blackshama's commentary on Philippine issues

The timeless scene in Robert Bolt's Oscar winning "A Man for All Seasons" is rescripted to reflect today's events Dramatis personae Lei-low of Five - Secretary of Just-tiis Corolla - Chief Supreme of the Supremes PeNoy - The bachelor King (except in the original script, the King had six wives!) Lasherd-ha? - Palace spokesman The curtain opens and the scene is in the Palace dining room. Secretary Lei-low of Five : Stop her! Chief Supreme Corolla : For what? Lei-low of Five : She's dangerous! PeNoy : For all we know she will run away! Lasherd-ha? : Boss, that girl's bad! She's a habitual liar! Chief Supreme Corolla : There's no law against that! PeNoy : There is, God's law! Chief Supreme Corolla : Then let God's immigration officers arrest her! Lei-low of Five: While you talk she's gone to the airport! Chief Surpreme Corolla : And go she should, if she were the Devil herself, until she broke th...

As promised to the readers I went to Mass in Manila Cathedral. Here are some photos from what my environmentalist friends now call as the "Bambi Harper Tree Massacre". Plaza Roma has been cleared of trees. I would agree with Ms Harper, a properly landscaped square would bring it closer to its original essence as a European plaza. In the plazas I have seen in Europe, trees bound the square but the square itself is clear ground. In fairness to Ms Harper, she apologized for the incident. But I honestly believe that she isn't completely off the hook. Since she is head of the Intramuros Administration, the buck really ends up on her office desk. I was relieved to see that the old Ficus was still standing although almost stripped of its branches. If environmentalists did not cry foul then this tree would have ended up as firewood! Note the narra in the foreground (probably planted for Pope John Paul II's visit twelve years ago) has been cut. The contractors that Ms Harper...