THURSDAY, February 4, 2010 Vol. 3 No. 171 • 8 pages www.commuterexpress.ph 22 2 4 1 23 43 32 12 13 35 27 P14.9m+ YELLOW RIBBON VS ORANGE CHECK Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is consistently emerging on top of every survey done by various organi- zations but Sen. Manny Villar is hot on his trail. Would this mean a tight battle between the two presidentiables is in the offing come May 10 elections? (See story on page 3) MAYWEATHER JR. ALSO FEARS SHANE MOSLEY? PAGE 8 INTERPOL TO HANDLE PING EXTRADITION PAGE 3 NAMFREL OUT ON 2010 POLLS PAGE 3 AMPATUAN JR. FACES 56 MURDER RAPS PAGE 7
YELLOW RIBBON VS ORANGE CHECKSen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is consistently emerging on top of every survey done by various organi-zations but Sen. Manny Villar is hot on his trail. Would this mean a tight battle between the twopresidentiables is in the offing come May 10 elections? (See story on page 3)
MAYWEATHER JR.ALSO FEARS
SHANE MOSLEY?PAGE 8
INTERPOL TOHANDLE PINGEXTRADITION
PAGE 3
NAMFREL OUTON 2010 POLLS
PAGE 3
AMPATUAN JR.FACES 56
MURDER RAPSPAGE 7
Thursday, February 4, 20102
MANNY B. MARINAYEditor in Chief
JONATHAN P. VICENTEManaging Editor
LEA G. BOTONESNews Editor
CHONG P. ARDIVILLAOverall Creative Director
HECTOR L. LOZANOChief Layout Artist
TONETTE HENSONEVPEVPEVPEVPEVP, Sales & Marketing
MARIO L. ADELANTEAccounting Manager
RAUL B. PEREZCredit & Collection Manager
EDISON B. CAMARINESDistribution Manager
EDWIN A. COProduction Supervisor
VICTOR A. CALUAG,President and CEO Published Monday
lamang ni Liberal Party stan-dard bearer Senator Benigno“Noynoy” Aquino, III sakanyang matinding karibal sanalalapit na 2010 presidentialelection ay naniniwala pa rinang mga supporters ng senadorna ito pa rin ang mananalo.
Sa huling survey naipinalabas ng Pulse Asia,nakakuha si Noynoy ng 37%habang si Senator Manny Villaray mayroon namang 35%habang malayo naman angagwat ng dalawang senadorsa kanilang mga kalaban sapagka-pangulo.
Ang survey ay inilabas ngPulse Asia sa kalagitnaan ngpagtatalo sa senado tungkol sakontrobersiya sa C-5 road ex-tension project kung saan aysinasabing malaki ang kinitani Villar sa nasabing proyekto.
Lumalabas pa sa survey ngPulse Asia na karamihan samga may gustong magingpangulo si Noynoy ay pawangmga nasa kabataang edad dahil
naniniwala ang mga ito na sapamamagitan ng senador aymagiging maganda angkanilang kinabukasan.
Maging sa National Capi-tal Region (NCR) ay maramiang may gustong magingpangulo si Noynoy karamihansa mga ito ay nagsasabi na angsenador lamang ang tangingkandidato sa pagka-panguloang magtatanggal ng problemanatin sa korupsiyon.
Karamihan din sa mga maygustong maging pangulo siNoynoy ay nagmula sa middleclass family dahil ayon pa samga ito, si Aquino lamang angkandidato na malinis angpangalan sa katiwalian.
Ang dapat lamang sigurongtutukan ni Noynoy ngayongmalapit nang magsimula ang
campaign period ay ang mgamalalayong probinsiya kungsaan ay maliit lamang angkanyang nakuhang porsiyento.
Naniniwala rin ang mgasupporters ni Noynoy nadadami pa ang mga naniniwalasa senador hanggang sasumapit ang halalan sa May10, 2010.
Bagama’t lumiit ang lamangni Noynoy kay Villar aynaniniwala pa rin ang kanyangmga supporters na pagdatingng bilangan sa eleksiyon aymamamayani pa rin ang anaknina Cory at Ninoy.
Naniniwala rin ang mga itona pagsapit ng campaign pe-riod ay muling babalik angmalaking lamang ni Noynoylaban sa kanyang mga karibalsa pagka-pangulo atmagtutuloy-tuloy na itohanggang sumapit ang halalan.
* * *Sa mga kabarangay kong
gustong makilahok sa pitak naito, maari kayong mag-email [email protected].
KUNG isang kandidato, sanational man o sa lokal,kinasuhan ng pandarambongat pang-aabuso, pagpatay opagnanakaw, pulitika ngalang ba? Kawawa naman dinang pulitika natin lagingsinisisi. Kapag may mgalumalabas na baho ang isang kandidato lalo pag malapit naang eleksyon lagi sinasabi pulitika lang kasi yan at gawa-gawa lang ng kalaban. Pero matalino na ang botante at nag-iisip na rin. Halimbawa isang Senador, kinasuhan ng mur-der o kaya isang tumatakbo pagka-Mayor kinasuhan ngpagnanakaw, nagpa-interview at sinabing pinupulitika langsila. Pero kung titingnan naman, may kaso talaga. May mgadokumento at mga ebidensya na ibinigay sa korte para mapag-aralan ng hustisya, lahat notarized pa. May mga witness atmay mga testimonya ang mga witness na nagpapatotoo sakaso na na-file sa mga lehitimong korte. Kadalasan ang mganagrereklamo ay mga dating kasama sa trabaho o kapartidosa pulitika, mga empleyado, mga matagal nang kaibigan kayakahit papano may kredibilidad ang mga sumbong at hinditama na basta na lang balewalain at sabihing “pinupulitikakasi.” Kadalasan lang, nahuli kasi kaya naghahanap ngmasisisi. Imbes sana na ibintang sa pulitika, pag-aralan kungpaano mapapawalang bisa ang kaso laban sa kanya sa ligalna paraan. Kung ang sikat na ZTE at fertilizer scam ay pumutoksa panahon ng eleksyon, hindi ba natin ito bibigyang halagadahil sigurado may iiyak na “pinupulitika lang sila!” kahitpa naghuhumiyaw ang mga ebidensya? Yung “hello garci”scandal, pumutok pagkatapos ng halalan kaya hindi bastabinalewala na paninirang pulitika lang at pinausad ng mgaebidensya ang kaso kahit papano. Malas lang siguro ng isangkandidato kung mga tinatago nyang baho ay mangangamoykung kailan eleksyon na. Minsan naman kasi mas pinapansinang mga reklamo at ang mga nagsasampa ng kaso sapanahong desperado magpapogi ang mga kandidato at sapanahon na kailangan ingatan talaga na huwag maamoyang mga baho na pilit itinatago. Minsan talaga iniipon ngkalaban ang lahat ng bulok ng mga kandidato para pangbatosa panahon ng halalan. Pulitika na kung pulitika pero hindiibig sabihin na walang katotohanan ang mga bintang lalokung dokumentado ang mga ebidensya. Sabi nga ngmatatanda, kung may usok may sunog, kung maynangangamoy, may nabubulok. Yung mga arogante na hindinagpapaliwanag at sinasabing ‘pulitika lang yan,’ kadalasanmay katotohanan ang bintang, nahuli lang kasi kaya ganyanmangatuwiran. Imbes sisihin ang kalaban, imbes ibintangsa pulitika, sagutin na. Nagnakaw ka ba o hindi? Paano moitatanggi ang mga ebidensya na nakatutok sayo? Paano motatanggalin ang kredibilidad ng mga taong matagal nangnakakakilala sayo na nagsasabing totoo ang mga kaso mo?Ganyan na dapat ang usapan, hindi yung sasabihin na langna “pulitika lang yan!”
Mag-text po kayo sa akin tungkol sa usaping ito. O kayaay sulatan nyo ako sa 2nd Floor, Council building, QuezonCity Hall o email sa: [email protected]. Pwede rin angtexts sa mga numerong: globe – 09272630741 o smart –09215186724.
Nahuli ka lang kasi,huwag ka na manisi
ANGRY over the increas-ing number of policemenarrested in violation of thenationwide election gun ban,PNP chief Dir. Gen. JesusVerzosa sternly warnedpolice commanders that theywill be held administrativelyliable for their men’s contin-ued disregard of the gun banlaw calling the relativelyhigh number of arrestedpolicemen “unacceptable.”
Verzosa has servednotices to all police com-manders that appropriateadministrative sanctions willbe meted against thosewhose subordinates havebeen arrested in violation ofthe election gun ban.
This is a consequence ofthe commanders’ apparentfailure to exercise propersupervision over their men.
