What's new?

That's the usual greeting inquiry of Mr. Demetrio Larena III when we meet and that has encouraged me to consistently focus on becoming better than yesterday. He has a point since when one's reply is "muras gihapon" (the same) such can be an admission of being stagnant with no change for the better. That is also one question victorious Manny Pacquiao can ask each one of us. Some proposed possible answers are as follows:

Elections will be held next year. After all the talk up to the level of the Council of State and the millions of public funds expensed, the proposal for the postponement of the national elections is now slowly being turned down and the voting citizens may after all be given the opportunity to translate into actuality the changing of our minds about some of our leaders. The move toward holding national elections further makes the "cleaning" of the Commission of Elections an imperative and the appointment of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. as Presidential Adviser on Electoral Reforms is a light in the tunnel.

However, the comment of Chairman Benjamin Abalos, "[Davide's] appointment is most welcome and we're definitely going to submit [to him] our recommendations concerning electoral reforms" indicates that the light

is the head light of the train coming toward Justice Davide considering that the change should start with replacing the Chairman himself.

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The recovered Marcos loot is again gone and questions are being raised to get an understanding of the investments made in relation to allegations of poor stewardship upon those who in the first place did not think they were stewards.

Worst is the case of public officials who now have to learn the basic principle of accountability and valedictorian of this class is the P728 million fertilizer fund disbursed by former Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante. Considering accountability anent to command responsibility of our President who is the chief executive, more questions are now being asked.

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In the local scene, Silliman University's Speech and Theater Arts Department will be presenting the story of Pinocchio by Carlo Colladi with music by Jim Eiler and Jeanne Bargy this coming March 4. "The lessons Pinocchio (as well as everyone) needs to learn are simple: go to school, behave yourself, be brave, don't tell lies, learn right from wrong, and you too can be a real boy or girl. It's a morality tale to warm a parent's heart."

To end, here is what's new on the jokes I want to share in the attempt to make you smile. A husband was in big trouble when he forgot his wedding anniversary. His wife told him "Tomorrow there better be something in the driveway for me that goes zero to 200 in 2 seconds flat".

The next morning the wife found a small package in the driveway. She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale. The husband is recuperating from a fractured leg at the hospital.*