‘Which costs more, the grouches on the Senate floor, or the comedians on TV?’

BELEAGUERED Sen. Manuel B. Villar Jr., former Speaker of the House of Representatives, former President of the Senate, called upon his “loyal” allies to circle the wagons. Indeed the allies came, but all they brought were cartwheels. And how they spun their lies.

Instead of facing the charges openly, instead of answering these before peers, Villar kept shouting kangaroo and lynch mob and hanging jury or all of them stitched together. Which is why Juan Ponce Enrile and then Jamby Madrigal called him a “coward”.

Last Tuesday, I enumerated all the acts of obfuscation and stonewalling taken by Manuel B. Villar Jr. from the time the double appropriation for the same road was discovered in the Senate. And in that article, I wondered why Villar did not defend himself even in the face of so grievous a public charge as acting like a “coward”.

And I surmised that Enrile had more up his sleeve. “Is it because Enrile knows more? Is it because an 85-year old ‘enemy’ could do so much damage to a carefully-laid out campaign oozing with indecent billions? Or is it plain and simple cowardice?”

Actually, I was wondering if Enrile would speak up about an incident in the Inagiku of Makati Shangri-la months ago (August 29, 2009), something that he could not contain to himself, and had to unburden to close kin and the closest of friends. There was sadness etched upon the face of the man who had been part and parcel of so much of our contemporary history, one who has seen it all, met them all – all who mattered – as he confided to them.

It was the countenance of one who seemed to have lost all respect for a peer. Little wonder that when push came to shove, he had no trepidation at publicly calling Manuel B. Villar Jr. a “coward”.

And last Tuesday, in a radio interview with Pinky Webb and Ted Failon, the Senate President unburdened himself publicly. He talked about that Inagiku lunch which Manny Villar sought and where Enrile brought a witness, no less than his chief of staff, Atty. Gigi Gonzales-Reyes. I alluded to that meeting when I wrote in last Tuesday’s article about Enrile “knowing more”.

A week after that Inagiku lunch, someone close to the veteran legislator told me about the incident.

The Senate President could not believe what his immediate predecessor was suggesting, to his face. Villar kept repeating “makakatulong ako” like a mantra, after asking his peer if he could come out with a “proper” committee report. And Enrile reminded him that in several previous meetings, he had advised Villar to face the Committee of the Whole, bring as many witnesses as he could muster, and assured him that he would be fair and impartial. Yet Villar snubbed his peers, even if the same Committee of the Whole was precisely in response to his previous accusation that the Panfilo Lacson-chaired Committee on Ethics and Privilege was a “kangaroo” court.

Now, this same man was suggesting something quite indecent. Enrile is running for re-election to the Senate, an enterprise quite costly, and Villar was offering to “help” him, in exchange for a “friendly” committee report? And even after Enrile begged leave of unseemly presence, Villar reiterated his “offer” to the bewildered chief of staff. The effrontery was so insulting, that Enrile had to confide.. Keeping it “in pectore” might have caused his blood pressure to rise unduly.

After the Ted and Pinky interview, Senate reporters grilled Enrile, who recounted his memories of the indecent proposal. Clearly, Enrile had lost all respect for the man who desperately wants the presidency. The man who went to Congress because that was the best way to multiply his millions to billions. And sought the speakership desperately because he wanted to save the billions his bank had lost, and hide his DOSRI loans. And who authored legislation to ensure that banks would be unable to recover either their monies nor get their hands on his mortgaged properties. And multiplied the market value of those properties by proposing, funding and ensuring implementation of zig-zagging roads that would traverse the same, as chair of the Finance Committee and later, as Senate President. And who now terrorizes the competition and mesmerizes the masa with his billions, to seek a presidency which could doubtless multiply those billions to trillions.

But yesterday, another of Villar’s abogadas de campanilla, Miriam Defensor Santiago, hit Enrile for supposedly insulting her “intelligence” . In the course of her “sound and fury signifying nothing”, the senadora from Pototan adverted to an attempt to oust Enrile (The Plot, Malaya, Jan. 19, 2009), and asked why her ninong Johnny “should not emulate Villar by facing the prospect with equanimity, and if necessary, leaving the position with grace”.

Leaving the position with “grace” said she as she elevated Villar to the pantheon of her esteem. When I heard her last Tuesday on television, I knew what to write about for today.

Now let me tell you one more story that Juan Ponce Enrile could not contain to himself. Lest he out-scoop me once more with yet another sordid insight into the character of this man who would be president, I will tell you about what transpired in November of 2008, when Senator Juan Ponce Enrile went to the office of then Senate President Manuel B. Villar Jr. with a resolution signed by thirteen senators, expressing their desire for a change of leadership in the chamber. Rather than have a “bloody” fight on the floor, it has been customary for senators to simply sign a no-confidence resolution against their president, and nominating who they want to replace him.

That “coup” was a masterstroke in stealth, for Villar learned about it only in the morning of that grey November Monday. The resolution was signed by Lacson, Madrigal and Legarda, Roxas and Biazon, Angara, Zubiri and Gordon, plus Revilla, then Gringo, then Jinggoy, then Chiz Escudero, and Enrile. Noynoy abstained because his mom Cory who had a clash with JPE in the tumultuous years of lurking coups, was terminally ill, and he could not add to her anxieties. Miriam played hide-and-sick the Saturday and Sunday before, but at least kept quiet and did not rat on the act.

But Villar seemed quite composed when Enrile entered his chambers. Very corporate. And when Enrile showed him the signed resolution, corporate Villar was crisply transactional, talagang “negociador” . He made “Manong” a proposal. “Magre-resign na lang ako as Senate President, and you take over, with unanimous support (Enrile’s thirteen plus Villar’s captive six, two fence-sitters, Miriam and Lapid, with Noynoy still abstaining). Villar is good at numbers, whether it is counting billions, or counting heads, and when he knows he does not have the numbers, he transacts to get them. When transaction fails, he prevents the numbers from showing up. Amang Rodriguez, long-time president of the NP, would have loved this guy. Villar has mastered his politics of addition.)

“Huwag na lang natin galawin ang committee chairmanships, kusa na akong magre-resign” , Villar coolly segued.

Enrile wondered at the gall. Talo na, humihirit pa. Transaksyon pa rin ang nasa isip. Regaining composure after initial shock at the indecent proposal, Enrile flatly stated, “Hindi ko naman pwedeng pabayaan ang mga sumuporta sa akin. Sorry, Manny”, and walked out of the Senate President’s room that would be his an hour later.

