Floyd Mayweather doing the sissy sign

Floyd Mayweather Jr is a sissy and wants nothing more but protect his puny hide and his wracked face.

Mayweather Jr. just went on a verbal offensive, defending himself and trying to obfuscate the real issue–he’s scared shitless of Manny Pacquiao’s powerful punches. He does not want to mar his perfect record of fighting weaklings. When faced with a formidable opponent such as Pacquiao, Mayweather Jr. resorted to the only defense he knows best–spewing bad words just to hide his fear.

Sissy. Pure sissiness extra ordinaire.

Mayweather Jr just wants to chicken out of their much ballyhooed fight this March. He wants a drug test, which is different from the drug tests being done in professional boxing. He says that the drug tests conforms with Olympic rules, but clearly, he proposes a deviation.

Manny Pacquiao

Sissy. Mayweather Jr. is  chicken-shit.

His father, Floyd senior has turned white with fear. He knows that should the fight between his son and Pacquiao happens, the whole world will know how a weakling and sissy foot his son is. Floyd senior is shivering all over, trying to justify the non-continuance of the fight.

Even Golden Boy productions, chaired by no less than Oscar dela Hoya, who fell like an old timber when Pacquiao landed those strong, beautiful punches to his feminine face, also used the dope issue to protect his only prized fighter.

Golden boy knows that should Mayweather Jr loses his fight with Pacquiao, that’s the end of both his production and the pussy-foot mouth boxer. So much for the gold, they’ll just get chicken feathers instead.

If I’m Floyd Junior, I’ll stop talking and just sign those fight papers. Use your hands, you little faggot. Don’t hide under the cloak of legalities. Just fight, if you’re really not a homo, or a freakin faggot.

Don’t use your mouth. Use your fists to show everyone you’re really not scared of the Pacman.

  And now this…

 Businessman Gerry Alcantara’s wife, Maritess, experienced something of a nightmare last December 23, two days before Christmas when flight attendants of Cebu Pacific reportedly forced her and their 14-year old child out of a Manila-bound flight from Hongkong.

John Alvin Alcantara, who is a special child, was with his mother when a certain John Castaneda, a flight pursuer, arrogantly tried to prevent them from boarding the plane. Cebu Pacific, says Castaneda, has a strict policy regarding “passengers with mental illness”. The airline company only allows just one mental patient, accompanied by a non-mental patient.

Cebu Pacific has already issued an apology but this, I believe, is not enough. The couple is demanding 10 million pesos in civil damages.

It is high time that Pinoys, especially those aggrieved by these giant airline companies, should stand up and sue these companies who discriminate against people with special needs. And even those injured or harmed by Cebu Pacific should take a stand and boycott this airline.

Alex Lacson

Many of my friends are asking me–who is this Atty. Alexander (”Alex”) Lacson who’s now running as Senator under Senator Noynoy Aquino’s party? Is he the brother of Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson? Or, is he the son or grandson of the great Mayor of Manila Arsenio Lacson?

Good thing that the name “Lacson” continues to remain untarnished. Lacson, as a surname, has great political stock, beginning with General Aniceto Lacson, the former president of the Revolutionary government in 1898 based in Iloilo.

Aniceto Lacson---Great Ilonggo Revolutionary & Martyr

General Aniceto Lacson, for those who don’t exactly recall or even heard of his name, lived as a revolutionary martyr from 1858 to 1931. I got an excerpt of him from the National Historical Institute website.

ANICETO L. LACSON

(1858-1931)

Ilonggo Revolutionary Leader

A well-known agriculturist and businessman, Aniceto L. Lacson gained fame in Negros as a general during the Philippine Revolution.

He was born to a rich couple in Molo, Iloilo on September 6, 1858. In search of the proverbial greener pastures, his parents, Lucio Lacson and Clara Ledesma, migrated to Negros Occidental. There they acquired a vast sugar plantation.

Lacson went to schools in Molo for his elementary and secondary education. Afterwards, his parents sent him to Manila. He enrolled at the Ateneo Municipal for a commercial course.

