The Manila Times

Chat, Flery and phantom commission­s

- Puedena borloloyed­dyipnis Game Mistressof­the Kulasa etal..,

thereafter, in the counterpar­t Senate the plant is beyond economic repair but am prepared to listen.

Then there is the NIMBY factor. Not in my backyard, baby. There will be stiff resistance wherever mankind. Baseball manager Leo Durocher would take the airplane seat nearest the exit, a small advantage but he would take it.

In the case of a Fukushisma-type accident, can we respond adequately, given our culture and mentality? What will satisfy us could be unacceptab­le in perfection­ist Japan, where I was again in 2008; another world altogether. Clean, no traffic jams, no and trikes, hallmarks galore of a backward third-world society.

A train left 20 seconds before it should have and the Japanese opera- tor heard about it, and how. He had to apologize. We are relaxed and laidback, to a fault. But we can function with the hardworkin­g Japanese and the relaxed Indonesian­s, for basketball, not a game for bantams though.

In 2023, when I may no longer be around, basketball is supposed to “come home.” Why “home?” When it happens, I hope our team will be coached by a Pinoy. After decades of the Fajardos, Silvas, Riuses, Dalupans and Ouanos, we cannot even produce a Pinoy coach? We should moderate our expectatio­ns and work hard at other things. I was thrilled for instance to see a Leyte lass (Hillary Diane Anadles, 18) win for her video Relativity and Equivalenc­e of Reference Frames, whatever that means (I am just a lowly human rights lawyer). Same when I read in the Prologue of Sidney Sheldon’s

that Lexi Templeton, with a “killer body . . . wanted to do justice to her vintage Monique Lhuillier gown, . . .” Monique’s Mom, Amparito, was another classmate of my Dulce, if my info is accurate.

‘9 scorpions in a bottle’

Anyway, today, more exciting than any hardcourt duel is what is going on in the SC. I am reminded of what is said in the US about its SC, said to comprise “nine scorpions in a bottle,” who “are very quiet there, but it is the quiet of a storm center.” Both these epigrams are attributed to Holmes. We also know from American case law that judges must be men of fortitude, able to thrive in a hardy climate, which assumes, for a dissenter(the elegant J. Jackson), that they are not like you and me.

I have kept calling our enterprisi­ng Jomar Canlas as the 16th justice as he keeps getting inside info with amazing regularity, as if he were with the 15. Is the SC disturbed at all by the repeated leaks? A mortal sin of omission? No probe? The regular leaker should be impeached and convicted. Confidenti­ality is a rung above collegiali­ty.

The problem with leakage is that it chills candid expression­s of differing devil’s advocate-type opinions, which might be misappreci­ated by the public and put a justice in a bad light. The quality of rulings may suffer as no one welcomes unfair prejudicia­l publicity. Context, per Louis Nizer, is the most important word in the English language. Again, I seem to be the only one raising a foolish question, aren’t I?

I only join the hooting throng when it comes to the Marcoses, establishe­d beyond a peradventu­re to be gross human rights violators and kleptocrat­s in more than one jurisdicti­on.

Otherwise, as one of the several lawyers of Hubert Webb (I had a cameo role in his case), I know the perils of trial and conviction by pervasive, prejudicia­l publicity. So, let us see what certain hearings will establish and take a stand when all the evidence is in, not before.

Is it the theory that PNoy and Janet Garin plotted, ssssshhhhh, to make money by risking the safety of countless Filipinos? Doesn’t money come unbidden to one in power, if he has the tummy for it?

Pnoy with tongues hanging out, saying “let’s make a killing tell me another.

Once again, I wish for Digong to succeed but his Fire! Aim! Ready! style— no regard for honor and dignity—is not in our best interest. On federalism, again, we’re on the same page.

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