Watching pirated DVD movies in Malacañang

There was a bomb blast in Makati the other day that exploded in a secluded area that didn’t hurt anyone, but two days later, another bomb blast struck Taguig City, this time killing 4 people. While the police investigators now know that the bomb used in the Makati blast was an improvised explosive device (IED) using a mortar shell, they are still clueless as to who are the people behind these two bombings. Perhaps the Department of Tourism (DoT) should revise their slogan from “It’s Fun in the Philippines” to “It’s dangerous in the Philippines”… at least we know that’s the truth.

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President PNoy Aquino’s Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Ronald Llamas is once more in the news headlines when he was caught on camera by an Inquirer editor buying pirated DVDs at a shopping mall in Quezon City. Pressured to say something about this incident, Pres. PNoy told reporters that he would have to talk to Llamas before making judgment against him. Come now, couldn’t the President simply call Mr. Llamas on his cellphone and get him to explain his side right away?

One of the big advocacies that the United States Government is vigorously pursuing is film piracy and I’m sure this case sends a sour note to US Ambassador Harry Thomas, a staunch supporter of the Aquino administration. After all, US interests always comes ahead of the interests of their allied countries. One of the biggest revenue earners for the United States is Hollywood, which makes American films that the entire world watches. American film producers lose US$3 billion annually and of course the US government also loses money, so this is important to the US government.

Come to think of it, the Aquino Regime was agog last October 2011 when Optical Media Board Chairman Ronnie Ricketts announced that the Philippines was removed from the US watch list of countries engaged in film piracy according to a 2011 Special 301 Report from the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Perhaps the US fell hook, line and sinker to the Aquino propagandists who claimed that under Ronnie Ricketts there was an intensified anti-piracy campaign nationwide that led to the removal of the Philippines from this watch list.

Just a few days ago, Pres. PNoy fired his own appointee National Bureau of Investigation Director Magtanggol Gatdula supposedly for insubordination and later on for the crime of extortion. To be honest about it, I was planning to write a column today in order to praise the President for the speed in dispatching the NBI Director, but suddenly the Llamas incident came into the picture. It was a wonder for me why he has not fired Llamas for the October incident where his bata-batas were found to have high-powered firearms on his vehicle when they figured in an accident.

I have always said that the reason why we in the Philippines cannot lick the video pirates is due to the reality that even our top PNP officers are the biggest customers of pirated movies. Now Mr. Llamas has upped the ante, they are now watching pirated films inside the Malacañang Palace!

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The issue about the century old trees as you enter the City of Carcar is once more in the news. Now isn’t this something that we talked about many eons ago? Thanks to Imperial Manila, when it comes to infrastructure development for Cebu, under the Aquino Regime, we in Cebu are not given any priority at all. If there was something that Cebuanos liked about former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, it was that Cebu was a priority in her administration when it came to infrastructure development. Let me count the ways in order to remind you.

Whether you believe it or not, the South Road Properties (SRP) could never have taken off if not for Pres. Arroyo. We are not taking away credit from Rep. Tomas Osmeña for his work in the SRP, but if someone up in Malacañang wanted to block that project, it could be blocked. I got this information directly from our dearly departed friend, the late Press Secretary Cerge M. Remonde when we were together in Bangkok during the 15th ASEAN Summit. So the next time Tom Osmeña blows his own horn about the SRP, he should also give credit where credit is due, to GMA.

Remember the Naga-Uling Road? I still remember how GMA came to Cebu to inspect that road and I was present when she blew her top that that road was still unfinished! Then please don’t forget how the South Road from Talisay to Santander was widened and paved, all under GMA. And I hope you remember that the Kansaga Bridge linking Mandaue City to Tayud, Consolacion and to Liloan was constructed under GMA. This was a project that we conceptualized in the RDC during Tita Cory’s time. Now what has the Aquino Regime in store for us in Cebu as far as road projects is concerned? The Aquino Regime is now almost two years and we’re still waiting!

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