Returning to Talisay, Negros Occidental, he immediately embarked on farming and in business. Soon, he became a prominent hacendero. His vast landholdings included tracts he inherited from his parents and those he acquired by purchase from Nicolas Loney and Company.

On the second stage of the Philippine Revolution, Lacson, together with Juan Araneta, led the Ilonggo uprising that is known today as the “Cry of Matabang” because it originated in Hacienda Matabang. It came about as a response to the call of the president of the revolutionary government in Iloilo province, Roque Lopez, for Negrenses to rise against Spanish tyranny.

The “cry” sparked the island-wide revolt in Negros. On November 5, 1898, the revolutionists hoisted the Filipino flag at the Silay public plaza and in neighboring towns. Rebels under the command of Gamboa Benedicto attacked the 170-man Spanish garrison under Lt. Maximo Correa. That night, Lacson’s men vanquished Spanish cazadores during an encounter near the Matabang River.

A Visayan historian recounts this glorious phase of the Negros revolt:

“…While Gen. Lacson was engaging the Spanish forces in Silay and Talisay, Gen. Juan Araneta also took Bago and raised the First Filipino flag at the town plaza. In the north, Don Gil Lopez, commanding hundreds of farmers and hacienda workers, conquered the town of Sagay.”

Later, Lacson and Araneta joined forces in taking Bacolod from its colonial defenders. With Araneta’s men coming from the south and those of Lacson from the north, they pounced on the Spanish garrison of 300 infantrymen. To compensate for their lack of arms, the gutsy rebels simulated the use of nipa or coconut stems as rifles. Seized from the Spaniards in the aftermath of the attack were 185 Remingtons.

Once the Spanish forces surrendered on November 6, 1898, the victorious Filipinos set up a provisional government of Negros through an act signed by 45 prominent Negrenses, headed by Lacson and Araneta. On November 26, the provisional government adopted a constitution, which established a federal form of government. Elected to the executive positions were: Lacson, president; Araneta, secretary of war; Antonio Jaime, secretary of justice; Simon Lizares, secretary of the interior; Eusebio Luzuriaga, secretary of finance; Nicolas Golez, secretary of fomento, and Agustin Amenabar, secretary of agriculture. Their election was followed by those of members of the legislative assembly on December 19, 1898. The assembly was inaugurated on the same day, with Jose Luzuriaga as the presiding officer.

Demy P. Sonza, in his book, Visayan Fighters for Freedom, narrates the fate of the Negros struggle during the Filipino-American War:

“…When the Americans came to Negros after the fall of Ilo-ilo in February 1899, General Lacson and his leaders had a conference with General Marcus P. Miller. The Negrenses decided to collaborate with the Americans for two reasons: first, they knew it was futile to fight against America, and second, the leaders being all rich and landed people, did not want their sugar estates to suffer from the ravages of war. General Otis readily accepted their offer for cooperation and on March 4, 1899, General James F. Smith came with a battalion of the California Volunteers to occupy Bacolod. Except for the sporadic harassing activities of the fanatic “Papa Isio” in the southern towns, peace came to Negros.”

The American governor-general, William Howard Taft, appointed Lacson as governor of Negros. Lacson, however, declined the appointment. He preferred to concentrate on his business and the management of his sugar plantation.

He was married to Rosario Araneta with whom he had eight children: Jesusa, Carmen, Enrique, Perfecta, Isaac, Mariano, Aniceto Jr., and Dominador.

Lacson died in Talisay on February 3, 1931, and was buried in his hometown of Molo, Iloilo.

References:

Gwekoh, Sol H. “Hall of Fame: Negros rebel government head”, The Manila Times
February 7, 1961, unpaged, NHI copy.
Sonza, Demy P. Illustrious Ilonggos. Volume I. n.p.: Iloilo Provincial Historical
Committee, 1972.
____________. Visayan Fighters for Freedom. Iloilo City: Agustin Sonza and Sons,
1962.

Now, the question is—is General Aniceto Lacson and Alex Lacson, related by blood?

Google Alex Lacson’s name and you’ll find that he hails from Negros Occidental, the same place where General Aniceto Lacson was born. However, I asked Kay Abella of Meralco, a good friend of Alex Lacson’s wife Pia and she told me that Alex hails from Kabangkalan, Negros Occidental, and comes from a poor family.

