Tag Archives: U.S.

International, Politics, The Media, Travel

TOP TEN REASONS WHY MICHELLE OBAMA DID NOT JOIN THE PRESIDENT IN HIS STATE VISIT TO THE PHILIPPINES

May 4, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Michelle Obama at the 2014 White House Correspondents Dinner (photo: Getty)

Washington. D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles) – It’s been almost two weeks since U.S. President Barack Obama visited Manila as part of his four-nation diplomatic tour of Asia, but the media and netizens still can’t figure out why he was not joined by First Lady Michelle Obama. It turns out the reasons revolved around the Philippines.

The Adobo Chronicles interviewed sources close to the First Lady and put together the top ten reasons Mrs. Obama skipped the Manila visit:

There is no Philippine First Lady whom she could hang out with to gossip about their husbands (President NoyNoy Aquino is a bachelor).
She does not want to sit next to Vice President Jejomar Binay at the state dinner.
She does not want to sit at the same table with convicts, i.e. former presidents. (Former President Joseph Estrada has been convicted of plunder and later pardoned by his predecessor. He is now mayor of Manila).
She cannot stand Kris Aquino (TV host and sister of President Aquino who claims she is the ‘Oprah Winfrey of the Philippines’).
She is allergic to hot and humid weather.
She is allergic to rice stalks (she learned that it would be part of the state dinner backdrop).
Former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos was quoted as wanting to take a selfie with her.
She hates karaoke, especially when it is boxer Manny Pacquiao who is singing.
The Philippine government scheduled for her to visit St. Luke’s Hospital where former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was being treated at the time of the visit (Arroyo is facing criminal charges and has been under hospital arrest at a government facility).
Alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles just wouldn’t stop texting her (Napoles is being held without bail in a special military prison).

International, Law Enforcement, Politics, The Media, Travel

FEISTY PHILIPPINE SENATOR CALLS OBAMA AND AQUINO ‘MODERN-DAY PONTIUS PILATES’

April 28, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Philippine Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, the feisty chair of the senate foreign relations committee, slammed the signing of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and called Presidents Barack Obama and Noynoy Aquino the modern-day ‘Pontius Pilates.’

EDCA provides for increased U.S. military presence in the Philippines. The 10-year agreement was signed by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg. The senator asked: “Obama was coming to the Philippines anyway, so why was the agreement not signed by him and Aquino? I suspect both presidents wanted to wash their hands over this controversial agreement so that if things take a turn for the worse, neither of them would be held responsible.”

Defensor-Santiago also protested the fact that the Senate wasn’t given the courtesy of being furnished a copy of the draft agreement, as would be proper in a democratic government with three branches.

“Pontius Pilate washed his hands because he wanted no part in crucifying Jesus Christ. Well, I think the Filipino people should crucify Aquino and Obama,” Defensor-Santiago said.

Aquino’s presidential press office, reacting to Defensor-Santiago’s tirade, said, “it’s sour grapes on her part; she’s mad because she was not given a seat next to Obama during the state dinner honoring the American president. She wanted the opportunity to take a ‘selfie’ with Obama.”

The senator countered: “Had I known that they were going to serve lapu-lapu (grouper) at the state dinner, I would have politely declined the invitation. I hate fish!”

And so it looks like the battle moves on to the third branch of government, all the way to the Supreme Court.

Business, International, Politics, Travel

PHILIPPINE DEPARTMENT STORE GIANT SM TO CONVERT INTO PX GOODS CENTERS

April 27, 2014 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – SM, the Philippines’ leader in the retail industry, announced today that it was converting some of its department stores into PX Goods Centers. PX stands for Post Exchange which is basically the military department store. It sold goods that the average local store didn’t have. Servicemen would bring their native girlfriends or wives shopping on base. PX goods were extremely popular during the tenure of U.S. Military bases in the Philippines.

Now, as the Philippines and the United States prepare to sign a new 10-year agreement allowing renewed American military presence in this Southeast Asian country, SM said it would start converting some of its major stores into PX centers, starting with cities in which there are (or have been) military bases. These include the former Clark Airforce Base in Angeles City, Subic Naval Base in Olongapo City and John Hay Airforce Base in Baguio City. SM said it will also convert some of its department stores in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Filipino Americans hailed the SM announcement saying that this will eliminate the need to include such American goods like SPAM, Libby’s Corned Beef, Taster’s Choice Instant Coffee and Dove soap in balikbayan boxes they regularly ship to loved ones in the Philippines.