Hero or heel

There was a song which we -- me and my contemporaries -- sang in grade school that went: "Don't you go, don't you go to far Zamboanga, where you may forget your darling faraway..."

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The song was "addressed" specially to U.S. soldiers posted in the Philippines during the American regime. Don't go to far Zamboanga where the girls are beautiful and could make any young man forget his loved one at home. This seems to be the message of the song. It was just a song, okay. But it tells about the beauty of Zamboanga and her girls.

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Today Americans are still warned not to go to far Zamboanga not because of the beautiful girls but because of the rebels.

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The job given to Sec. Mar Roxas in Zamboanga could make him either a hero or a heel. Yes, depending on the sentiments of the people judging him, or on which side of the fence people judging him happen to be.

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"Care to Comment" was the title of the pooled editorial of Cebu newspapers in connection with the celebration of this year's Cebu Press Freedom Week.

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Truth to tell, many do care to comment but just as many who care to comment want to remain anonymous. And those requesting anonymity do so after letting go of the seething fire in their system.

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I have received numerous freewheeling commentaries on delicate local and national issues that are shot through with libel. These commentaries usually end with: "Please do not mention my name." Others do not only request the withholding of their name but also dare the editor: "Prove your guts by printing my comment without my name:" I would often prove my guts by ignoring the dare.

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My media colleague Loy Jurado looks down on schoolkids who do not know how to say "thank you" upon receiving anything from good Samaritans. He blames the parents and the teachers.

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I have news for Sir Loy. I recently saw the DSWD handing out packed meals to the Zamboanga evacuees. Many of the kids did not say "Thank you" but, Loy, there was one who said: "Thank you, Mam, love you."

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OVERHEARD. So the plunder changes have already been filed against the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind and some politicians including three senators. Many are asking one another if the mastermind and the senators would be jailed. One man said: "Asa ka jailed. Pinas gud ni." Another man said; "Ayaw mo'g kalimot nga Pinas kini." Still another man also said: "Sa Pinas pobre ray mapriso." Someone has to prove these men wrong about their idea about Pinas.