Another question—where did the Lacson family got their surnames? According to my research, Chinese mestizos adopted the surname “Lacson” or “Laczon” after the Claveria edict of 1849. So, Alex Lacson descended from the Chinese mestizo bloodline.

Okey, so now we know that Alex Lacson is probably a descendant of a great Filipino revolutionary and martyr based in Negros Occidental. Or, probably a far descendant.

Now, is Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson even related to Alex Lacson? Based on my research, the nationalist senator was born in Imus, Cavite, about a thousand kilometers away from Negros. Ping was born of humble beginnings. He was raised by his father, a farmer.

What is certain is this–since they both use the surnames “Lacson”, they probably belong to the Chinese mestizo stock, especially Ping Lacson since Sangley Point in Cavite was once a port where Chinese merchants use to trade their wares with Filipinos. As I said, the surname “Lacson” or “Laczon” came from Chinese mestizos.

So, what are the twelve little things about Atty. ALEX LACSON that as A RESPONSIBLE VOTER, you need to know:

1. Atty. Alex Lacson, as I said, hails from Negros Occidental, the same place where General Aniceto Lacson was born and the place where the revolution of 1898 had its victories against the Spaniards.

2. Atty. Alex Lacson, however, is not as rich as General Aniceto Lacson’s family who owns large tracts of land in Negros. He is not a haciendero. In fact, it is safe to say that his family works for a haciendero before.

3. However, both Alex Lacson and General Aniceto Lacson share the same desire—to create and build a society of freedom-loving Filipinos. Both are passionate about their causes and both love their Motherland.

4. Yet, since Alex uses the surname “Lacson”, he is probably a great descendant of the first Chinese mestizos here in the country, the same brood which claims as their illustrious sons, Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Mayor Arsenio Lacson. Alex Lacson is a descendant of a great and patriotic clan.

5. Alex Lacson is famous for writing a book called “Twelve Little Things Every Filipino Can do for his country”, a small orange colored book, now on its eight publication. Lacson wrote this book as a response to the call of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the height of the post-EDSA dos event. Many people were inspired while some, including my good old friend Marck Rimorin, wrote a derisive poem about it.

6. Alex Lacson graduated from the University of the Philippines in Diliman. He is a lawyer by profession. He also did post-graduate studies at Harvard University.

7. Alex Lacson has never worked for government. He is best known for taking indigent cases and fighting for the rights of farmers, fisherfolk and the poor.

8. Alex Lacson, for those who attended 1988 up to 1992 at the University of the Philippines in Diliman is a former student leader. He was elected to the University Student Council (USC) as Councilor and co-founded Independent Student Alliance (ISA), an offshoot from Samasa.

9. Alex Lacson is a classmate of Atty. Argee Guevarra at the UP College of Law. They are close friends, according to Atty. Trixie Angeles.

10. Alex Lacson likes to eat monggo, rice and tuyo when we were in college. We use to eat at the bus stop right infront of Narra dormitory inside the UP campus. For breakfast, we eat rice plus fried egg with tomatoes. For lunch, we eat rice plus some soup and tuyo. For dinner, as usual, monggo, rice and tuyo (sometimes if we have money, pork chop. Pork chops are luxury. Ask Ely Buendia of Eraserheads, fellow dorm mate).

11. Alex Lacson likes to jog around the UP quandrangle and circle, especially when he’s tensed or when he wants to unload something. I once ran with him and could not keep up with him. He’s an excellent jogger.

12. Alex Lacson loves to buy books, particularly discounted ones. When he sees a book that is worth his while, he buys it despite having just a few pesos in his pocket. When he was working for the Melo Commission, he asked me if he can borrow some of my books, especially Coup d’etat by Edward Luttwark. He never returned it to me. Also, if I remember, some of my Marxist books and history books. Anyway, its not that I wanted it back, I bought them cheap also, hehehe. . I love buying books with their prices slashed by 80%. Common haunts were: UP Main library, law library and of course, who could forget? That little bookstore in Dorotea Jose in Manila (now in Timog Avenue).

