Ryan: his hands are tied (Photo courtesy of The Onion)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles) – In anticipation of Paul Ryan’s formal election as the new Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives tomorrow, his Chief of Staff, Dave Hoppe, released the Congressman’s official photograph that will be hung in his office on Capitol Hill.
“It is an accurate representation of what the congressman faces as he assumes the top post in the House of Representatives: his hands are tied, his lips are sealed, and he will be taking orders from the Tea Party,” Hoppe said.
Bongbong Marcos, Jr. waves to supporters during his VP candidacy announcement. Seated far left is Estrada and Imelda Marcos
MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – The bitter political rivalry between the Marcoses and the Aquinos abruptly came to an end today, when Philippine President Noynoy Aquino granted absolute pardon to the late Ferdinand E. Marcos and his family, including Imelda Romualdez Marcos and their children, Senator Bongbong Marcos, Governor Imee Marcos and Irene Marcos.
All it took was a simple “I’m sorry” from Senator Marcos.
On Tuesday, Aquino said the family of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos should say sorry to the Filipino people for the atrocities committed during martial rule. Speaking at the presidential forum of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), Aquino said that Filipinos would be open to forgiving the Marcos family for what former president Marcos did to the country during his tenure. “We are a forgiving people as a general rule.”
So on Wednesday morning, Bongbong Marcos said that on behalf of his entire family, he apologizes.
Being a man of his word, Aquino then issued an Executive Order granting absolute pardon to the Marcos family.
The pardon paves the way for the burial of the late Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes’ cemetery), something that the Marcos family had been seeking for a long time. Marcos’ preserved body currently lies in state in a refrigerated crypt in his hometown of Ilocos Norte.
An absolute pardon also frees the Marcoses of any liability in the numerous cases filed against Ferdinand, Sr. and his estate. And, Imelda gets to keep her 3,000 pairs of shoes, or whatever is left of them.
Pardoning presidents for crimes committed while in office is not unprecedented in the Philippines. Former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada was pardoned by his successor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who herself, is now is under hospital arrest . Estrada was convicted of plunder while Arroyo faces similar charges.
People rest in the backdrop of private residential estates shrouded by haze in Singapore (Photo credit: Edgar Su/Reuters)
MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – On many occasions, the Philippines has been on the receiving end of international financial and humanitarian aid following devastating natural disasters like 2013’s Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
Now, the country, most recently described as Asia’s ‘Rising Tiger,’ is poised to be on the giving end, providing much-needed relief to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asian nations experiencing a region-wide haze brought about by agricultural fires in East and South Sumatra.
The haze has been blamed for deaths in Indonesia and respiratory illnesses in around 500,000 people. Elsewhere, it has prompted school closures, flight cancellations and virtual shutdowns of towns and cities.
The Philippine donation will come in three colors: yellow, black and red
President NoyNoy Aquino, in one of his proudest moments in office, announced to the world that his government is donating One Million portable electric fans to be distributed among the affected countries in Asia. In addition, Aquino said the Philippines will be shipping twenty containers of surgical face masks to these countries.
“This is our way of reciprocating the generosity of our Asian neighbors and other foreign governments when it was the Philippines that was needing help and humanitarian relief,” Aquino said.
“The fans will help blow away the haze and the masks will prevent further respiratory illnesses.”
Indeed, a great gesture from the Rising Tiger. No long the ‘Sick Man of Asia.’
The Adobo Chronicles 
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