Simply unacceptableVerzosa invoked the
Doctrine of CommandResponsibility to lay a degreeof accountability on policecommanders after fieldreports gathered by the PNPNational Operations Centershowed that a number ofpolicemen have been ar-rested almost on a dailybasis in violation of theelection gun ban since it tookeffect last January 10.
To date, 40 cops, out of thetotal 567 persons, have beenarrested and are now facingvarious criminal and/oradministrative charges inrelation to violation of theelection gun ban law.
Verzosa called the policeviolations “unacceptable”saying that the ideal numberof police violators should bezero and no more, to clothe
the 130,000-strong PNP with“organizational and per-sonal” moral ascendancyand enable them to conductcredible and effective secu-rity and law enforcementoperations.
* * *The Presidential Anti
Smuggling Group petitionedthe Office of the Ombudsmanto suspend and prosecute thefive State Prosecutors of theDepartment of Justice forviolation of the Anti Graftand Corrupt Practices Act inmishandling the chargesagainst suspected diamondsmuggler Briton Siu TingAlpha Kwok.
State ProsecutorsRohairah Lao-Tamano andAldrin Evangelista, SeniorState Prosecutor PamelaLazatin-Escobar, Asst. ChiefState Prosecutor PedritoRances and Chief StateProsecutor Jovencito Zuñowere also charged withviolation of the Code ofEthical Standards for PublicOfficials and DOJ Depart-ment Circular 13 series of2008 for committing actscontrary to regulations,conduct prejudicial to theservice and public interest.
STREETSMARTNi Jonathan Vicente
Tamano, Evangelista andEscobar were signatories ofthe resolution dismissing thecharges against Kwok, whileRances recommended theresolution which Zuñoimmediately approved.
Director and Chief of StaffJeffrey Patawaran whorepresented PASG said thecharges and petition for thepreventive suspension of theranking officials of DOJ were
triggered by their allegedmalicious dismissal ofsmuggling case againstKwok and the prematurerelease of the resolution.
Patawaran claimed thatglaring partiality in favor ofKwok was manifested in theresolution for there was anelaborative determination offacts rather than meredetermination of probablecause.
Thursday, February 4, 2010 3
VILLAR’S MONEY VSNOY’S ‘CORY MAGIC’THE camp of Liberal Party presidential bet has vowed to “shake
up” the campaign of Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.This means changing strategies and sending Noynoy’s message
clearly across the public, according to LP spokesperson QuezonRep. Lorenzo Tañada III.
Tañada acknowledged that LP was concerned over Villar’s surgein surveys and that the so-called “Cory Magic” could be wearingoff. "I would acknowledge that. But the symbolism of what Corystood for is what Noynoy stands for," Tañada said.
The Pulse Asia survey that Senator and business tycoon MannyVillar is “statistically tied” with Aquino.
As of January 22-26, 37% of respondents chose Aquino as theirpreference for president and 35% for Villar. The survey has a plus/minus margin of error of 2%.
The latest survey also showed that across socio-demographicgroups, Aquino led among Class D voters (40%) and voters aged 55-64 (38%) and 65 and up (42%). On the other hand, Villar is leadingvoter preferences among Class E voters (39%) and those aged 25-34(42%).
Absence of Villar allies saves himfrom Senate grill on C-5 road messDUE to lack of quorum, the
Senate failed to tackle the reportof the committee of the whole re-garding the C-5 road controversyduring the last day of sessionbefore the long break for the elec-tion campaign period.
Senate Majority Leader JuanMiguel Zubiri was forced to sus-pend the session because only 11senators, most of them from themajority bloc, showed up at thesession hall.
The senators were SenatePresident Juan Ponce Enrile, Sen-ate President Pro Tempore JinggoyEstrada, senators Rodolfo Biazon,Mar Roxas, Noynoy Aquino,Gringo Honasan, Jamby Madri-
gal, Francis Escudero, RichardGordon, Kiko Pangilinan andZubiri.
Pangilinan was the onlypresent member from the minor-ity bloc that is being accused ofderailing the approval of impor-tant bills and committee reports,including the blue ribbon’s reporton the ZTE controversy and theC-5 road issue.
Madrigal, the main complain-ant in the C-5 road project againstsenator Manny Villar, said shewas saddened that the minorityhave chosen the back way out of“cowardice by not appearing andnot facing the music.”