Oh, before I forget, I usually shun reading “tear-jerkers” or books like what Henry Thoreau wrote, what with that chapter called “The Pond”? But he made me read it. Until now, I still have that book, what’s the title? Thoreau’s “Walden”.

That’s why when I read his Twelve Little Things book, I suddenly remembered “Walden”.

To those who want change.
To those who want new faces, with new ideas.
To those who want honest people in government.
Make that change.
Vote Alex Lacson. Tell your friends about him, tell your loved ones, your mother and urge your sons and daughters.

Time to make a change. Time to elect good and competent people.

Vote for Alternative Leaders. Vote Alex Lacson.

Here’s a photo of Ariel Bocobo, great guy, great columnist, great mind of our century. From left: Art Borjal, Isagani Yambot, Cornelio de Guzman, Nereo Andolong, Ben F. Rodriguez, Senate President Gil J. Puyat, Ariel Bocobo, Vito Barcelo,Sr., Primitivo Mijares and Jacobo Clave. I was fortunate enough to meet and be friends with some of them, including Mang Ben Rodriguez, formerly Editor-in-Chief of Manila Bulletin. It was under his management that I wrote for Manila Bulletin.

To Leslie my friend, be strong and always remember that you had a great guy for a father. We will miss him.

Teofisto Guingona III

Bukidnon Representative Teofisto “TG” Guingona III reacted strongly to the statement issued by a Palace spokesman as Malacanang justified its decision to create an independent commission to oversee the dismantling of private armies in the country.  

Presidential spokesman Gary Olivar said in an interview that private armies have existed for decades and that the administration had exercised political will in creating the commission.

Guingona III laughed off Olivar’s statement, asking if these private armies have been in the country for decades and if they could be addressed by existing laws, why, then, are they still around.

“The answer, Mr.. Olivar, is because we did not want to enforce these laws and dismantle these armies. If those in power did not benefit from private armies, would they continue to exist?,” asked Guingona.

The solon cited the rise of the Ampatuan warlord clan who ruled Maguindanao after ensuring the victory of GMA in the last two elections.

“The Arroyo Administration has allowed private armies to exist in violation of the law because supporting local warlords has enabled it to stay in power. Only the rule of law within a functioning democracy can rid us permanently of private armies,”  Guingona said.

” Not guilty”

This is the plea entered by Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. to the 41 charges filed against him and his cohorts today in the celebrated Maguindanao massacre case. Today was the first day of the trial in the Maguindanao massacre.

Andal Jr. arrived at the trial site in Camp Crame at around 6:30 in the morning. He came with a group of security men. More than 400 cops and confidential NBI agents secured the entire area.

As described by one of my journalist friends who witnessed the trial inside the Camp Crame club convention room, Andal Jr. was accompanied by his lawyers led by Atty. Siegfried Fortun. The suspected serial mass murder seemed bored.

The Court read the forty first charges one by one, but at the third reading, Atty. Fortun stood up and entered a “not guilty plea” in all of the 41 charges against him.

Fortun then entered a petition for bail. He also asked the Court for a preliminary conference to expedite the bail hearing. The DOJ opposed it.

Then one of the counsels of the victims, Atty. Harry Roque, moved that the accused be transferred from the NBI jail to the Quezon City jail, since the accused has already been subjected to the jurisdiction of the court when he entered his plea. And since he is now under the court’s jurisdiction, he can now be transferred to the jail.

Judge Reyes accepted the motion and noted it. A formal petition for transfer should be filed by Roque.

The next day of the trial will be Tuesday of next week.

This is too much already.It shows that government is totally helpless and inutile.

Government should scrap the oil deregulation law or at least review the law to prevent collusion between unscrupulous energy officials and top executives of these oil firms.

How in the world would jeepney drivers cope with higher diesel prices like this?

Giant oil firms just raised diesel prices to about 33-34 pesos per liter today. This is just in Metro Manila. In the provinces, diesel prices are now hovering between 38-40 per liter.

Yet, if you check the Singapore crude oil price index, you’ll notice that diesel prices should actually be lower by 8 pesos.

Government knows this. Yet, government is doing nothing. Nothing, absolutely nothing.

Meaning, government is totally inutile.

