Below the Line
The bridesmaids ‘Ondoy’ and ‘Pepeng’
Noynoy topped latest SWS polls at 60 percent. The other presidential wannabes scored 70 percent (Villar 37 percent, Erap 18 percent, Chiz 15 percent) for a total 130 percent response! Then there was another 33 percent for non-presidential hopefuls (Noli 8 percent, Loren 5 percent, Gibo 2 percent, Binay 2 percent, Bayani 1 percent, Villanueva 1 percent, No Answer 6 percent, “None of the Above” 4 percent). Meaning 163 percent responded. Dagdag-bawas in poll surveys?
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DIPLOMATIC NOTES. PGMA canceled her travel date to Zaragosa to receive the Premio Cervantes from King Juan Carlos on Dia de la Hispanidad, Oct. 12, Spain’s national day. No more habla mucho, travel or 3-star dinners. Prioritize typhoon victims.
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She canceled another invitation and would miss the unveiling of the 3x5 meter Manuel Baldemor mosaic at the St. Therese cathedral in Lisieux, France, on Sunday, 18 October. Fr. Gil Apuli led the Paris Filipino chaplaincy and pilgrims in realizing this gift of devotion to the Little Flower.
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SOME GOOD TURNS. US forces arrived in RP ahead of the Phiblex exercise to assist calamity victims. They brought helicopters and dinghy rubber boats, and cleared landslides, rescued stranded families and rendered medical services. Before the war games begin, they have already won hearts and minds. We like this kind of VFA.
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Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou directed his Taiwan Economic and Cultural Offices (the equivalent of embassies) to skip the “Double 10” national day celebrations to save the money for Morakot victims. Manila TECO Representative Donald Lee went one step further and turned over $50,000 plus C10,000 worth of aid for victims of Ondoy and Pepeng.
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The "Wedding of the Year" was downsized in the spirit of the times. Vice presidential candidate Sen. Mar Roxas and his fiancée, broadcast journalist Korina Sanchez, will donate the P2,000,000 budget for their reception to the Red Cross and their favorite charities.
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The wedding march is on 27 October at Sto. Domingo church. Her bridesmaids are ‘Ondoy’ and ‘Pepeng.’ Please omit gifts: Make checks payable to flood victims.
Coaching from the bleachers: Go on with the Araneta coliseum reception, and charge admission to donate to charity. Since they are celebs, it would be a sell-out equal to an Ateneo-La Salle match.
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Ondoy and Pepeng may have tempered their wedding bash, but we wish Mar and Korina a stormy honeymoon!
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MISCELLANY. Rev. Sun Myung Moon solemnized the wedding of tens of thousands at the Unification Church in Seoul, South Korea. Unlike our starry-eyed couple, the mass wedding pairs were all moonstruck.
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Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado decried a Malacañang official who refused to accept checks worth more than P1.217 million unless they were re-issued to DSWD. If he only knew how tough it is to part a Boholano and his gold, the bureaucrat would been quicker in accepting the donations.
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NEWSBRIEFS. Emergency summit on Laguna Lake pushed. Aren’t you headed in the wrong direction? Instead of climbing the summit, go to the depth of the lake. Maybe, we will get to the bottom of the problem.
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QC seeks one-year moratorium on school fees. What about the schools which got flooded? The homeless teachers?
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Evacuees with nowhere to go refuse to vacate schoolrooms. Not my idea of adult education.
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No place to relocate all squatters, says MMDA. What Mayor wants to lose his voters? Feedback: jaz@mb.com.ph


