PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MAR ROXAS: TRUE CHAMPION OF THE MASSES

December 2, 2015 Pol Pinoy 8 Comments

roxas MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Senator Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte may be getting all the media attention as the 2016 Philippine presidential elections heat up, but among all the declared candidates, one person stands out as the true champion of the masses

That would be former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the anointed successor of President NoyNoy Aquino.

Without much fanfare, Roxas has intentionally avoided the paparazzi, making his rounds of cities and rural communities, feeling the pulse of the masses, and actually living the life of the masses.

During the aftermath of the worst typhoon to hit the Philippines, Roxas was seen in ground zero overseeing relief operations and giving aid to residents except those who were loyal to his and President Aquino’s political nemesis, the Romualdezes. When there was a shortage of garlic in the Philippines, he was seen carrying a sack of garlic on his shoulder. When there was rumor about a rice shortage, he was seen carrying a sack of government rice on his shoulder. When Metro Manila experienced the worst traffic nightmare ever, he was seen directing traffic in one of Manila’s most congested street intersections. When Metro Manila’s light railway system (MRT) was the subject of intense criticism for its overcrowding, inefficiency and mismanagement, Roxas was seen riding the train on non-commute hours.

Roxas’ latest display of his empathy for the Filipino masses happened during a recent visit to a rural community in an undisclosed province in Luzon.

While TV cameras and press photographers were not allowed to record Roxas’ rendezvous with the masses, his campaign released a photo of him eating rice out of a coffee cup and drinking water from a plate. Just like the masses do. Or so he thinks.

What more can you ask of a candidate who wants to continue the current administration’s daang matuwid (straight path)?

International, Media, Travel

TIME MAGAZINE’S PERSON OF THE YEAR IS NOT A PERSON, IT’S THE PHILIPPINES’ LAGLAG BALA SCHEME

December 2, 2015 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

ammo (1) NEW YORK, New York (The Adobo Chronicles) – Rumors have been circulating that Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders will be named Time magazine’s 2016 ‘Person of the Year.’

Well, those rumors can now be put to rest.

Time has announced that it has finally chosen its ‘Person of the Year.’ And it is not a person.

The magazine’s editors chose the laglag bala scheme that has dominated the tourism and travel industry for most of 2016’s third quarter.

Laglag bala (bullet planting) is a scheme at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) whereby airport personnel plant bullets in bags and luggage of unsuspecting airline passengers as a way of extorting money.

The scheme, although minimized by President Aquino as “isolated,” has created a huge impact on travel and business not only in the Philippines but worldwide.

Because of the scheme, many travelers cancelled their business or leisure trips to Manila for fear of being victimized themselves. Those who had no choice but to fly into or out of NAIA had to resort to wrapping their luggage with plastic to avoid being targeted by the schemers. Even U.S. President Barack Obama who attended the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit meeting in Manila last month was advised by the State Department to wrap his briefcase with plastic upon arrival and departure from NAIA.

Time’s ‘Person of the Year’ profiles persons, groups, or things, that have had the most impact on world events for any given year.

Because of the scheme’s worldwide impact, the Philippine government even gave it a new international name — Airport Ammo Interception.

This is only the second time that a non-person was named by Time. The first was in 1982, when Time’s ‘Person of the Year’ was the computer.

Media, Politics

MAR ROXAS COMPLAINS: ‘WHY IS DUTERTE GETTING ALL THE MEDIA ATTENTION?’

December 2, 2015 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas is claiming media favoritism.

The former Interior Secretary and President Aquino’s anointed successor is complaining that recent headlines and news stories in the country’s national media have been focusing on Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who is also a candidate for president in the 2016 elections.

Duterte has been making the headlines after a recent speech in which he cursed Pope Francis while criticizing the nightmarish traffic in Metro Manila.

Roxas asked: “Why am I not getting similar publicity when I, myself, have been using the exact curse words in my public campaign statements?” To prove his point, he posted the following video on his social media accounts: