The Pinoy is worth drowning for

PERRYSCOPE
Perry Diaz

In two days of torrential rain, Typhoon Ondoy transformed the land of Wow Wow Wee to the land of Wah Wah Wee. Ondoy also brought out the best and the worst in Pinoys.

Rod Cantiveros’ Filipino Journal of Canada raised more than $12,000 during a 3-hour remote broadcast by HOT 103 FM. And another group, FILCAN Disaster Relief Fund, raised another $55,000.

Rey, a resident of Provident Village in Marikina, got a call from his brother who was already on the roof of his house. Rey went to a store in Makati and bought a motorized boat for more than P100,000. He put the boat on his truck. When he arrived in Provident Village, people were screaming from the rooftops of their homes. Rey started his own rescue operation. Meanwhile, the government was holding a press conference announcing that they couldn’t get into Provident Village because the currents were too strong for them!! Tell that to Rey.

Marikina, known for manufacturing the best “Italian shoes” in the world, almost lost its most treasured collection -- Imelda Marcos’ shoes. The Marikina Shoe Museum was flooded and the staff scrambled to save 800 pairs of Imelda’s shoes. All but 100 were saved.

The Catholic bishops said that they’re cautious about receiving donations that might come from the jueteng lords. Well, the bishops should look at it this way: What the jueteng lords giveth, the Lord’s flock taketh.

On Sept. 29, President Arroyo ordered that only foreign donations coursed through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will be tax-free. Whoa! Instantly, an entry in a blogsite says that the Customs Bureau is “holding hostage numerous boxes of relief goods from all over the world demanding exorbitant taxes for them. They are saying that unless certain duties are paid they won't be released. They are only exempting relief goods sent directly to DSWD.” Yeah, what the good donors giveth, the customs agents keepeth.

My friend Sluggo Rigor commented: “nakakawalang gana tumulong kung ang gobiyerno ay indifferent. Taxes for relief goods? No wonder the Philippines is now known as the Land of Wowowee! because wonders never cease!” That was then, Sluggo. Now, it’s called the land of Wah Wah Wee!

During a Wowowee show, host Willie Revillame was challenged by the audience to donate to the typhoon victims. Hesitatingly, he pledged one million pesos. Well, I’ve seen people “pledge” money in front of television before. Let’s see if Willie would write a check for one million pesos in his next show. Like they say, “put your money where your mouth is.”

Good news and bad news… The good news was: The Office of the President has a contingency fund of P800 million. The bad news was: The Commission on Audit reported that President Gloria Arroyo has spent all of it for her foreign junkets. That’s on top of the more than P1 billion budget for her official travels. That makes Gloria the president of the land of “Woe Is Me.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Miriam filed two legislative bills — totaling P10 billion — to “fund relief operations, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of areas devastated by Typhoon Ondoy.” That’s great! But pleeeeze don’t let Gloria dip her hands into the jar again.

And while the torrential rain was pouring, some stupid government officials ordered the release of water from dams near Metro Manila; thus, contributing the massive flooding in the Marikina Valley. These idiots ought to be shot!

And the worst news was: The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) has only six rubber boats for rescue operations. Holy goat! There were four million people on rooftops and clinging on anything above water to stay alive! And NDCC Chairman Gibo Teodoro wants to be the next president? Wah wah!

And in an act of “overreaction,” President Arroyo issued Proclamation 1898 placing the entire country under a “state of calamity” which she might extend to a year. Oh yeah, a nationwide “state of calamity” until the end of her term in June 2010? The monsoon ends in November this year! Smells fishy to me. I wonder what Gloria has been up to again?

But several opposition senators smell a different kind of fish. They questioned why the entire nation was placed under a state of calamity when not all areas were affected by tropical storms. They’re concerned that Gloria and her political allies would use the disaster funds for something else. Can’t blame them. Gloria needs the funds to make her “manok” win the presidential elections next year.

Meanwhile, First Son Mikey Arroyo is still smarting over a Facebook photo entry which showed him allegedly shopping for liquor at Rustan’s supermarket while Ondoy was flooding Metro Manila. Now, he wanted to regulate Facebook. With 250 million members worldwide, regulating Facebook could be problematic for someone who wants to be president someday. What? President Mikey Arroyo? Wah wah!

Honestly, there is nothing wrong with Mikey buying liquor in the midst of a tropical storm. If Mikey believes that the Pinoy is worth drinking for, so be it. Meanwhile, lots of Pinoys -- like Rey -- were out there risking their own lives in the floods saving the lives of their kababayans. Yes, the Pinoy is worth drowning for!
(PerryDiaz@gmail. com)