Tuesday evening, after Gilbert Remulla mumbled something about Enrile’s word versus his idol Villar in reaction to what was revealed in the Ted and Pinky show, the transactional guy rued the revelation of the Senate president, and said, ” But looking back, I thought I was dealing with honorable men who would view things fair and impartially. Nagkamali pala ako.”

Fair meaning omerta? Impartial meaning hiding public dirt under the Senate rug? Villar’s cri de coeur sounds very much like his television commercial where he says he has a vision of a society where corruption ceases to be a problem because “hindi na kailangan pang magnakaw”. For ordinary bureaucrats, he envisions higher pay so they will not be tempted. And for leaders like him, is the standard the same? Wow! With his billions upon billions, “hindi na kaya niya kailangang magnakaw”? Now review the Senate Committee of the Whole report and weep. Wait till you learn about Molino, San Pedro, Norzagaray, Daang Hari, Daang Reyna, y otras malas.

Villar is “non-confrontationa l kasi”, Remulla keeps saying. And Villar indeed says it: “Sa akin naman kasi, walang masamang tinapay”. So todo pasa lahat? Magnakaw, hindi masamang tinapay? Behold!…Manuel B. Villar’s Vision of Good Governance.

Wala talagang pinagkaiba kay Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. As transactional as transactional can be. No wonder they got together fine. No wonder she trusts her enough. No wonder he is “her man”.

Todo pasa. Non-confrontational . Walang masamang tinapay. Maski tawagin mong duwag. Maski tawagin mong manunuhol.

And whenever the going gets rough, there are always grouches and the clowns to send in to douse the public fires. Grouches on the Senate floor, verbal bullies who would anger and enrage the other side. And clowns on television, por los pobres. Willie Revillame in Wowowee, and interviews by Michael V. And of course, the King of Comedy, El Dolphy, mismo! Vouching for Villar’s integrity! Nagpapatawa?

Just asking – which costs more, the grouches on the Senate floor, or the comedians on TV?

In every election, the easiest choice to make is, who you would not vote for. This year, it is profoundly difficult because for me the easiest identifiable candidate whom I would not vote for, (aside from Erap of course, for who would vote for a convicted plunderer) is a leading candidate, with the widest of margin in the survey, Noynoy. He probably will be the next president and so, in my heart, I tried my best to consider and reconsider my decision, yet I became more convinced that he is my best choice on whom not to vote for. These are in my thoughts:

He is clean and honest

He really is unblemished, squeaky clean and immaculate.. His record for nine years speaks for himself. I am reminded of a friend of mine, a cocky but very articulate and bright Solicitor General. At a certain time before he started winning his cases, his critics had a heyday criticizing the way he handled his job. They said, he had a perfect record of losing all cases. Thus, his record was clean and unblemished of victory. Like this solicitor general,  Noynoy has also  no record of dishonesty simply because he has no record of accomplishment at all. He was one of the prominent members of the committee of silence. I goggled his name to find out if, except for his name, there was anything he did that he should be proud of. I am sorry that I found nothing. It is time he reveals what he had done in congress for nine years, plus two years in the senate, to deserve the presidency. When he ran for Senate, he simply relied on his family name and the endorsement of his mother. Being in the Senate with no accomplishment will not hurt the nation except the wasted money paid to him as a public servant. But to be president and not knowing what to do is probably as disastrous as a corrupt president.

He comes from a good stock

A prominent columnist of the Inquirer believes that since hero’s blood runs in his veins, he is a natural hero and would do nothing to shame the good name. The prominent columnist also said that what we need is a good heart and correct values and Noynoy fits to the T. Of course heritage is a plus factor but unfortunately, this is no assurance that he too will be as upright as his parents. We do not have to look far. Look at his sister. She even gloated and flaunted her sexual indiscretions and gave press interviews of her indecent acts, in spite of the fact that at that time, her dear mother was very much alive. She fueled salacious gossip about her sexual escapades that she grabbed the headlines for days of the local papers. Not only that. She proudly proclaimed that she will have to do a wash over of sorts, on the personality of Noynoy. To be fair, since Noynoy is not the sister’s keeper, he should publicly open how he spent his several hundred million, probably billions of pesos, if cumulatively taken together, of pork barrel. Joker and Lacson did not spend a single centavo on their pork barrel allocations. Moreover, Noynoy has not been battle tested; we do not know how he will react to temptation, simply because he has not been where the action is. He can not honestly and truthfully say that he is goodness personified and all others are evil just because he is the son of Cory.  It is sheer arrogance and hypocrisy to make such claim.

He comes unprepared

Before the death of former Pres Cory, nobody considered him of presidential caliber, not even for vice president. His party mates knew of his capabilities and did not even look at his direction when they then considered their standard bearer. Noynoy himself, conscious of his own limitations, did not even dream of being one.  When his mother died and there was public mourning, all of a sudden, his party mates in spite of knowing his limited capabilities, and taking advantage of public sentiments, pushed him to be a candidate to the noble office of the presidency. This factual milieu clearly shows that his popularity is solely and purely for sentimental reasons, the death of Pres Cory. His supporters are praying to high heavens that the public sentiments on his parents would not wane and that the public would not see through the real Noynoy. Stripped of all sentimentality, there is nothing in his bio data that shows he is capable of the challenges of the highest office of the land. His biodata is uninspiring, to say the least. Aside from his public office due to his lineage, he was a sales person of Mondragon Industries, and a member of the board of directors of a security agency which the family owns. How in heavens name will he run the country?

Pres Cory’s landmark of achievement in her administration was her Land Reform program. Our own 24 hectares of irrigated rice land in Kinamayan, Davao del Norte was subjected to land reform and my Dad wanted to fight it out but I counseled him to surrender the land as I explained to him that ultimately the entire country will benefit from this pestering problem of unjust distribution of wealth. He understood the situation that each of us had to make sacrifices for the common good. This is not a unique scenario in Mindanao, then known as the Land ofPromise .

Little did we know that Pres Cory distributed all other people’s landholdings except her own Hacienda Luisita. She asked all of us to make sacrifices, except her own family. Her tenants protested and in the ensuing protest several tenants were mowed down. The tenants were unarmed and no casualties were suffered on the side of the soldiers trying to disperse the tenants. Of course, Noynoy is not her mother’s keeper, nor do I intend to diminish her mother’s role as our leader who toppled the dictatorship.

But when Noynoy declared his candidacy, he was asked point blank, what he planned to do with Hacienda Luisita. He had no ready answer but promised to give a stand soon. Three months passed and still no answer. Is he really prepared?

Trust

The argument goes, that since the people lost trust in the present leadership, Noynoy comes as a white knight, enjoying the trust and confidence of the people. But why should we trust Noynoy? Has he done something to deserve our trust?” Trust is earned, deserved and not bestowed nor inherited. We are now bombarded with propaganda about the goodness of Pres Cory, to the extent that Noynoy propagandists even go to the limit of declaring her a saint, in the hope that people will also view Noynoy as saint- like. The Liberal Party had even formulated its battle cry: “this (the election) is a fight between good and evil”. My goodness, don’t you agree that a man who pontificates that he represents goodness is really suspect of some loose screws somewhere.

Noynoy’s handlers forgot the basic need of a responsible candidate-the need to have an advocacy. It should be pointed out that Noynoy has no advocacy at all in his public life. He won his senate seat solely upon his family name, like Loi Ejercito, Pia Cayetano, Bong Revilla and the like.  This is very important to those who are very discerning. We do not know to what directions we will be going, with him as a leader. It is fearsome to have a president who is not only unprepared and unqualified, but also to be under the control of unknown advisers and heaven forbid, under the tutelage of his movie star sister. It becomes more dreadful because his popularity is seemingly sustained, thanks to the biased and twisted reporting of our media and most especially of a very large TV network who all have their interests to protect.

The above mentioned points are correct.

I am simply saying that:

1. He has no capability to govern
2. He relies solely on the name of his parents
3. He has no advocacy
4. He has no achievement on his own
5. He is pure creation of media

Sadly, only Noynoy has all these attributes among all presidential candidates.

By their words and actions, Villar and his cohorts just confirm that there is some truth to the Senate Committee Report finding him guilty of having conflict of interest in the C-5 extension project. When Villar finally appeared in the Senate and faced his colleagues, he spoke more about himself, than about the falsity of the report. He and his gang in the Senate merely criticized the report as being politically motivated, filthy and baseless, without however disputing or disproving the evidence supporting it with more solid and credible evidence.

The undeniable and incontrovertible facts are: (1) there is already an ongoing toll road project known as Manila-Cavite Toll Extension Project (MCTEP) linking SLEX and C-5 to the coastal road that would provide motorists an alternative to the existing toll free road network allowing them to move from coastal road to SLEX or vice versa; (2) Villar however still conceived and initially funded a third alternative route which is C-5 extension project and the Las-Piñas Parañaque link road project (CX5/LPPLP) which is longer in design so that it will pass through 50-52 hectares of subdivisions owned by his corporations; (3) the lots acquired from the Villar companies for the road right of way were priced at P11,520/sq.m. and those acquired from companies in joint venture with Villar were acquired for P7,168/sq.m while those acquired from other private owners were priced only at P2,922.

This second alternative route conceived and initiated by Villar caused that controversial insertion in the budget to cover the additional expense. The MCTEP was on a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) scheme which is less expensive for the government as cost of road construction will be shouldered by the contractor and only the expenses for the expropriation of the lands for the road right of way will be funded by the government. But with new route, both the road construction and the payment of the cost of the road right of way to private owners especially Villar companies are funded by the government.

Obviously, the government will be spending more for a project that is not absolutely necessary. In so doing, former Senate President now Senator Villar has benefitted from it through his corporations. The government also stands to lose its investment in the MCTEP toll road BOT project which will be rendered less viable or no longer viable because of another toll free road extension project initiated by Villar.

Every right thinking individual will readily see that something is really wrong here from the moral and even legal point of view. Villar and his Senate gang-mates cannot just shrug it off as another political move of his opponents in the presidential race. Of course it is a political move, but is it true? Based on the uncontroverted documents and positive testimonies, it is.

I can count with one finger the Senators whom I still hold in high esteem in the present Senate and who fit the description of being “honourable”. One of them is Joker Arroyo. When he was still a Congressman representing Makati, he already raised this ethical issue against Villar who was then Speaker of the Lower House. Arroyo correctly pointed out to Villar that if he wants to continue in business and deal with government he can do so but he should not continue to be Congressman. If he wants to be a Congressman then he must not be in business which deals with the government. It is thus so disgusting and quite perplexing to see Arroyo make a complete somersault and defend Villar now on the very same issue. Manny must really be so convincing for Joker to make a complete turn-around. But I still refuse to believe that this convincing factor refers to Manny’s seemingly unlimited supply of commodity denominated by a term synonymous to his name.

Villar really seems to have an unlimited supply of money and there is more from where it comes. Nobody really knows whether it comes from his own pocket or from other sources. One thing is clear however. A good businessman as he pictures himself to be does not spend so much of his own funds without expecting something bigger in return. Either that or he may have other unlimited source that is supporting him to protect its interest because he appears to have the best chances of overtaking the leading presidential contender, Noynoy Aquino. And this is where the charge that he is Malacañang’s candidate gets it credibility and validity.

There is really some striking similarity in the spending pattern of Villar and the present Malacanang occupant. A close watch of his infomercials shows that he has a minimum of 40 TV spots a day for the past five months. Roughly, that already cost about P1.5 billion. The alarming part here is that the infomercials seem to be working well in deceiving so many people who cannot easily distinguish between fact and fiction. Pulling out all stops in campaign spending is proof of Villar’s obsession to win the presidency at any cost. And one of the main reasons for this obsession is obviously to prevent further investigation into his involvement in the shady C-5 extension deal. At the same time he will also be protecting his secret supporter from future charges.

At this stage therefore the timely warning for the people is not to vote for a candidate who is already involved in anomalies even before becoming President. There are many in the list. Hindi natin pwedeng ipagkatiwala ang kinabukasan ng ating mga anak at apo sa kanila. And Villar is obviously one of them as shown by the incontrovertible facts in the C-5 extension project.

WHILE the Senate is declaring a moratorium on the discussion of the ethics case against Sen. Manny Villar, here are some incontrovertible facts, presented in Q & A form. The source of the information is also given.

Question: What roadway projects are the subject matter of the Villar ethics controversy?

Answer: 1. The Manila Cavite Toll Expressway Project (MCTEP), the original C-5 south extension project, linking SLEX with the Coastal Road; 2. the DPWH C-5 Extension project (CX-5), which together with 3. the Las Piñas-Parañaque Link Project (LPPLP), also links SLEX with the Coastal Road. Source: Senate Report (SR) 780.

Q: Is the CX-5/LPPLP project a realignment, as Sen. Jamby Madrigal describes it, or has there been no realignment, as Senator Villar’s allies insist?

A: Technically there has been no realignment, because these are two separate roads linking C-5 from SLEX to the Coastal Road. But they are very close together and, in some areas, overlap, as can be ascertained from a site map. Source: interactive map available at www.gmanews.tv

Q: Are there any differences between the MCTEP and the CX-5/LPPLP?

A: Yes. 1. The MCTEP is a joint-venture project between the government and a private Malaysian partner, with the government’s financial exposure limited to P2.68 billion for the purchase of the road right-of-way; the private partner is responsible for the construction of the project, for which tolls will be charged. The CX-5/LPPLP is a toll-free, wholly-financed government project costing P6.96 billion; 2. The CX-5/LPPLP is longer than the MCTEP, its extra length essentially covering the LPPLP portion; 3. The CX-5/LPPLP passes through more Villar properties than the MCTEP. Source: DPWH project documents cited as Exhibits A, B and TTTT in SR 780; site map from www.gmanews.tv.

Q: How large are the Villar company landholdings in the immediate vicinity of the questioned road projects?

A: At least 50-52 hectares: 40 hectares in the vicinity of the LPPLP; 10-12 hectares in the area between Sucat Road and Multinational Avenue. Source: testimony of Anastacio Adriano Jr., senior vice president and general manager, chief operating officer of Adelfa Properties Inc. and other Villar-owned companies up to 2008; self-styled consultant and political officer of Senator Villar since August 2008. Nota bene: Senate employment records do not include his name. Nota bene: it is not clear whether the 50-52 hectares mentioned above include properties cited in SR 780—roughly 10 hectares in area—to be developed by Villar companies in joint venture with their owners.

Q: What is the involvement of Villar in CX-5 and LPPLP?

A: 1. The Project Feasibility Study of the DPWH for CX-5 states: “The conceptualization of and the initial release of funds for the CX-5 Project was initiated by Sen. Manuel Villar whose same efforts also paved the way for the funding of the Las Piñas-Parañaque Link Road [LPPLP]”; 2. Various insertions and amendments (Priority Development Assistance Fund, read pork barrel) in the national government budget over the years 2002-2008 for CX-5 and LPPLP; 3. Adriano (cited above), in the office of and presence of Villar, dictating to the director general of the Senate’s Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office (LBRMO) Villar’s proposed amendments to the 2008 budget, including a P400-million appropriation for the CX-5. Source: documents submitted by DPWH, lawyer Yolanda Doblon of the LBRMO, testimony of both Doblon and Adriano, cited in SR 780.

Q: Were the Villar properties bought for road right-of-way overpriced?

A: SR 780 argues for the affirmative; PSR 1472 (the resolution signed by Villar and his allies exonerating him from all charges) argues for the negative. This calls for a conclusion of the reader. And to help that along, I have—based on the documented prices and acreage of the lands purchased in connection with the LPPLP—computed the weighted average prices that were paid for the Villar and related properties, and those paid for the non-Villar properties. The results: The Villar/related properties, comprising 23,455 square meters, were bought for P168.1 million. The non-Villar properties, comprising 11,685 square meters, were bought for P22 million. That comes to a weighted average of P7,168 per square meter for Villar’s properties, and P1,880 per square meter for the non-Villar properties. That has to be a statistically significant difference.

Given the above facts—which no one can contest, since they are based on official documents, and not on a he-says-she-says set of assertions—it has to be reasonable to conclude:

1. Since there was already an ongoing project (the MCTEP) linking C-5 to the Coastal Road, it was totally unnecessary to build a second one.

2. Which means that there was a waste of scarce resources. Instead of using only P2.6 billion of government funds for the first project, the government had to spend an additional P6.9 billion for the second, which practically duplicated the first, except for the additional length which happily for Senator Villar, traversed his properties.

3. This unnecessary, wasteful project was certainly Villar’s idea. It is specious to argue that it is a DPWH project. As the DPWH feasibility study states (in black and white), both the CX-5 and the LPPLP were conceived and initially funded by Villar.

4. Villar benefited tremendously from the second project. Certainly, his companies were paid significantly more per square meter for the road right of way (which were mostly bought from him). But that pales into insignificance compared with the tremendous increase in the values of his real estate holdings in the area—at least 50-52 hectares.

Is he blameless? Is the Pope protestant?

Officers and members of the Makati Business Club, Your Excellencies of the diplomatic corps, ladies and gentlemen, my friends and countrymen.

Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to address you.  I trust your asking me first is not based on alphabetical order, or based on age, but perhaps, based on who you think will most likely win the coming election.

As managers, you recognize that one of the necessary skills of an effective manager is time management. Is it possible that you have invited me to determine if there is still a necessity to spend time with the others?

Baka naman inuna niyo ako upang malaman kung sapat na ako at hindi na kailangang pansinin yung iba?

I think we are all aware of the problems facing our country. We share the same statistics. We probably even share the same conclusions about the need for better governance. To rehash all of these problems at this forum would be a waste of your time. But what we have now is an opportunity for you to get to know me, to find out the advocacies that I champion, the perspective and philosophies I bring to the equation and some of my proposed solutions to give an insight into my inner persona.
Levity aside, the political exercise that we will engage in this May is a crucial one.  It will be, as it is for every fledgling democracy, a test of the strength of our political institutions.  The peaceful transition of power has become a symbol of political maturity across the world, with many still failing to achieve the credibility that is the cornerstone of a genuine political mandate.  With the electoral scandals that have stalled our democratic progress as of late, it is not a test that we can afford to fail.

We have an administration whose mandate is clouded in doubt and overshadowed by allegations of fraud because it refused every opportunity to clear the air and be held to account. Its choices have limited its decision-making to seeking ways to ensure day-to-day political survival and self-interest. We must now become a government committed to accountability. A government that works with the people in achieving long-term change.

We must make the shift from bare economic survival to robust economic growth. We must make the change from treading water to keep afloat, to reaching that promised shore where we can all stand tall as healthy, happy, educated and responsible fellow citizens.

But why does transformation seem like such an impossible dream?

Isa sa mga tema ng ating kalaban, yung “ang pagbabago, madaling sabihin yan pero mahirap gawin,” is probably echoed by a lot of Filipinos. The oft-repeated question is, why can’t we advance? Why can’t we progress? What is it in us that limits or prohibits our growth as a people and as a country?
All of you are aware that most of the contenders have had years, possibly even decades, of preparation for this electoral exercise. I had no such ambitions to run in the 2010 elections but I responded to the people’s clamor. I am but the face of what we believe is the overwhelming demand of our people to repudiate everything wrong in the current administration.

Given that I only announced my decision to seek the presidency on September 9, and I only came to that decision the day before, I have not had material time comparable to our opponents. What is perplexing is that viewing the same problems, and having access to the same data for the most part, we believe the solutions have been there all along, and necessitate only clear political will to execute. But most of our opponents seem to indicate the contrary opinion that there is very little that we can do to change the situation. One has to wonder: did they overstudy the problem, or are they committed to preserving the status quo?

If the leader is not convinced that change is not only necessary, but extremely possible, how does he lead us to the promised land?

What is it that we want to change?

We want to repair the damage that has been wrought on our democratic institutions by those who have sought to manipulate them for their own selfish ends.

We want to improve the situation of our people, who have suffered years of neglect because of a self-absorbed leadership obsessed with political survival.

They are poor.  Many of them are homeless. Each year, we add some 2.5 million mouths to feed to our already hungry population. Of these new additions, one third were the result of unplanned pregnancies. We have a growing underclass that statistics tell us have given up looking for work. A permanent underclass that includes the five million of our countrymen that are illiterate, which means their opportunities in life will always be limited to living hand-to-mouth.

We want to give our young the opportunity and means to improve their lot in life. It can only begin if our children and their parents are assured that money spent on education is money well spent. Unfortunately, students are at the mercy of our decrepit education system that allows double shifting, erroneous textbooks and substandard nursing schools to exist. No less than DepEd officials admitted that students in Grade 1 take three subjects in one class period. We have a procurement program so heedless of the need for excellence that it doesn’t care if it produces a textbook series riddled with 500 factual errors. For every hundred kids that start grade school with the hope of achieving their dreams, only fourteen will graduate from college and possess a tangible means to materially improve their lives.

To my mind, the crucial, lacking element in all these is a government committed to a transformation: from a society overwhelmingly poor to one overwhelmingly middle class. In every developed, progressive, prosperous democracy, it is the middle class that is the biggest class. Government, for one, has failed to make the conceptual leap from patronage to development. Efforts at feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, providing basic care to the sick, and offering a quality education aren’t only the people’s rights; they are the essential tools for individual self-improvement

In 1998, when I first campaigned for office, one lady bluntly told me that regardless of who is elected, things would remain the same for her.

What did she mean?

That she was poor to begin with; that she would remain poor, and in fact, she would be lucky if she didn’t end up poorer, after the candidates leave office.

This brings up the question at the forefront of the minds of our countrymen still undecided on whom to vote for, and pursued by my critics. If this is a time that calls for national transformation, am I qualified to be that transformative leader? Having answered the call of duty, can I ask you or anyone to entrust me with your vote, on faith alone? Never having sought the presidency, I preferred to do my duty and not seek the limelight. Now that I have been thrust in the limelight, it is only fair to answer the question: before you tell us what we can do, what have you done?

I have always believed that the job of an effective legislator goes beyond merely proposing laws, for what are laws but written agreements entered into by members of society on how to harmonize their mutual relations? In fact, I do not believe that we suffer from the problem of too few laws. One of my proposed measures was the recodification of laws, in response to an appeal from the legal community to put some order into our laws, their amendments and those that have been repealed, because even our lawyers are at times confused.

Consider the recent controversy over who gets to appoint the next Chief Justice. We maintain that there are no ifs and buts in Article 7 Section 15 of the Constitution where it states that the current President cannot appoint anybody within two months prior to a presidential election up to the end of her term. An exemption exists, but it applies only for positions in the Executive Department. Yet you have two retired justices arguing exactly the opposite. How can former justices of the Supreme Court be so seemingly confused, when the fact is that the provision regarding presidential appointments is stated clearly in the law?

Our problem is the lack of political will to faithfully implement the many world-class laws that our legislature has passed. A preference for ambiguity even when times call for clarity, leads to artificial controversies. Insecure or overly ambitious leaders need to create a climate of doubt, because it’s in the grey areas that its ambitions thrive.

It is in addressing this problem that I focused on the fiscalizing aspect of a legislator’s job – on Congress’ oversight and investigative functions.

Consider intelligence funds. In the proposed 2010 budget, a total of 1.4 billion was allocated to confidential and intelligence funds..

Woodrow Wilson once wrote that oversight is always preferable to investigation, which is like putting out a fire instead of preventing one. We proposed that if the Executive wants orderly transactions, at least a few members of Congress should be privy to all of the details to determine if they were spent properly. However, this proposal was dismissed out of hand without even a single hearing for the reason that they undermined the Executive’s privileges.

And yes, the investigations were a vital part of my functions, too. I don’t think anyone will begrudge me my efforts in this regard. From Hello Garci and the impeachments, to NBN-ZTE and the fertilizer scam, I did my duty at the forefront of these issues.

The original design of the NBN-ZTE project required a BOT agreement between government and the supplier, not a government loan. But during the NBN-ZTE hearings, we learned that the project was entered into through a government loan despite instructions to the contrary from no less than the President herself. The cost of the intended government loan was P40 billion, (in which P16 billion was for the backbone and P24 billion was for the CyberEd project.) Jun Lozada belied this when he cited P5 billion as the actual cost of the entire project. Ito yung sinasabi niyang kalakaran ng gobyerno, kung saan sa sobrang laki ng patong, bubukol na.

SCTEx took around 8 years to construct before it finally opened. Projects of this scale normally require two years to complete. Furthermore, when SCTEx finally became operational, it was found that the central hub, which was Clark, did not have an exit, excluding Clark from the Subic Clark Tarlac expressway itself. How can one justify these kinds of delays where opportunities are lost, costs have escalated and the people’s burdens, instead of being reduced, end up being compounded?

My active role in these congressional hearings has put me at odds with the administration. In 2005, it cost me my post as Deputy Speaker.  It continues to put me at odds with the coalition of self-interest that currently holds power. It puts me at odds with other candidates for the presidency.

To lead transformation, you cannot be part of the problem. As I said when I accepted the people’s draft, the job of chief executive is about the efficient allocation of resources. If you have hogged those resources for yourself, if you have lied, cheated, and stolen to gain power, how can you be trusted to lead the transformation our country needs?

Going back on the issue of appointing a Chief Justice prior to the forthcoming elections. If we are to transform the country, it begins with doing what we can, now, to limit the damage and give our people a fighting chance to rebuild our damaged institutions. The Constitution imposes a blanket prohibition with few exceptions concerning midnight appointments. A candidate cannot ask for the people’s mandate, pledging to improve the situation tomorrow, if he becomes complicit in worsening the situation today.

Hindi naman mahirap gawin ang tama. Alam naman ng lahat yan eh. Wala namang magic, wala namang sikreto. Pero bakit pilit pa ring ginagawa ang mali?

There is a widespread perception that success in the business milieu can almost be directly correlated to your closeness to the powers-that- be. Because of this, some players in the industry are forced to focus their activities on maintaining relationships in order to retain the favors that they receive in exchange for cultivating that relationship.  This has fostered the wrong kind of competitiveness. While it may work, locally, for now, it has not enabled these players to become competitive in the world market, where the rules of the game do not take special relationships into consideration.

We will encourage free and fair competition in a level playing field.  One not need be a crony in order to succeed in the field of business.  More importantly, government will not compete with business. Nor will government use its regulatory powers to extort, intimidate and harass.

We will transform our systems to foster service to the public instead of making citizens jump through hoops. We will streamline the approval process, not only for setting up new businesses but also in the regular day-to-day transactions with government, such as the payment of taxes. We will do this on a national as well as the local level.

In 2010, our next President will inherit a continually bloating deficit. As of November 2009, the deficit of the national government already reached P272.5 billion, or 4.1% of GDP.

In addressing the looming fiscal crisis, good governance and the drive against corruption are critical components in our strategy.  We will refrain from imposing new taxes or increasing tax rates.

I strongly believe that we can collect more taxes at the BIR and higher duties at Customs if we become more serious in curbing and punishing tax evasion and smuggling. The BIR’s collection dropped by 5.5%, while that of Customs declined by 16.6%.. This is the first time in recent history that absolute revenues have actually declined.

Our initial focus then will be to capture a good part of the revenue leaks caused by smuggling and evasion. In this effort, we will not be starting from zero. Be assured that those smugglers and evaders are not faceless and unknown entities.  The ideas to improve tax administration and to control smuggling have been there for some time and some programs have been initiated in the past. One of these successful programs was the RATE or Run After Tax Evaders. In fact, some of the people at the Department of Finance and the BIR who have tried to implement reforms before are with us now, and together with reform-minded career executives, we intend to put their commitment and talents to good use under my administration.
My vision is to transform our country into one where we have lower tax rates enjoyed by all, rather than have some enjoy absolute tax exemptions while we burden the rest of the economy with very high tax rates. I believe that markets are better than government in spotting where the growth opportunities are, and, with universal low tax rates, we will encourage entrepreneurs and enterprises to invest and create jobs in any industry. We will, therefore, pursue the rationalization of fiscal incentives early in my administration.

There is a lot of room for our revenue base to grow. Our tax effort has gone down from 17% at its peak to a worrisome 13% today. If we can only bring this back even to just the 15% level, that will translate to P150 billion in additional revenues, which would make a significant dent in cutting our deficit.

My budget team estimates that for 2009 alone, around P280 billion of our national budget was lost to corruption. If we take the years 2002 to 2009 the total estimates exceed one trillion. Estimates vary, but everyone agrees that the numbers are huge.

If we agree that change is necessary, how can a Presidential aspirant, whose own financial and political ethics are questionable, be effective in leading transformation as the head of the bureaucracy?  How can a leader, who is benefiting from the status quo, be able to restore a civic sense and pride in our citizenry? The leader, who has used public office for private gain, will always be the most committed enemy of change..

Rich or poor alike, we have a tangible experience of the sorry state of public infrastructure at present: traffic, which eats up time, which as the saying goes, is money. Railways are built at bloated cost; urban transport is constructed, but not enough trains are on track.  Our people are the first to experience the effect of something that works and conversely, something that is badly done because bad intentions handicapped the project from the start.

It is time that our infrastructure agencies and LGUs transform into cooperative ventures with the private sector by bringing forth an agreed public infrastructure program, based on a cohesive plan that optimizes the value of the entire network.  In our conversations with members of the private sector, there has been a lot of positive feedback about possibly working with government on this endeavor.

To transform infrastructure projects from sources of waste and scandal into examples of cooperation and efficiency, we will set objective criteria for different types of projects and develop a scorecard that will assess various projects against benchmarks transparent to the public.

Initially we want our infrastructure program to transform from being the means to enrich a few, to being labor-intensive and biased for employment as a means to pump-prime the economy.

When I read about countries that have invested in their agriculture sectors and succeeded, it always pains me to find that these countries – Vietnam and Thailand, to name just a couple – had started by sending their experts to be educated in the Philippines. It seems that we cannot implement among ourselves the lessons we successfully imparted to experts from elsewhere.  This will have to change.  We must be able to harness our homegrown talent in order to further our local industries.

When we change administrations, there must be a complete review of all the programs in the Department of Agriculture. We can do a lot for our farmers given the present budget of the Department if we eliminate the leaks and focus on the efficient use of resources. For example, we must stop eating up millions in mere administrative costs as in the case of NABCOR, which charged our government P60 million because it served as a useless conduit to regional offices. We will also support efforts such as supply chain management that minimizes losses, creates jobs, consults with stakeholders, and capitalizes on our competitive advantage.

Our core belief is that the current approach to governance and power must change.  That is why our terms of reference always begin with the present government, what it has done, and how different our institutions and our nation must be six years from June 30, 2010.

In a small-scale operation it is easy for everyone involved to visualize that entity as the combination of their collective efforts. As opposed to, say, when you are a bigger firm, and there is the management side and there is the labor side. In Tagalog, it’s even more dramatic. Kayo at kami, sa halip na tayo.

We must find a unity that transcends the divisions of today, based on a shared commitment to transforming our country into one that works: One where traffic flows well, garbage is collected efficiently, crimes are solved, justice is served, and our kids are educated properly. It works in the sense that you do not have to flee the country to move up in the world, improve your lot in life, and rise to the highest level your personal merits can achieve.

We are a nation of sacrifice, of diligence, dedication and, idealism, because we are a people imbued with compassion even when we have officials who lie, cheat, and steal. Our faith teaches us that we are our brother’s keeper.  Our logic should tell us that in taking care of others, their growth equals our own.

In the movie “Invictus,” Nelson Mandela says, “In order to rebuild our nation, we must exceed our own expectations.” It requires us to insist, always, that we are not a nation of crooks, of thieves, of murderers who get off scot-free and where justice is won by the highest bidder.

In May, you will be asked to make a choice. Will you choose transformation and change or will you choose to uphold the status quo?

We have already made our choice. Ours is a journey towards transformation. I ask you today to join us in this journey now.

Thank you.

“As former prime ministers of Japan have repeatedly stated: The Japanese people should bear in mind that we must look into the past and to learn from the lessons of history,” Ichiro Fujisaki said at the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, the San Antonio Express-News reported.

He said his country was extending a heartfelt apology for “having caused tremendous damage and suffering to many people, including prisoners of war, those who have undergone tragic experiences.”

Although Fujisaki received a standing ovation from about half of the 400 to 500 attendees, others said the apology was overdue and didn’t seem sincere.

Former POW Hershel C. Boushey told the ambassador that he did not accept “your apology,” and that the atrocities and mistreatment many suffered was severe.

In 1942, Japanese captors marched about 78,000 prisoners of war _ 12,000 Americans and 66,000 Filipinos _ for six days on the Philippine island of Luzon to a prisoner-of-war camp in what became known as the Bataan Death March. Many prisoners were denied food, water or medical care, and some were stabbed or beheaded.

As many as 11,000 prisoners died, according to the U.S. Air Force.

Survivor Tony Montoya, of Woodland, Calif., also questioned Fujisaki’s sincerity.

“This young man knows very little of the atrocities,” Montoya said. “They probably rehearsed him on it.”

Abie Abraham, of Renfrew, Pa., said it was time to move on.

“I was never one of those guys that worried about whether we got an apology or not,” said Abraham, a 95-year-old vet.

“The way I look at it is _ Japan is now our ally,” Abraham said. “Why should we get an apology from them?”

Retired Tech Sgt. Joe Alexander, of San Antonio, said he was satisfied because “we finally got the apology that we wanted.”

About 73 surviving Bataan Death March veterans of the Army and former Army Air Corps members attended the convention Saturday, which served as the march survivors’ final reunion.

As WWII history and survivors would tell that about 600-650 US soldiers died in that Death March while the 5,000-10,000 Filipino soldiers perished in that long march which took them 2-3 days to reach San Fernando, Pampanga and then boarded a cargo train to Capas, Tarlac as more of them died in those “sardine-packed” cargo trailers. By the number of fatalities on the side of our Filipino heroes of Bataan and Corregidor, we should be the one who should be doing this memorial services to them by way of retracing the route they had taken in order to imbibe in us the sacrifes that our forefathers had to offer in the name of defense to the country and freedom from foreign invaders.

For the past years, a “relay run”, usually known by few runners, had been conducted to commemorate the Bataan Death March during the week-long celebration of the “Araw ng Kagitingan” (Fall of Bataan & Corregidor Day).

The Bald Runner’s Events is now on the planning stage of coming up with a 100-K Ultra Run from Mariveles, Bataan to San Fernando, Pampanga which will be held on 05 April 2009 to commemorate the Bataan Death March on the exact route that our forefathers took (without the beatings, bayonet/sabre killings, famine, lack of water and firing squads, of course!). We will make this as our “Comrades Ultramarathon” in Africa or as our “Badwater Ultramarathon” in the USA for the Philippines. And let the ultramarathon runners worldwide experience our Bataan Death March Memorial Ultra Run. As they say, “build ‘em and they will come”.

Patterned after 100K and Ultramarathon Races held in any place of the world, each participant must meet the following requirements and follow some rules:

1) Runner must have finished at least one (1) marathon race. Age limit—at least 20 years old. Open to male & female.

2) Cut-off time will be observed in particular Aid Stations. Cut-off time for the whole run is 13 hours.

3) Maximum number of participants—100 runners. This is a “solo” race. (This race will push through even if there are only 10 runners or less)

4) Registration is expensive as each Aid Station will be provided with water, energy drinks, and lots of food! This is a non-profit event and this is all for the love of running as we need volunteers for our Aid Stations for this event.

5) “Big and heavy” medal or Plaque and T-shirt will be given to all the Finishers and/or Belt Buckles for winners. Cash Prizes will be available depending on the availability of corporate sponsor or other benevolent sponsors.

6) Each runner can have his/her crew (optional) from the Starting Area and could be only assisted with a pacer from Balanga, Bataan to the Finish Line.

7) Race starts at 4:00 AM of Sunday or midnight of Saturday.

We will come up with a clinic/seminar for ultramarathon to interested runners early next month. This will be free of charge and the final details will be announced here in this blog. If you are interested to join this ultra race and start your 30-week training, you can check my other blogsite at www.baldultrarunner.wordpress.com.

I will join the race and my training starts next week.

I need your comments about this plan, whether they are negative or not. Go to the next level, go ultra!

A bus rented by Annabelle, the managing director of Royale Era Entertainment and Artist Management, carried 34 people to the site, which is located approximately four hours away from Manila. The passengers included select members of the press as well as grandchildren of Annabelle as well as their yayas.

After eating brunch in Balanga, Bataan, our group arrived at the Acuzar compound in Bagac where men and women could be seen walking around in their native camisa de chino and Filipiniana dresses. Zorro director Dominic Zapata pointed out that the land they were renting from Mr. Jose Acuzar, chairman of the board of New San Jose Builders, includes a portion of the mountainside, a long stretch of beach, and a river where a simple bamboo bridge spanned a small river.

At around 3 pm, Richard Gutierrez warmly greeted the press by saying with a smile: “Welcome to Universal Studios!” PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) asked how he feels to be on the Acuzar compound where turn-of-the-century buildings stand proudly to this day.

“Pag nandito kami, nalilimutan namin na nasa modern era na pala tayo ngayon. Hindi nag-e-exist para sa amin ang Manila,” declares Richard.

When one is standing in the cobbled streets of the Acuzar compound, it’s easy to see how the modern world can melt away in the heat. The sprawling 400-hectare boasts of ancestral homes and buildings that were transferred brick by brick to this Bataan coastal estate. Some buildings have been standing since the 1900s but they appear as stately and ornate as ever.

This setting is perfect for the primetime show about a bold caballero who avenged the helpless against tyrannical bureaucrats. Through his many reincarnations, Zorro has become a household name widely known for his outstanding fencing skills, horseback riding abilities, and his trademark black cape and mask.

On that day, PEP was able to observe two indoor scenes: Father Felipe’s (Ricky Davao) incarceration before he was scourged for being wrongfully accused by someone. The same prison was used to detain the bellas composed of Bubbles Paraiso, Bianca King, Maureen Larrazabal, Sheena Halili, Paloma, and Shiela Marie.