Andres Garcia
THE appointment of Francisco Duque as chair of the Civil Ser-vice Commission (CSC) was approved yesterday by the powerfulCommission on Appointments (CA).
It took only five minutes for the CA members to approve the ap-pointment of Duque after Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza movedfor the approval of the nomination of the former health secretary asCSC chief.
The CA members cited Duque for his excellent performance asformer secretary of the Department of Health (DOH) though he isnot a lawyer.
Duque replaced Ricardo Saludo whose appointment failed to passthe scrutiny of the powerful CA composed of representatives fromthe House of Representatives and the Senate.
Duque’s CSC appointment approved
THE Commission on Elections(Comelec) has dismissed the petition foraccreditation of longtime poll watchdogNational Citizens’ Movement for Free Elec-tions (Namfrel) for the May elections dueto “credibility” issues.
In a resolution of the Comelec en banc,it said they lauded the efforts of the peti-tioner organization.
“We assume that Namfrel has all the bestintentions in volunteering to be the citizens’arm of this Commission (but) we could nothelp but cast doubts to Namfrel’s credibil-ity and qualifications,” the resolution stated.
Last December, Namfrel, together withits co-petitioner the National Secretariat forSocial Action (Nassa) Justice and Peace ofthe Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Phil-ippines, filed a petition with the Comelecasking for accreditation as a legitimate citi-zens’ arm of the poll body. Ampie Galpo
Namfrel out on 2010 polls
THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)is set to seek assistance from Interpol for theextradition of Senator Panfilo Lacson oncethe warrant of arrest has been issued againsthim in connection with the slaying of publi-cist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driverEmmanuel Corbito on November, 2000.
However, NBI spokesperson lawyerRicardo Diaz said they are not in a hurry topush for the extradition and not in panic re-garding the whereabouts of Lacson who ad-mitted he flew to Australia to avoid harass-ment and arrest.
According to Diaz, the Manila RegionalTrial Court has yet to issue the warrant ofarrest against the lawmaker for double mur-der case. The NBI is waiting for the decisionof the judge before acting on the situation.
Marco Lorenzana
Interpol to handlePing extradition
4 Thursday, February 4, 2010 5
Brandon T. Jackson’s quest in ‘PercyJackson and the Lighting Thief’
BRANDON T.Jackson plays Grover inthe thrilling actionadventure “PercyJackson and The Light-ning Thief.” StarringLogan Lerman in thetitle role, Grover is histrusted friend andprotector. The riveting,action packed storycenters on Percy, ateenager who discoversthat his father isPoseidon. He sets off onan extraordinaryjourney to stop a globalcatastrophe, discover thetruth about his identityand rescue his motherwho has been kid-napped by Hades.
Keeping a watchfuleye on Percy as his bestfriend, Grover is amythological creatureknown as a satyr – ahalf man, half goatrelated to the Romanmythological creatureFaunus. Grover hasbeen entrusted withprotecting Percy on theirtranscontinental odys-sey, and it’s a challengefor Grover on two fronts:He’s a newbie at theprotection thing, and intypical satyr fashion, hehas a keen eye for theladies
Brandon T. Jacksondisplays his impressiveskills in the movieplaying half man/halfgoat as the legendarysatyr who must protectPercy at all times. Belowis the q&a of the upbeatactor for the upcominggreat adventure movie.
Q: How do youpersonify a satyr andbring him to life?
A: “To get in touchwith my ‘inner satyr’ Ihad to learn the goatwalk which is verytricky because you haveto be on your tippy toesas you walk. I have beenpracticing a lot and inrestaurants people thinkI’m actually walkingfunny but that is be-cause I’m a satyr, and inthe movie I carry aroundcrutches. Yet I am alsothe protector of Percy.”
Q: What is this satyrlike?
A: “He is mischie-vous. That’s the onething I love aboutGrover; he has this sideof him that’s really funand loveable. Nothinglike myself (laughs). Butwe do have some thingsin common. Grover isthe protector and I dofeel protective towardsLogan who plays Percy,because he is youngerthan me in real life.”
Q: What makesmythology such a greatstage for a story likethis?
A: “I think RickRiordan is such a greatauthor. I love the booksand think the movie is alittle different and morecontemporary in tone.It’s like Greek mythologybut with an edge. Youknow when you have anAfrican American satyr(which I’ve never seenbefore), it is only the firstof many funny twists tocome. I’ve decided toplay Grover a little bitcool, a little bit moremischievous and funthan you would expect.”
