“Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.” –Will Rogers
If self-confessed womanizer Pantaleon ‘Bebot’ Alvarez is ousted as speaker before the 2019 congressional elections, many Ilonggo politicians who entrusted him with their political future will be in real big trouble.
There are strong whispers around House majority that want either 40-year-old Marinduque lone district Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco or former president, Pampanga second district Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to replace the loud-mouthed Alvarez, one of the big bosses of the ruling PDP-Laban.
Word is, since Alvarez engaged Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte in an ugly word war earlier this year, thing are no longer normal in the House of Representatives.
Being one of the closest allies to President Rodrigo Duterte, many Ilonggo politicians who kowtowed to Alvarez thought he was untouchable and unshakable. For some, the speaker is the modern-day Marcus Aurelius, a stoic and leading icon of Pax Romana. Like vermin, some Ilonggo politicians turned their backs on benefactors and political parties and embraced Alvarez like a king of Persia. They formed a beeline and praised the Davao del Norte first district congressman to high heaveans, saw him as a demigod, and sought his blessings for the upcoming midterm elections – they had no idea Alvarez was also facing a king-sized insurrection.
Unknown to most of them, the playboy House boss was already a ticking bomb and could explode anytime. His “invincibility” will soon come to a screeching halt if he is unable to dodge deadly wallops from the Cassiuses and Brutuses in the House of Representatives.
If Alvarez capitulates, quo vadis, Iloilo politicians?
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While having my usual mid-afternoon smoothie at a Colombian restaurant at the corner of 82nd Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, a group of revelers wearing yellow shirts and caps exploded into the intersection. Suddenly, they were joined by flag-waving fans in cars, honking loudly; this began just after 3:00 p.m. and ended around 7:00 p.m.
They were local Colombians celebrating their country’s win over Poland in the ongoing 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The result kept their Round of 16 hopes alive and knocked their European rival out of the tournament.
Among those chanting and cheering were the old, young, men, women, even dogs with Colombian flags strapped to their bodies.
New York City cops passing the intersection just watched as they continued to patrol the predominantly Latino community.
I wish we Filipinos could also celebrate like them./WDJ