikaw ang nagbago ng opinyon?
Dancing Queen: Ha eh, baka gusto mong makita yung bago kong dance moves?
Dancing Queen: It’s my victory dance, you know, in preparation for my up and coming re-inaguration.
Juan: Tara, sayaw tayo!
Dancing Queen: Game. Pero sorry nga talaga. huhuhu
Juan dela Cruz interviews Senatoriable Luis Singson
Juan: Nice face…este, I mean, glasses.
Chavit: Why, thank you.
Juan : Parang bote ng coke.
Chavit: Malabo kasi mata ko.
Juan: Malamang.
Juan: Anong feeling na kasama mo sa Team Unity si Tessie. Parang kalian lang, magkaiba kayo ng pinalalaban.
Chavit: Ok lang naman. Mukhang nagbagon buhay na siya. Saka, no choice naman ako. Mahirap nang mag-independent at magastos.
Juan: Sabagay
Juan: Pagusapan natin ang inyong kampanya. Bakit mga probinsyano ang target audience mo?
Chavit: Eh kasi naging successful ako sa Ilocos bilang kongresista.
Juan: Ganon ba. Eh Ilocos lang yun ah, maka-probinsyano ka na agad? Hindi naman yata basta-bastang maihahawig ang kondisyon ng bawat probinsya sa isa’t isa.
Chavit: Madali lang yon. Hindi ba’t lahat ng probinsya may farmers?
Juan: Oo naman yata.
Chavit: Eh di kailangan ko lang mag-focus sa mga farmers at yayaman ang buong probinsya. Let me explain the concept….
Juan: Di bale na, ok lang.
Juan: Isa pa sa pino-promote mo ay ang iyong honesty, marahil dahil sa testimonial mo sa impeachment proceedings laban sa dating pangulo.
Chavit.: Oo naman. Honest ako, peksman.
Juan: May friendster ka ba? Lagyan mo rin ako ng testimonial! Add kita!
Juan dela Cruz interviews Senatoriable Cesar Montano
Juan: Idol, totoo bang kukuha ng crash course sa law?
Buboy: Oo, kailangan eh. Mahina pa talento ko sa batas eh.
Juan: Aba, buti naman at honest ka tungkol diyan. Bakit nga ba ikaw ang napiliing ng Team Unity? Di hamak na maraming mas may karanasan sa pulitika?
Buboy: Kulang kasi sa star power ang Team Unity, eh.
Juan: You mean, kulang sa guwapo?
Buboy: Ikaw nagsabi niyan!
Juan: Sige. Bukod sa iyong kagwapuhan at kamachohan, ano pa bang idinadagdag mo sa Team Unity?
Buboy: Aba syempre, ang mga talento ko.
Juan: Tulad ng?
Buboy: Ah eh, naging Philippine commissioner ako ng UNESCO para sa sining at kultura.
Juan: Aahh, ok. Sounds good. Ano bang ginagawa mo bilang isang commissioner?
Buboy: Eh di nagkokomisyon! Ano ka ba? Duh!
Juan: Nga naman. My bad. Meron ka pa bang ibang talento?
Buboy: Halos lahat ng aspeto ng lipunan, kabisado ko. Mula kasaysayan hanggang pandirigma.
Juan: At pano mo naman nasabi ito?
Buboy: Marami ako research sa mga aspetong ito. Kung kasaysayan ang paguusapan, gumanap akong bida sa Jose Rizal. Kasama rin ako sa cast ng The Great Raid.
Juan: Ha? Historical ba yun?
Buboy: Oo naman. At kung kalikasan ang pag-uusapan, nariyan naman ang Muro-Ami.
Juan: Eh paano naman yung patuloy na digmaan sa Mindanao?
Buboy: Aba, first hand yata ang experience natin diyan. Gumanap akong bilang isang sundalo sa gitna ng labanan sa Mindanao sa pelikulang Bagong Buwan.
Juan: Uy, parang naaalala kong kasali pa nga sa MMFF yan!
Buboy: Tama ka diyan!
Juan: At ano naman natutunan mo sa Panaghoy sa Suba?
Buboy: E di yung pinakaimportante sa lahat.
Juan: Ano?
Buboy: Love.
Juan: Ngi.. este.. aah.
Juan: O sige, meron pa ba?
Buboy: Basta, marami akong talento.
Buboy: Nga pala, ang mga bata ay ating kinabukasan.
Juan: Ha? San nanggaling yon?
Buboy: Ibig ko sabihin, importante sila.
Juan: Ah, okay.
Juan: Huling tanong.
Buboy: Teka, gusto ko magpasalamat sa Hanford for my briefs.
Juan: Teka lang, bawal na yan. Pinagsabihan na ako ng producer ko.
Juan: Anyway, huling tanong.