There was also one outdoor scene featuring Richard and Robert Villar seated inside a horse carriage while Antonio Aquitania served as the driver of the carriage.

Since some of the old houses in the Acuzar compound have dark histories, it’s not surprising to learn that there are spirits that occupy these old houses. For instance, there is one structure that used to be a morgue in Malolos while another is famous for being a house where a family was massacred in the past.

Bubbles Paraiso recalled one incident wherein they were shooting a scene in the plaza when she noticed that a lonely figure was watching over them from above one of the balconies of the houses. The young actress then admitted that she has always been able to see these spirits but she finally accepted the fact that she had a third eye only three years ago. She also revealed that her mother has the same gift while her brother, actor Paolo Paraiso, is able feel their presence but he cannot see the ghosts. In Zorro, Bubbles plays Magda, one of the bellas who will seduce Silverio (Elvis Gutierrez).

For her part, Michelle Madrigal revealed that the cast members bond with each other by taking turns riding Richard’s jet ski. Apparently, the actor traded in one of his motorcycles to buy this personal watercraft, which he sometimes uses to get to the location from the Montemar resort where they are billeted. Michelle even pointed out that Eddie Gutierrez, who plays Governor Luis Aragon, had so much fun riding the jet ski as well.

Direk Dominic excitedly told PEP that viewers have a lot to look forward to in Zorro in the coming days. They were already building the festive area for two circuses that will add color to the town of Angeles (the fictional town where the story of Zorro is set) and a pirate ship that will actually be built by the production staff.

Zorro airs weeknights on GMA-7 Telebabad right after 24 Oras.

Wala pa si Richard nang dumating ang grupo sa Acuzar Compound dahil 5 a.m. na raw that day natapos ang taping nila sa second location nila sa San Miguel, Bulacan. Kaya si direktor Dominic Zapata muna ang naging “tour guide” ng mga press.

ACUZAR COMPOUND. Sinabi ni Direk Dom kung anu-ano ang mga bahay na nakatayo sa 400-hectare na Acuzar Compound ang binili—kasama ang bundok sa east side nito at ang ilog sa west side—sa nilulubugan ng araw para masiguro ng may-ari na walang magtatayo ng bahay o building at magkakabit ng mga kawad ng kuryente.

Gusto raw kasi ng developer nito na si Mr. Jimmy Acuzar na ma-preserve ang 1900s look na wala pang kuryente. Generator lang ang ginagamit ng production para magkaroon ng kuryente at tubig habang nagte-taping sila roon. Kahit si Mr. Acuzar at ang pamilya nito ay generator lang daw ang ginagamit nila kapag dumadalaw sila roon kung weekend.

Kuwento ni Direk Dom, “Ang ginagawa ni Mr. Acuzar, kapag may nabalitaan siyang matandang bahay sa iba-ibang lugar ng bansa, na naitayo noong 1900 na pwedeng bilhin, binibili niya. Isa-isa itong dini-dismantle, dadalhin dito at saka bubuuin.

“Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, may 26 houses na ang nakatayo rito at may mga ipinatatayo pa siya. Itong pinaka-plaza na napapanood ninyo sa Zorro, hahanga kayo kung paano ito naitayo at ang bilis ng mga manggagawa nila rito. Kapag naayos na ni Mr. Acuzar lahat ito, magiging isang community na raw ito. Ang huli niyang ipapatayo, isang simbahan na made of corals.”

Maya-maya ay dumating na rin si Richard, na naka-costume na bilang Zorro minus the cape nang makausap siya ng PEP.

Paano nila nakuha ang Acuzar Compound, na kapag napanood ang Zorro ay akala mo talagang bumalik ang Spanish era?

“May nakakita na ng lugar kaya lang ayaw pumayag si Mr. Acuzar na ipagamit ito sa taping,” banggit ni Richard. “Kaya ako ang personal na nakipag-usap sa kanya. Sabi niya sa akin, ‘Richard, yung lugar, ipinatayo ko ‘yon hindi for business, it’s passion for me.’”

Patuloy niya, “Every weekend, nandito raw siya with his family. At peace siya rito kasi nga tahimik, malakas ang hangin, at ang isang napakaganda rito, ang sunset. At passion nga raw niyang ibalik yung 1900, gusto niyang buhayin ang Pilipinas ng mga taong iyon, ang culture nito. Kaya nang una raw niyang mapanood ang Zorro, proud na proud siya nang makita niya ang kagandahan ng pinagpapaguran niya rito. Kaya ang Zorro pa lang ang unang nakagamit nitong Acuzar Compound.

“Kay Mr. Acuzar ko rin nalaman na may historical significance pala itong Bagac. Noon daw World War II, ito lang yung place dito sa Bataan na hindi napasok ng Japanese forces. Dito nag-ipun-ipon ang mga Filipino at naka-survive sila rito. Kaya ‘yon, lalong nagkaroon ng interest si Mr. Acuzar na buhayin muli ang panahong ‘yon.”

NOT FAR FROM HOME. Totoo bang halos hindi na umuuwi ng Manila si Richard at doon na lang siya sa Bataan namamalagi?

“Hindi na halos ako umuuwi ng Manila,” pagkumpirma ni Richard. “Kapag may araw na libre, pero kinabukasan ay babalik ulit kami, hindi na ako umaalis dito. Hinihintay ko na lang ang pagbalik nila rito. Nandoon lang ako sa Montemar Hotel, doon kasi naka-billet ang buong cast.

“Pag nandito kasi ako, parang nalilimutan kong nasa modern times na tayo, dahil very peaceful dito. Sariwa ang isda at gulay dito, malamig ang hangin mula sa dagat. Saka may time din namang nakapaglalaro kami rito. Dinala ko rito ang jet ski ko, ang mga toys ko [miniature cars] at ang portable gym ko.

“Malapit lang kasi ang Montemar Beach dito, kaya pumapasyal ako dito tapos babalik din ako doon. Kapag nasa set naman kami at break sa taping, nangangabayo kami around. Mababait yung mga kabayo naming gamit dito. Si Buhawi ang kabayo ko, si Pleasant Dream naman ang kabayo ni Rhian,” lahad ng young actor.

** Alfie Lorenzo:
I have marveled and wrote at it before na yong BAGAC, BATAAN na location ay nagawang mas maganda pa kesa kung nagpunta pa sa Mexico, City ang buong tropa to shoot.Mistulang blessing nga ‘yung matagpuan ang buong subdivision na yon na isang pamilya lang ang nakatira as if sadyang inihanda ‘yun para sa location shooting ng ZORRO…..