Friday, July 25, 2008

Hay nakoh

CNN International has deemed this newsworthy.
The Philippine government and the private sector are offering 9.5
million pesos (US$220,000) to any athlete who brings home the country's
first-ever Olympic gold medal.
It's just sad. Achievement for achievement's sake Im sure is still alive in the Filipino soul, but this just leaves a bad taste in the mouth. It says 'We need money'. And we do, no doubt about it, but come on. A little class never hurt anyone; a little Olympic spirit.

The news item said that out of the 9.5 million, the government is putting up 5 million; more than 50% of the 'incentive' is our money. But what it's actually doing, like the private sector, is buying ad space on the gold medalist, if there is one, to bolster its image. "Nagpapasalamat ako sa prisidinti. Tsaka kay Pers dyintilman." Anak ng pu-. I understand the amount put up by private business. But for the government to buy ad space like this? That they feel the need to do something like this? Mother of pearl! The desperation!

Why oh why, dear people of the Philippines, do you give these government bozos the time of day? Why do we treat these people with reverence? Just this morning, there was news of a three year old kid kidnapped in a mall being reunited with his parents. A few days before IIRC, in an interview on TV, the father issued a plea to the viewing public to help him locate his baby. Several people saw the accompanying video and one of them, a private individual, recognized the kid in the company of street children, and alerted the authorities who then returned the kid to his parents. The father was interviewed on TV and asked if he has any messages for those who helped him and this is what he said (paraphrasing), "Nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat ng tumulong. Maraming tumulong sa amin. Special mention si Congressman Ruffy Biazon. Salamat po." (Im thanking all those who helped. There were a lot of people who helped us. I'd like to especially thank Congressman Ruffy Biazon. Thank you.) I went, Wha-??? What about the fella who found your kid? Didnt he deserve 'special mention'? Im sure Rep. Biazon offered moral support and all that, perhaps even more than moral support, but what exactly did he do to reunite the kid with his parents? What did he do to merit 'ad space'? I'll tell you what he did: he got elected congressman. In the eyes of most Filipinos, he is more important than some jabroni who actually finds your missing child.

8 comments:

grifter said...

nice touch with the 'h'.

Jego said...

Gracias. Nothing says exasperation like a superfluous 'h'.

Ruffy Biazon said...

Jego,

I came across your comment while browsing the internet. I'm a blogger myself and spend a lot of time reading other people's blogs.

Anyway, I read your commentary about the father of the abducted child. Perhaps it's appropriate, not to mention fair, for me to give my side of the story. After all, I think I'm not mistaken with the assumption that you don;t know me personally.

I don't know why the father chose at that moment to thank me when asked about his message to those who helped him. Certainly, I didn't impose myself on him just to grab credit for the return of his child.

In fact, I readily downplayed my role even in my own blog ( http://ruffybiazon1.multiply.com/photos/album/32/ABDUCTED_3-YEAR_OLD_BOY_NEEDS_YOUR_HELP_AND_PRAYERS ).

I found out about the abduction first from the tv news then through the blog of the child's aunt. (http://melquita.multiply.com/photos/album/348/HELP_My_Nephew_Was_Abducted )

I then communicated with the father and committed to him three things:

1. I will reproduce flyers about the missing boy to be distributed among my local political leaders and political network. Initial reports said that the girl who brought the boy with her out of the mall was a student of alabang elementary school, located within my district. So I thought that the flyers might help identify the boy if he is still in the muntinlupa area.

2. I will inform my media contacts for constant media exposure.

3. I will to constant pressure on the police to ensure that they devote enough time and effort in investigating the abduction.

Aside from those three things, I re-posted the aunt's blog in my multiply, blogger and wordpress sites, in order to spread out the information to as many people as possible.

I was not directly involved in finding the child. A security guard in santa rosa was the one who saw the child wandering in a commercial center in that Laguna town.

Just like what I wrote in my blog, my efforts were just one of many from people who pitched in to help the family. The hits in the aunt's blog was the most I have ever seen in Multiply.

Now going back to the father, it might be unfair to see him as a mindless ingrate who would thank a politician just because he is who he is rather than thank the jabroni who actually saved his kid.

I think he knows he has to thank the person who found his child and everyone else who pitched in to help. it's just that the congressman of the area where he resides is the one who he remembers the name.

Proof of this is his entry in his sister's blog (http://melquita.multiply.com/photos/album/349/YOU_ARE_MATTHEW_DAVIDS_HERO... ).

I hope this will shed light on whatever questions you have about the story of Matthew.

Thank you very much!


Ruffy Biazon
Representative, Lone District of Muntinlupa City
www.ruffybiazon.ph
ruffybiazon1.multiply.com
ruffybiazon.blogspot.com
ruffybbiazon.wordpress.com

Jego said...

Thanks for dropping by, Rep. Biazon.

The post wasnt a criticism of you of course, but a criticism of the father. Im sure he isnt a mindless ingrate. It's just how his message came across. Being an 'ordinary' guy he probably got dazzled by the media attention. As for the fairness or unfairness of my criticism, I have to say that it was a bit unfair, but that was exactly how I felt when I saw it on TV. The post itself was borne out of exasperation.

Anyway, now that youre here, a fellow blogger has a few proposals on future legislation that I suggested he forward to you and other legislators. His post is here.

Again, thanks for dropping by to give your side on this.

Ruffy Biazon said...

Jego,

Thanks for the link to Carlos' site. He makes a lot of sense. That's why I take time to read other people's blogs. There's so much information and points of view that are worthy to be tried out.

I understand your exasperation. I too experience the same feeling.

Keep in blogging!

Cheers!

cvj said...

Hey Jeg, thanks! :-)

Resty Odon said...

What da heck is jabroni? :)

Jego said...

It's an pro wrestling term coined by The Rock. It means 'loser'. (From the wrestling slang 'jobber', or a pro-wrestler whose job it is to lose to make the sikat wrestler look good.) :-)