Category Archives: Politics

Law Enforcement, Politics

WHAT JAILED PHILIPPINE SENATORS GOT FOR CHRISTMAS

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L-R: Senators Estrada, Revilla and Enrile

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Christmas, especially for Filipinos, is a time for giving, compassion and goodwill. So what did jailed Philippine Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla get for Christmas?

The three senators are facing plunder and graft charges for their alleged involvement in the purported diversion of their Priority Development Assistance Funds (more popularly known as the pork barrel scam) to ghost projects for kickbacks under the scheme of alleged mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

  • Revilla, who from the beginning of his incarceration has complained about prison food, was treated to a Christmas eve dinner (Noche Buena), courtesy of Via Mare, one of the top caterers in the country.
  • Estrada, who has been experiencing migraines because of the heat inside his prison cell, was given a portable airconditioner courtesy of Hitachi Corporation.
  • Enrile, known for his womanizing, was granted visitation rights from his mistresses or anyone of his choosing, at his hospital suite.  Enrile is under hospital arrest at the Philippine National Police (PNP) General Hospital.

In addition, Revilla and Estrada held a joint Christmas party at the community social hall at the PNP Custodial Center.

All these Christmas perks were, of course, courtesy of President NoyNoy Aquino, a devout Catholic, who wanted to show his humanitarian and Christian qualities.

As for Janet Lim-Napoles, she reportedly received a laptop and free Internet connection so that she could watch and re-watch the YouTube video of her daughter Jeanne Napoles’  21st Hollywood birthday bash.

Film and TV, Politics, The Media

VICE GANDA’S INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT AQUINO WILL NOT AIR AFTER ALL

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Vice Ganda, left, in a scene from the film, 'Praybeyt Benjamin 2.'
Vice Ganda, left, in a scene from the film, ‘Praybeyt Benjamin 2.’

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – The much-talked about one-on-one interview by Filipino comedian Vice Ganda with President NoyNoy Aquino will not be airing on January 4 as originally scheduled.

The reason? Vice Ganda’s entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), ‘Praybeyt Benjamin 2,’ did not win any award at Saturday’s closing ceremony. Aquino’s nephew, Bimby, son of presidential sister Kris Aquino, also stars in the film.

In the film, Private Benjamin “Benjie” Santos (Vice Ganda) has been promoted to colonel in the Philippine army and has made a name for himself as a modern day national hero. But when Benjie starts taking his reputation and his duties for granted, he is forced under the service of General Wilson Chua (Richard Yap) to try and thwart a terrorist plot to bomb areas around the Philippines. It just so happens that the only person who knows where the bombs are is a young boy named Bimby (Bimby Aquino).

The interview with President Aquino was arranged by Kris as a way to promote the film and gain favor with the film festival jurors.

Immediately after the announcement of the film festival awards — in which ‘Praybeyt Benjamin’ failed to garner a single award —  Malacañang (the presidential palace) announced that it was withdrawing permission to Vice Ganda to air the taped interview.

“We don’t want the Filipino TV viewers to be reminded about the poor performance of the film,” said Kris Aquino.

The taped interview was all about the film and how President Aquino feels about his actor nephew. No other topics or issues of national and international concern were discussed.

The big winner in the MMFF was the film about one of the Philippines’ great heroes, ‘Bonifacio.’

 

Film and TV, LGBT, Politics

GAY COMEDIAN VICE GANDA SCORES RARE INTERVIEW WITH PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT AQUINO

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imageManila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Forget Sony Pictures’ The Interview. There is a more talked-about interview in all of Asia, and the world.

Everybody knows that it takes more than an arm and a leg to score an exclusive, sit-down interview with Philippine President NoyNoy Aquino. But somebody did just that: Vice Ganda (Jose Marie Borja Viceral in real life).

Vice Ganda is a Filipino television host and actor best known for his stand-up routines, in which he uses observational comedy, situational irony and sarcasm in pertaining to Filipino culture and human sexuality. Many are wondering why Aquino agreed to be interviewed by a showbiz personality instead of any of the respected journalists and television anchors who have been trying so hard to interview the president.

The openly-gay Vice Ganda, who is a friend of the president’s sister Kris Aquino, sat down with the older Aquino in Malacanang Palace, the Philippine equivalent of the White House.

The Adobo Chronicles learned from very reliable sources that Vice Ganda scored the interview by agreeing to certain rules dictated by the president and Kris Aquino:

  • The interview will be conducted only in Tagalog, which is the President’s language choice when making speeches
  • There will be no questions about the pork barrel scam
  • There will be no questions about Aquino’s snub of actress Nora Aunor for National Artist
  • There will be no questions about the president’s political nemesis, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who remains in hospital arrest
  • There will be no questions about Manila’s MRT (light railway) or traffic problems
  • There will be no questions about the recently-discovered luxury jail cells of drug lords at the New Bilibid Prison (National Penitentiary)
  • There will be no questions about where all the donated money for last year’s typhoon Yolanda relief went
  • Aquino will not be asked who he will be endorsing in the 2016 Philippine presidential elections
  • The president will not be asked about his love life (Aquino is a bachelor)
  • The president will need to take a break from the interview every 10 minutes so he can light up a cigarette.

All other questions are okay, but a list must be provided to the president 48 hours in advance. The taped interview will air on Vice Ganda’s regular TV show, with schedule to be announced.