Juan: May salita ba talagang "talento"?
Buboy: ……
Juan dela Cruz does back-to-back interviews with Senatoriables Gringo Honasan and Antonio Trillanes
Juan: Sir, mukhang makakatakbo pa rin kayo sa darating na eleksyon. Kahit na ba pagkarami raming eskandalo na ang dinaanan ninyo. Di ba nga may arrest warrant pa para sa'yo?
Gringo: Oo nga, kaya nga mahal na mahal ko ang Pilipinas.
Juan: Bakit naman?
Gringo: Kasi ang Pilipinas, forgive and forget.
Juan: Onli in da Pilipins!
Juan: At ano naman ang plataporma ninyo ngayong taon? May nagbago ba?
Gringo: Syempre, ang pinaka-top priority ko ay ang pag-puksa sa corruption! Alam mo namang dalawang dekada na nating ipinaglalaban yan!
Juan: At sa paanong paraan mo pupuksain ang kurapsyon? Sabi mo nga, dalawang dekada na ang nakalilipas. Siguro naman, dapat change of method.
Gringo: Aba, syempre kailangan puksain ang ugat ng corruption!
Juan: Coup d'etat is that you?
===============================================
Later that day…..
Juan: Sarge, anong dahilan mo sa pagtakbo sa senado?
Sarge: Pupuksain ko ang kurapsyon!
Juan: Sounds familiar. Papano mo gagawin yan?
Sarge: Pupuksain ko ang mga kurakot!! Humanda sila!
Juan: Gringo, is that you?
Juan: Teka, I have to go. May meeting pa ako.
Juan dela Cruz interviews Senatoriable Richard Gomez
Juan dela Cruz: Idol, paki-paliwanag sa mamamayan kung bakit ka nila dapat iboto.
Goma: Alam mo, napakaraming dahilan eh. Well, unang una na lang, masasabi kong makaka-relate ako sa sambayanan at sila nama'y makaka-relate din sa'kin.
Juan: Papano?
Goma: Gawin na lang nating halimbawa lahat ng mga empleyado't trabahador na kinakaltasan ng buwis. I'm sure di nila nagugustuhan yon. Eh, ako rin eh! Kaya nga di ako nagbadayad, gusto ko lang iparating sa Administrasyon at sa BIR ang mensahe na ito.
Juan: Mukhang kuhang-kuha nila yung mensahe.
Juan: Ano naman masasabi mo sa pagtaboy sa iyo ng Genuine Opposition at Team Unity. Mahirap yata na walang party.
Goma: Sus, yun lang ba? Yakang-yaka ko naman kahit wala sila. At ako pa? Kung party lang naman pag-uusapan, marami ako napupuntahang party! Minsan nga sa SOP pa ako nagse-celebrate ng birthday ko. Bongga di ba?
Juan: Ha???
Juan: Di bale na… next question.
Juan: Bakit sa senado ka agad tumatakbo? Hindi ba mas mainam na magsimula sa mas mababa at lokal na posisyon? For experience, ika nga.
Goma: Marami naman akong experience diyan, saka napapanood ko kung paano magtrabaho ang mga tunay na pulitiko tulad na lang nila Pareng Joey at Jinggoy, at walang iba kundi si Tito Erap. At kung may question ako, isang text lang sila.
Juan: Ganun ba?
Goma: Lumaban na rin ako para sa Pilipinas bilang atleta.
Juan: Ano naman koneksyon non? Nanalo ka ba?
Goma: Di na importante yon. Basta, I have experienc representing the country.
Goma: Ilang beses na rin akong nag-portray na isang pulitiko sa sine at TV. Marami na akong na-research tungkol dyan!
Goma: I also support Philippine-made products tulad na lang ng Bench!
Juan: Sabagay. Ano ba kurso mo nung college?
Goma: Uy, good question. Related yata sa pulitika ang course ko. May 3 units ako ng Pol Sci noon!
Juan: Talaga? Patingin nga ng transcript mo?
Goma: Marami na akong nabasang script. Anong movie gusto mo?
Juan: Ha? Ang galing mo naman.
Juan: Paano naman sa law?
Goma: Sabi nga naman ni pareng Buboy, pwedeng pwede mag crash-course dun.
Juan: Sabi ko nga.
Juan: Huling tanong. Ano platform mo?
Goma: I will support sports and media. Importante mga yan. Kumbaga, parang health and well-being na rin yan. Kung nagso-sports ka, healthy ka. Kung nanonood ka ng TV, happy ka.
Juan: Sige na, maraming salamat.
Goma: May gusto lang akong ipahabol. Gusto ko sanang pasalamatan mga sponsor ko. Bench for my outfit, Fix for my hair. Sa lahat rin ng aking fans, thank you. Aasahan ko boto niyo!