Q: Where does yourgift come from? Haveyou always been aperformer?
A: “I come from afamily of seven and athome we all play prankson each other. We have astrong bond in ourfamily and we alwayslike to have fun. I wasalways playful as achild. My name Bran-don actually means‘beacon of light’. WhenI was fourteen I used todo stand-up comedy. Istill do stand-up.”
Q: Are you on yourown quest?
A: “I am on my ownquest. I know thissounds so cliché, but Ireally believe in helpingyoung people who arenot able to get a goodeducation or get theright books to read.That’s my quest in life;to really make surestories are passed downto people who don’thave the opportunity toget an education. I comefrom inner city Detroit,
Michigan and I’ve seenschools that were shutdown and I know howimportant educationand learning is foryoung people. So Iencourage people tofight every challengeand have faith ineverything they dobecause you definitelycan go from nothing tosomething and makesomething of your life.”
Brandon took tointernational acclaim forhis performance as theactor-turned-rapperAlpa Chino in BenStiller ’s blockbusterHollywood satire“Tropic Thunder.”A native of Detroit,Michigan, Jackson grewup (along with sixsiblings) the son of achurch bishop (hisfather) and pastor (hismother) who developedan affinity for comedyand performing early inlife. He later moved toLos Angeles to dostandup routines at thecity’s renowned comedyclub The Laugh Factorywhich opened doors in a
series of small parts infilms such as MichaelMann’s “Ali,” CurtisHanson’s “8 Mile” andMarc Cayce’s “NikitaBlues.”
His first major movierole as Bow Wow’s bestfriend, ‘Junior,’ in the1970s coming-of-agecomedy, “Roll Bounce”of which he won the2006 Black Reel Awardfor BreakthroughPerformance. Jacksonhas also logged roles insuch projects as “Houseof Grimm,” “ThisChristmas,” “Big Stan,”“Cuttin the Mustard”and the current boxofficesmash, “Fast & Furi-ous.” He had a co-starring role in “ToothFairy” opposite DwayneJohnson, and a lead role“Rogue’s Gallery.” Hiscomedy tours includethe 2007 “TPain Tour”and the 2005 “PepsiSmash.”
“Percy Jackson andthe Lightning Thief”opens February 12 intheaters from 20th CenturyFox to be distributed byWarner Bros.
AGALINGgumawang
spoof comedy itongsi Pokwang lalo nang mga taong sikatngayon hindi lang sashowbiz kundimaging sa mgababaeng nasa gitnang kotrobersya.
Kabilang sa mgaginaya niya natalaga namangpumatok sa mga taoay sina DionisiaPacquiao, AnnabelleRama, ang ina niHayden Kho na siIrene Kho, atmaging ang nanayni Jun Pyo sa BoysOver Flowers.
Ang latest namanngayon ay angspoof niya o imper-sonation ni MarleneAguilar-Pollar, angina ng road ragesuspect na si JasonIvler.
Kabilang sa mgahinahangaangtalento ngkomedyanang siPokwang ay angkanyang galing sapag-spoof ng mgapopular at magingcontroversialcelebrities perohindi ba siyakinakabahan atbaka ma-offend sakanya ang mga ito?
“Oo, kinakabahansyempre, di ba?Una, humihingi
muna ako ng mgaopinyon, bakaganito, ganyan.Kaya nga spoof, e.At saka pinag-aaralan ko talagamuna nangbonggang-bonggapara maganda angkalalabasan.”
Ayon naman saulat ng PhilippineEntertainment Portal(PEP), natutuwanaman daw siPokwang dahil haloslahat ay magagandaang feedback nanakarating sa kanyasa pag-spoof niyakay Marlene sashow nilang BananaSplit.
Sa pinagsamangthanksgiving partyniya for the press atpresscon para sakanyangpinagbibidahangYour Song Pre-sents: Love Me,Love You, naginanap last Febru-ary 1 sa GazeboRoyale, inamin niPokwang na medyokabado pa rin siyang ginawa niya angimpersonation niMarlene Aguilar.
Nakarinig na basiya ng feedbackkay Marlene mismotungkol sa ginawaniyang panggagayarito?
“Wala pa naman.Kasi sa sobrang
busy niya rinngayon at sasobrang dami nginiisip niya, hindi koalam kung magre-react pa siya. Hindiko nga rin alamkung napanood niyayun, e. Pero just incase lang naman,hindi naman sigurosiya mao-offend saginawa ko, di ba?Kaya nga spoof, diba?” sabi niPokwang sa PEP.
