By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA
Just heard my hard hitting veteran radio commentator friend Ruel Camba opining that Secretaries Proceso Alcala and Dinky Soliman should be insulted after President Aquino awarded recently a Labrador K-9 for meritorious service on its role in the Coast Guard’s search and rescue operations in Bohol that was bellied-up by a killer earthquake last year.
"Mas mabuti pa ang aso may award!" Ruel, the Joseph Goebbels at the P.I.O during the three termed Governor Victor Agbayani Administration, pounded his radio booth at DWPR.
"Mas mabuti pa ang aso may award!" Ruel, the Joseph Goebbels at the P.I.O during the three termed Governor Victor Agbayani Administration, pounded his radio booth at DWPR.
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| Ambassador Amadito Perez, Jr. with his 100% unadulterated steel made cane that acted, he said, as his third foot. The veteran politician is in a huddle with (L-R) former Congressman Mark Cojuangco, former Binalonan Mayor Monching Guico, Pozzurobio Mayor Art Chan, Sison Mayor Mina Joy Pangasinan, and Villasis Mayor Nonato Abrenic |
Here's my funny experience with K-9 in 2011. A fellow media man who only finished high school (we in the media industry do not have a Philippine Regulatory Commission to police us who can practice and those who cannot with our profession) brought and patched me with the Superintendent of the Department of Education who mulled to sue me with libel. Here is the conversation that ensued in that office:
MEDIA MAN: Maam ano ang pinagkaka-abalahan ninyo ngayon sa Dep Ed? SUPERINTENDENT: Ito, busy kami ngayon sa K-12. MEDIA MAN (surprised) K-12? ha, ha, ha! Kelan pa pinasukan ng Dep Ed ang mga aso? SUPT : Ikaw talaga, Carding (not his real name) hindi K-9 ang pinagkaka-abalahan namin, K-12 , Kindergarten to Grade 12, kaya K-12. MORTZ: Maam, pasensiya na kayo kay Carding, accidental media lang ho iyan. Noong inutusan ng nanay niya na bumili ng suka nakasalubong niya sila Tony Text Back and Dennis Mojares na pinasama siya sa interview sa mayor, kaya hayon nakatikim ng sobre nag media na!
***
Although he seldoms cracked jokes, but whenever former congressman and incumbent de facto Ambassador Amadito Perez, Jr. pulls one it was hilarious.
In the extended birthday party celebration he tendered to gubernatorial aspirant Mark Cojuangco at the Urdaneta City University’s gym last October 12, Perez, an octogenarian and still a rumored Casanova, told the politician guests and visitors how times fly:
“May baston na ako ngayon. Sabi ko sa mga kaibigan ko na ang ikatatlong pa-a ko ay gawa sa bakal. Ang hindi alam ng iba na meron pa akong ika-apat na pa-a na pinagawa ko na rin sa bakal”.
Ha, ha, ha!
***
The first time Perez jested with me was after the 2010 election when his son Bobom defeated in an acrimonious contest his Vice Mayor Julio “Julie” Parayno who ran too for the mayoralty.
Here’s the excerpt of that banter that I wrote in 2010 at my Northern Watch’s column:
“What legacies are you leaving in your city that you’re now retiring for good after being in public office since the late 1950s?” I posed in English to an English speaking hizzoner.
“I would not answer that question. That would be self-serving on my part,” he told me.
Then Vir (Maganes, fellow columnist at NW) asked him about the significant margin of votes his son Bobom got against his bitter mayoral rival and critic Parayno.
After Perez, a last term mayor during that time finished talking, Vir asked me to shoot my second question.
Still unprepared, I shot a naughty one:
“Sir, is it true that Julie committed suicide — since he was telling everybody that he would win hands down in the mayoral derby?”
Perez was taken aback and then he smiled.
“Oh yes, Julie not only committed suicide. He even invited Ninoy (Angeles) and Ed (Ferrer) (Julie’s media PR and Perez’s harsh critics, too) to simultaneously put a noose on their neck and simultaneously jump from the chair where their feet stood. Pero matibay si Julie, ayaw mamatay-matay. Buhay pa rin hangang ngayon. Pero si Ed at si Ninoy ay sabay na nanga-matay”.
I had a guffaw to that antics complement of the irrepressible Mayor Perez.
