Are they reviving Cha-cha?

“I'll be home for Christmas” – that must be the song running through the head of rape convict and former congressman Romeo Jalosjos with the reports coming out, allegedly from Malacañang, that he will soon to be granted parole, if not outright pardon by the President. The target date for this is said to be December 16, just in time for him to join the Aguinaldo masses that precede Christmas Day. Like former president Joseph Estrada, Jalosjos is supposed to be eligible for freedom because he has reached the age of 70.

* * *

But there's somebody else who is singing the same song, but with little hope of its coming true for him. This is American Corporal Daniel Smith who has also been convicted of raping a girl from Zamboanga who was in Subic for a holiday with another American friend. Smith, who is only in his twenties, has a long way to go before he becomes 70, and that is why he seems so hopeless. The American ambassador to the Philippines herself has confirmed the longing of Smith, but there isn't much she can do about it. Any hint that he will be allowed to go out of his detention quarters at the embassy will surely bring out the women's groups in full protest.

* * *

Will she, or will she not? Go to Kuwait , that is? The other day it was announced that the President, after her sorties in Spain , London and France , will also go to Kuwait to plead the cause of a Filipina who has been sentenced to death for killing her employer. Then yesterday, reports came out that she was not going, that she will only send Vice President Noli de Castro with a letter of appeal to the Emir. Last night, news on TV said she was definitely going. The family of Marilou Ranario, the convicted teacher-turned-domestic helper, must be in great suspense now about whether or not the President could help her.

* * *

Is it true that the theme song and dance of the junketing solons is the Cha-cha again? Talk is going around that the inclusion in the presidential party was not only a reward for their cooperation in squelching the latest impeachment case against her, but also an opportunity for priming them on the re-launching of the charter change plan that we all thought had been forgotten already. The reward-trip, and the moneybags distributed in the palace recently are said to part of the conditioning for the Cha-cha. Where does this leave Speaker Joe de Venecia?

* * *

What is this we hear about former President Erap being a favorite of the diplomatic corps lately? They say he is being invited everywhere and among those who seek his company are ambassadors of various countries. Maybe President Arroyo should appoint him ambassador to some far-away country. That will keep him busy, and out of mischief, surely. So that anytime there is a coup attempt or some protest against her, fingers will not point to the former movie star and president, who seems to have maintained his following as well as his popularity despite six years of being detained comfortably.

* * *

I fear this will again fall on the deaf ears of our Police Chief and his traffic head, but do they care at all about the way motorists are observing the traffic lights? Yesterday Louie Ledesma narrated that three vehicles were involved in an accident at the Lacson-Bata intersection because a jeepney tried to beat the red light and was hit by another vehicle. Still another vehicle running behind the jeepney could not stop on time, and also hit them. This beating of the red light, or the act of ignoring them is very common in intersection with those lights.

* * *

This column has been nagging the police for a long time now about this, but I have yet to see a policeman looking into the problem even if only at random. If only one of them is sent to each intersection to monitor and apprehend the violators, surely we will see some improvement in driver behavior. But, alas, we hear some announcements, some proposals, but no implementation, not even a bit. Like in that Asian saying, our police also seems to be all tongue and no teeth.*

back to top