Kung halimbawabang siya ay nagingsi Marlene in reallife, gagawin niya rinba ang ginawanitong pagtatago saanak niya kahit na
pinaghahanap ito ngawtoridad dahil sapagiging suspek sapagpatay kayRenato Ebarle Jr.?
“Bilang isang ina,talagang minamahalnatin nang buongpuso ang mga anaknatin. Pero ako,pagdating sapagkakamali niya,kahit masakit...kumuha ka ngbuhay, e, hindi modapat ginawa. So,ako mismo angmagsusuko sakanya,” sagot niya.
Kung
isasapelikula oitatampok saMaalaala Mo Kayaang buhay niMarlene at siya angaaluking gumanapkay Marlene,tatanggapin niya baito?
“Ay, oo naman!”mabilis niyangtugon.
DOING SPOOFS& IMPERSON-ATIONS.Kinakabahan basiya kapag nag-i-spoof siya ng mgacharacters?
Paano niya bapinaghahandaan angpag-spoof niya saisang tao?
“Kasi sa BananaSplit, pag may
sa grand finals,”sabi ni Pokwang.(Ang Clown in aMillion ang comedycontest sa ABS-CBN kung saannanalo at na-discover siPokwang.)
Kahit banagkaroon sila ngnegative issue noonni Annabelle ay itopa rin angpinakagusto niya?
“Yun naman,aminado naman akona kasalanan koyun. Kaya hindi komasisisi si TitaAnnabelle na nagalitsiya sa akin thattime, duringPoohkwang saMusic Museumnangyari yun.Kasalanan kotalaga, peronagkapatawaran nakami. Nagulat ngaako noon dahil mayVTR siya sabirthday ko saASAP, di ba? Kaya Istill love TitaAnnabelle sa lahatng ini-impersonateko talaga.”
Ang pag-i-impersonate niPokwang sa mgacelebrities aydinadala niya rinhanggang sa dailynoontime show niyasa ABS-CBN naWowowee.Nandiyangpinagagaya ng mainhost ng show na siWillie Revillame angiba’t ibang karakterkay Pokwang bilangdagdag-aliw sa mgamanonood.
WOWOWEEISSUE. Speaking ofWowowee,pinagpaliwanag dinng PEP si Pokwangtungkol sa iba’tibang isyu nalumalabas na may
Pokwang kabado sa pag-spoof ng ibang tao kinalaman sa show.Una namingtinanong angtungkol sapagpapalit dawumano ng showmismo?
“Hindi, yungstage lang angpapalitan,”paglilinaw niya.“Mas pagagandahinyung setup ngstage. So, kayanagte-taping kamingayon,nagpopondo kamihabang ginagawayung studio.Magugulat na langkayo sa bagong setnamin, ang ganda!
* * *Cris Villongco is
appearing again forthe RepertoryPhilippines’ “Romeoand Bernadette” thismonth.
The RepertoryPhilippines featuresa hilarious Valentinestage play writtenby Mark Saltzmanentitled “Romeo AndBernadette” atOnstage, 2nd floor,Greenbelt One,Makati City.
Directed bytheater stalwart JoyVirata and starringyoung stage veter-ans Cris Villoncoand PJ Valerio,“Romeo andBernadette” is alight-hearted twist tothe tragic tale of
Romeo and Julietthat will surely ticklethe funny bones ofPinoy theateraficionados every-where.
Set in 1960’sNew York, Romeoand Bernadette isfull of familiar Italianmelodies from TVand movies thataudiences willenjoy.
Cris, who plays
Bernadette, de-scribes the hilariouspremise of thisplay:” It’s the storyof Brooklyn Guy andBrooklyn Girl.Brooklyn Guy istrying to takeBrooklyn Girl to bedso he brings her toa Shakespeareplay.”
“But the girl getsupset over the play,so to win her back
he creates thisstory of Romeo notdying, he took a lotof the sleepingpotion and knockedhimself out, wokeup and it’s 1960’sBrooklyn New York,”Villongco said.
The theateractress was lastseen playing thelead in Repertory’sMulan back inFebruary 2008.CRIS VILLONCO
POKWANG
pinapa-spoof saakin na character,pinapanood komuna sa YouTubeyung mga videonila. Pinag-aaralanko ang pagsasalitanila, yung galaw ngmga mata, bibig.Sabi ko nga, gagayarin lang naman tayo,ayusin na natin.”
