More on the Pork Barrel Scam - News, Pasabog, at Iba Pa!

Almost a month after Janet Lim-Napoles "surrendered" to President Aquino, not much had been accomplished in my opinion. Justice delayed is justice denied they say, and that's also my view.

Sec. Leila De Lima said her office together with NBI needed that looong  time frame  to gather evidence against the perpetrators of the Php 10-B PDAF scam lest they will not have their  day in court. But considering that not much is kept secret for long here in our country - be it a showbiz sex video or a confidential political matter- I think time is always of import. In the weeks that our government agencies were gathering evidence, some of the suspects have flown the coop way, way before the charges were filed on September 16.

According to the Bureau of Immigration these six people are now out of the country (indicated  here are their alleged dates of departure):

• Rodofo Plaza (Sept. 11)

• Gigi Reyes (Aug. 31)

• Ruby Tuazon (Aug. 26)

• Antonio Ortiz (Sept 6)

• Dennis Cunanan (Sept. 13)

• Pablo Nemecio Jr. (May 22, 2010)

Thirty-eight personalities were implicated and charged with plunder including the six above. Prominent of these personalities are Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla; and House Representatives  Rodolfo Plaza (Agusan del Sur), Samuel Dangwa (Bengue), Constantino Jaraula (Cagayan de Oro City). There is, of course, the mind behind this brazen scheme - Ma'am Napoles (as what Sec. Roxas fondly call her).

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On September 12, the public had the chance to see whistleblower Benhur Luy for the first time without his signature black cap. He testified before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee primarily regarding how his relative and former employer Janet Napoles conducted a very lucrative business using fake non-government organizations. We've been reading on some social media networks how Napoles had her bathtub filled up with cash, and if Luy's testimony were to be believed, that was indeed the case (or the tub). And also straight from the horse's mouth we heard about "Sexy", who Luy implicated but not directly named during his testimony. We all know, of course, that "Sexy" is Jinggoy and that "Tanda" is Enrile and "Pogi" is Revilla. The aliases were allegedly written in Napoles' blue and red books (or whatever color they are), which recorded the scam queen's dealings with the crooked personalities. 

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Speaking of Jinggoy, I heard that he'll deliver a privilege speech to unveil a bigger scam. Damay-damay na ito! My guess is Pnoy's name will be mentioned. Kayo ano sa palagay n'yo?

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Meanwhile, tomorrow (Sept. 23) will be Napoles' arraignment on the serious illegal detention case filed against her. This after the Makati RTC junked her motion for deferment (postponement) for said arraignment. The hearing is set at 1:30 pm and expect hordes of security to safeguard the claustrophobic defendant. 

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Here's another bombshell about this controversial issue, and the bomb has been dropped by an unlikely mole - Ms Lolit Solit. Yes, that loud-mouthed and uncontrollable showbiz writer/talk show host/manager/talak commander of the entertainment industry. Below is excerpts of Arnold Clavio's column (http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/sep2213/op_ac.htm#.Uj7tKYZ0waj)    containing Solis' allegations: 

"May bagong pasabog si Nanay Lolit Solis nang makausap namin noong Biyernes ng umaga sa aking radio program sa DZBB 594kHz -- ang kanyang minamahal na kaibigan na si Janet Lim-Napoles ay nagkakaroon pala ng pagkakataon na nakakalabas ng Fort Sto. Domingo sa Sta. Rosa, Laguna para makaligo sa kanyang bahay sa Alabang.

Siguradong tataas na naman ang kilay ng mga kinauukulan sa impormasyong ito.

Totoo o hindi? Isa-isahin natin ang mga impormasyon na ikinuwento ni Nanay Lolit:
- Noong umaga ng Agosto 20, ibinulgar ni Nanay Lolit ang naging pagtawag ni Executive Sec. Jojo Ochoa kay Napoles noong Disyembre 2009 para humingi ng campaign funds sa kandidatura ni noo’y Sen. Benigno Aquino III.

- Tanghali ng Agosto 20, tumawag si Napoles kay Nanay Lolit at umiiyak na nagsabi, “Nay, bakit mo binanggit ‘yung kay Jojo Ochoa. Naku magagalit si PNoy niyan. I-retract mo Nay!”

- Sa mga pagtitipon kay Napoles, ikinuwento ni Nanay Lolit na dumalo sina Julia Abad, head ng PMS at Gerry Acuzar, bayaw ni Ochoa. Pati na rin mga asawa nina Se­nate President Franklin Drilon, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Revilla at iba pa.

- Dagdag pa ni Nanay Lolit, sako-sako ng pera ang ipina­mamahagi ni Napoles tuwing may party ng Pebrero 28 at Disyembre 20 sa kanyang mga bisita. Siya ay nakakatanggap mula P50,000 hanggang P100,000.00.

- Noong Biyernes, ibinulgar ni Nanay Lolit kung bakit hindi pa nahuhuli ang kapatid ni Napoles na si Reynald Lim. Iyon daw ang personal request ni Napoles bago sumuko.

Sa lahat ng mga impormasyon ni Nanay Lolit, na layong makatulong sana sa imbestigasyon ng gobyerno laban sa iligal na gawain ni Napoles, ang tanging sagot ng Malacañang – “huwag nating paniwalaan si Nanay Lolit... taga-showbiz lang ‘yan.”

Ganyan rin ang sagot ng Malacañang kay dating Sen. Kit Tatad na nagbulgar na bago sumuko si Napoles ay nananghalian pa ito sa palasyo."

Breaking Bad 5th and Final Season - Things Get Badder, Uglier

This show just wouldn't let go of its audience. Just like a rabid dog, Breaking Bad twitches and trembles and sinks its teeth on our visceral with such rapacious hold.

Fans of this critically-acclaimed production are not disappointed as creator/producer Vince Gilligan and the whole team come up with edge-of-your-seat cinematic ride episode after episode as it reaches its finale. We are now giddily awaiting Episode 14 and it's anyone's guess who's going to hit the dust in the shootout. The final segment of  Episode 13 takes us to the vast Albuquerque desert with Walt (Bryan Cranston) handcuffed and screaming at the top of his tumored lungs,  and  Jesse (Aaron Paul)  cowering to dodge bullets. Meanwhile,   Hank (Dean Norris) and Agent Gomez (Steven  Michael Quezada) are outnumbered while exchanging fire with Todd (Jesse Plemons) and his deadly posse.

No doubt about it,  the final season of this series is made up of twists and more twerks than Miley Cyrus had ever done (or will do). Ratting out and ratting on is the game plan, where loyalty fumbles for equilibrium and self-preservation kicks in way, way faster than a meth shot.

Certainly, all things must come to an end, including great shows like Breaking Bad. However, unlike a drug rush this series will leave a lasting effect to many for its memorable characters and unrehashed plots. Fans will have a long and hard time detoxing Breaking Bad from their system for sure.

Miley Cyrus Gets Buck Naked in Wrecking Ball Video

Certainly, there will be eyebrows and hackles raised from some conservative quarters at the latest music video of the ever-twerking, ever controversial Miley Cyrus.

The second single from her Bangerz album titled Wrecking Ball has almost 16 million views just less than a day of its release on  Cyrus' VEVO page on YouTube. Terry Richardson, photographer for hottest fashion mags, directed the video. I wonder whose idea is it for Miley to straddle balls, er, wrecking ball with just her boots on.

Undoubtedly, the singer has matured in many ways. She sounds great here - angst and vulnerability is heard throughout the song. I would have given the video itself a thumbs-up  had Miley kept her clothes on. I mean, does everything have to be sexualized nowadays to garner greatness? Oh, don't give me that bull about nudity as an extension of vulnerability,  rawness of emotions, etcetera. I stopped digging for metaphors when Miley's blood-red lips appeared and started licking that sledgehammer.

How about you, what do you think?

Watch the full video here:

Madam Miriam is Back!

She's back and she's at it again with her quotable quotes and unequivocal pick-up lines.

Our national treasure, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, as usual ruffled some feathers with her latest pasaring to her co-legislators implicated in the pork barrel controversy.

"Eat, blank, and die," she said, and coming from her there's no guessing that "blank" was in place of a curse. No wonder many of her nemeses consider her the Maleficent of Senate because she throws curses without so much of a ritual. 

(Photo from AP)

And certainly the curse is not enough for she continued: "Abolish the Congress. Commit harakiri. We owe it to the Filipino people. Wear our Filipino robes, bow in front of TV and harakiri ourselves."

She also imparted she will not visit any of her colleagues should they are put behind bars for their corrupt practices.

"Papadalhan ko sila ng CD ng speeches ko. Paandarin nila doon," the senator said.

Better ask Atty. Vitaliano Aguirre how torturous it is to hear Santiago's "shrill voice".  Aguirre was the lawyer during the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona who dared to cover his ears when Santiago was heatedly giving the prosecution panel a dressing down.

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I personally know that Madam Santiago never minces words.  I saw Sen. Santiago  during my Diliman days as she was one of our resource persons on a symposium about law and the mass media. In  she walked with a bevy of bodyguards,  heady perfume and, wow, a pair of sexy legs! When everyone was settled in for the program to start, she maneuvered the mic her way - I can't remember how she did it - and announced that the law cited on the poster behind her was already obsolete and that there's had been a more current jurisprudence relating to the topic. The organizers, as expected, were quite abashed considering their ignorance and failure to research more on the subject matter. LOL. Good thing she was in a good mood and hadn't delivered a lecture to the organizers about their inactive neurons