This government deserves our hate. And I must say that one of my resolutions is not to attack this government, but this is too much.

How will jeepney drivers cope with this with a 7.50 fare? And how will private motorists cope with a 33/liter pump price?

The collusion between giant oil firms and Energy officials is really one of the things which People should militate about.

People should rise up from their seats and show this government that enough is enough. The economic situation is really damning. It is really very serious to merit our extreme attention.

Andal Ampatuan, friend of the palace, being escorted by Presidential adviser

And do you know the reason why almost everybody with a criminal mind flaunts the law everytime? Because many Filipinos, especially those with wealth see the criminal justice system like what the CIDG chief sees it—a system without any system.

Our “justice system” is a system without justice. If you violated the system and you are wealthy, you can enjoy the “perks” while in jail. But, if you violated the system and you are poor, no perks at all. Fact is, you’ll be the resident chuwawah, the lowest of the low, of the brigada.

What’s the reason why civilized societies created the very concept of “incarceration”? It is to prevent the prisoner from enjoying certain liberties, one such liberty is communication with the outside world. How in the world would this mass murderer even differentiate that of being jailed and that of being outside the cell when he can actually enjoy the perks he had when he was a free man inside the supposed “detention cell”?

Yet, for the chief of the Criminal Investigation Division, nothing wrong with allowing a serial killer, the mastermind of the most gruesome crime ever committed in the history of this country, living la vida loca inside jail.

Nothing wrong with a mass murderer, a friend of the palace, as what former spokesperson Lorelie Fajardo described him, enjoying sumptuous catered food and calling his amigas and amigos while slumped in an air-conditioned cell.

And absolutely no wrong with allowing Andal Ampatuan Jr., the most vicious drug lord and warlord of Maguindanao, living the high life inside the jail. This is not, actually, something new.

Jaloslos, convicted child rapist, had his own resort carved out of Muntinlupa.

High profile inmates such as the killers of a UP student, enjoy spending time gaming and Facebook-ing, inside their kubols in Muntinlupa.

And who will forget Calauan mayor Armand Sanchez, whose kubol can be likened to a medium-rise condotel?

Laws are supposed to be applied equally. Justice is supposed to be blind in this country. And the scales are supposed to be “balanced” in favor of the truth and of laws.

Here, the scales of justice precariously tilt in favor of the one heavier with gold coins.

Susan Ople fights for OFWs and local workers

The thing I like the most about Susan “Toots” Ople is this—despite her hectic schedule as an official Senatorial candidate of the Nacionalista Party, she does not forget her basic advocacy–helping distressed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). She still heads the Blas F. Ople Labor Policy Center, a place dedicated to the advancement of Filipino workers’ rights.

When informed that the Saudi government is giving away pardons for foreign detainees, Ople immediately acted and called upon the Philippine government, especially the Department of Foreign Affairs, to activate its legal teams and ask that the Saudi government consider giving pardons to “overstaying” Filipino detainees and those on “death row”. One OFW, Don Lanuza, is still languishing in the Saudi jail and his family is suffering from tremendous financial woes. Ople is helping him, along with hundreds of other Filipinos jailed for both petty and serious crimes.

There is another detainee, much like the same experienced by another OFW, whose sentence was just for one year but has been staying in jail for more than two years now.

In one of my conversations with Toots Ople, one of the problems she sees is the lack of adequate personnel of the DFA. In various consulates and embassies we have abroad, there is but 1 to 1,000 OFWs ratio. ” We need to bolster the ranks of our professional foreign affairs personnel posted abroad, otherwise, cases involving Filipinos will rot and will not be attended to”, says Ople.

Ople is trying her darnest best to help our embassies and consulates but the Center has limited resources. People, like me, who knows the real situation abroad (I’m an ex-OFW), supports Ople because we know that she will definitely help a lot in crafting laws to benefit OFWs, local workers and their families.

By the way, tomorrow, I’ll be launching online “OT sa Pagbabago, OT sa Manggagawang Pilipino”, an online effort to help Ople reach her dream of continuing the legacy left by her father, former Senator Blas F. Ople. “OT” means “Overtime Tayo”. Or, it also means “Ople Tayo”.