Sa lahat daw ngkanyang mga na-spoof, angpinakapaborito niyaay si AnnabelleRama.
“Ang pinaka-loveko sa lahat, si TitaAnnabelle. KasiClown in a Millionpa lang, siya na angginamit kong piece
M
“Ang pinaka-love ko salahat, si TitaAnnabelle. KasiClown in aMillion palang, siya naang ginamitkong piece sagrand finals”
ALEXANDRA Daddario joins LoganLerman in an all-out looming war betweenthe god of the sea, sky and hell in “PercyJackson and the Lightning Thief.” Percy(Lerman), an ordinary teenager and a demi-god travels to a special enclave called CampHalf Blood, where he trains to harness hisnewly discovered powers and prevent a dev-astating war among the gods. There, Percymeets two fellow demigods – the warriorAnnabeth, who is searching for her mother,the goddess Athena and his longtime friendGrover the satyr.
Annabeth then joins Percy on an incredible transcontinentalodyssey that takes them six hundred stories above New YorkCity (the portal to Mount Olympus) and to the iconic Hollywoodsign, under which burn the fires of the Underworld.
Alexandra Daddario starred in the TV soap “All My Chil-dren.” She has also appeared in many TV shows including “Dam-ages” and “Law & Order.” Her film credits include “The Squidand the Whale,” “The Hottest State,” “The Attic” and “Bereave-ment.”
Alexandra Daddario playsDemigod Daughter of Athena
BRANDON JACKSON
4 Thursday, February 4, 2010 5
Brandon T. Jackson’s quest in ‘PercyJackson and the Lighting Thief’
BRANDON T.Jackson plays Grover inthe thrilling actionadventure “PercyJackson and The Light-ning Thief.” StarringLogan Lerman in thetitle role, Grover is histrusted friend andprotector. The riveting,action packed storycenters on Percy, ateenager who discoversthat his father isPoseidon. He sets off onan extraordinaryjourney to stop a globalcatastrophe, discover thetruth about his identityand rescue his motherwho has been kid-napped by Hades.
Keeping a watchfuleye on Percy as his bestfriend, Grover is amythological creatureknown as a satyr – ahalf man, half goatrelated to the Romanmythological creatureFaunus. Grover hasbeen entrusted withprotecting Percy on theirtranscontinental odys-sey, and it’s a challengefor Grover on two fronts:He’s a newbie at theprotection thing, and intypical satyr fashion, hehas a keen eye for theladies
Brandon T. Jacksondisplays his impressiveskills in the movieplaying half man/halfgoat as the legendarysatyr who must protectPercy at all times. Belowis the q&a of the upbeatactor for the upcominggreat adventure movie.
Q: How do youpersonify a satyr andbring him to life?
A: “To get in touchwith my ‘inner satyr’ Ihad to learn the goatwalk which is verytricky because you haveto be on your tippy toesas you walk. I have beenpracticing a lot and inrestaurants people thinkI’m actually walkingfunny but that is be-cause I’m a satyr, and inthe movie I carry aroundcrutches. Yet I am alsothe protector of Percy.”
Q: What is this satyrlike?
A: “He is mischie-vous. That’s the onething I love aboutGrover; he has this sideof him that’s really funand loveable. Nothinglike myself (laughs). Butwe do have some thingsin common. Grover isthe protector and I dofeel protective towardsLogan who plays Percy,because he is youngerthan me in real life.”
Q: What makesmythology such a greatstage for a story likethis?
A: “I think RickRiordan is such a greatauthor. I love the booksand think the movie is alittle different and morecontemporary in tone.It’s like Greek mythologybut with an edge. Youknow when you have anAfrican American satyr(which I’ve never seenbefore), it is only the firstof many funny twists tocome. I’ve decided toplay Grover a little bitcool, a little bit moremischievous and funthan you would expect.”
Q: Where does yourgift come from? Haveyou always been aperformer?
A: “I come from afamily of seven and athome we all play prankson each other. We have astrong bond in ourfamily and we alwayslike to have fun. I wasalways playful as achild. My name Bran-don actually means‘beacon of light’. WhenI was fourteen I used todo stand-up comedy. Istill do stand-up.”
Q: Are you on yourown quest?
