Gloria to meet Lilibet

The country's best bet in shooting at the Southeast Asian Games failed to make any mark, literally and figuratively, during the competition because his gun malfunctioned. At the moment of truth, Nathaniel “Tac” Padilla pulled the trigger but his gun wouldn't fire. And there went another hope of RP to get a medal at the ongoing SEAG in Thailand . Where did the gun come from, by the way? Not the same factory where they make those helicopters being sent to our military?

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Padilla could not control his tears when the instrument he had been banking on to help him win failed him. He was quoted as saying that he had practised so hard. Another reason why it hurt him so much was that, in his practice, he had managed to break the standing record for the event in the SEAG. His heart may be broken, but his friends should console him that, at least, he is still around. Remember the story about our soldiers whose guns did not fire in Basilan while they were fighting with the Abu Sayyaf? Eleven of them were killed, and their bodies desecrated.

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President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo left Saturday night for France , Spain and the United Kingdom . Footages showed her departing with the first gentleman beside her. I did not see any of the other members of the delegation, but I hear it was quite a big one, bigger than those in recent trips. A friend asked me why I was not on that trip. Nobody invited me, I said. Maybe to console me, my friend said that he thinks the selection of those who were taken along was based on the fact that they might blab too much if left behind, so they had to be “invited” so they can be watched.

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President Arroyo will meet Queen Elizabeth, reports said. Former first lady Imelda Marcos must be gnashing her teeth in envy. When her family was in power, it was said that her greatest dream was to have a tête-à-tête with the British monarch, maybe even strike a match between her daughter and Prince Charles, who was still a bachelor then. How much more frustrated Meldy will be if GMA tells her that the Queen sent her regards, and that they call each other “Lilibet” and “Glo” already.

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Who will pay for the Peninsula damage? Can the hotel file charges against Senator Antonio Trillanes and General Danilo Lim for the broken door, the gouged out flooring and other destruction left by the assault? But everybody saw that it was a tank (or whatever it is called) that had rammed itself into the building, and the renegades has no tanks with them. So who's gonna pay for the repairs? The hotel management has announced with admirable bravatura that it's nothing, they will be open for business again on December 8. I hope the people of Makati will patronize them, to make up for their big losses.

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Speaking of Makati , its mayor, Jejomar Binay, expressed some displeasure at the act of the attack dogs of Generals Hermogenes Esperon and Geary Barias in not coordinating with the Makati police, or even notifying him about the happening, being the chief executive of the city. I heard him say it would have been very easy for the officers to call him on the phone to let him know. I suppose he just wanted to hear either of them ring him and say “Hello Jojo! Hello Jojo!”

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Perhaps many Bacoleños and Negrenses do not know this anymore since he has been living away for so long, but Bishop Emeritus Julio Labayen of Infanta, Quezon, the prelate who joined Senator Antonio Trillanes, Gen. Danilo Lim and former senator and vice president Teofisto Guingona in the Peninsula stand-off, is a native of Bacolod City . The monsignor still has many relatives here. Although he also underwent “processing”, he was released later because he is already 81. If you want to do something and get away with it, turn to the minors and the elderly. They enjoy impunity in this country.*

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