A: “I am on my ownquest. I know thissounds so cliché, but Ireally believe in helpingyoung people who arenot able to get a goodeducation or get theright books to read.That’s my quest in life;to really make surestories are passed downto people who don’thave the opportunity toget an education. I comefrom inner city Detroit,
Michigan and I’ve seenschools that were shutdown and I know howimportant educationand learning is foryoung people. So Iencourage people tofight every challengeand have faith ineverything they dobecause you definitelycan go from nothing tosomething and makesomething of your life.”
Brandon took tointernational acclaim forhis performance as theactor-turned-rapperAlpa Chino in BenStiller ’s blockbusterHollywood satire“Tropic Thunder.”A native of Detroit,Michigan, Jackson grewup (along with sixsiblings) the son of achurch bishop (hisfather) and pastor (hismother) who developedan affinity for comedyand performing early inlife. He later moved toLos Angeles to dostandup routines at thecity’s renowned comedyclub The Laugh Factorywhich opened doors in a
series of small parts infilms such as MichaelMann’s “Ali,” CurtisHanson’s “8 Mile” andMarc Cayce’s “NikitaBlues.”
His first major movierole as Bow Wow’s bestfriend, ‘Junior,’ in the1970s coming-of-agecomedy, “Roll Bounce”of which he won the2006 Black Reel Awardfor BreakthroughPerformance. Jacksonhas also logged roles insuch projects as “Houseof Grimm,” “ThisChristmas,” “Big Stan,”“Cuttin the Mustard”and the current boxofficesmash, “Fast & Furi-ous.” He had a co-starring role in “ToothFairy” opposite DwayneJohnson, and a lead role“Rogue’s Gallery.” Hiscomedy tours includethe 2007 “TPain Tour”and the 2005 “PepsiSmash.”
“Percy Jackson andthe Lightning Thief”opens February 12 intheaters from 20th CenturyFox to be distributed byWarner Bros.
AGALINGgumawang
spoof comedy itongsi Pokwang lalo nang mga taong sikatngayon hindi lang sashowbiz kundimaging sa mgababaeng nasa gitnang kotrobersya.
Kabilang sa mgaginaya niya natalaga namangpumatok sa mga taoay sina DionisiaPacquiao, AnnabelleRama, ang ina niHayden Kho na siIrene Kho, atmaging ang nanayni Jun Pyo sa BoysOver Flowers.
Ang latest namanngayon ay angspoof niya o imper-sonation ni MarleneAguilar-Pollar, angina ng road ragesuspect na si JasonIvler.
Kabilang sa mgahinahangaangtalento ngkomedyanang siPokwang ay angkanyang galing sapag-spoof ng mgapopular at magingcontroversialcelebrities perohindi ba siyakinakabahan atbaka ma-offend sakanya ang mga ito?
“Oo, kinakabahansyempre, di ba?Una, humihingi
muna ako ng mgaopinyon, bakaganito, ganyan.Kaya nga spoof, e.At saka pinag-aaralan ko talagamuna nangbonggang-bonggapara maganda angkalalabasan.”
Ayon naman saulat ng PhilippineEntertainment Portal(PEP), natutuwanaman daw siPokwang dahil haloslahat ay magagandaang feedback nanakarating sa kanyasa pag-spoof niyakay Marlene sashow nilang BananaSplit.
Sa pinagsamangthanksgiving partyniya for the press atpresscon para sakanyangpinagbibidahangYour Song Pre-sents: Love Me,Love You, naginanap last Febru-ary 1 sa GazeboRoyale, inamin niPokwang na medyokabado pa rin siyang ginawa niya angimpersonation niMarlene Aguilar.
Nakarinig na basiya ng feedbackkay Marlene mismotungkol sa ginawaniyang panggagayarito?
“Wala pa naman.Kasi sa sobrang
busy niya rinngayon at sasobrang dami nginiisip niya, hindi koalam kung magre-react pa siya. Hindiko nga rin alamkung napanood niyayun, e. Pero just incase lang naman,hindi naman sigurosiya mao-offend saginawa ko, di ba?Kaya nga spoof, diba?” sabi niPokwang sa PEP.
Kung halimbawabang siya ay nagingsi Marlene in reallife, gagawin niya rinba ang ginawanitong pagtatago saanak niya kahit na
pinaghahanap ito ngawtoridad dahil sapagiging suspek sapagpatay kayRenato Ebarle Jr.?
“Bilang isang ina,talagang minamahalnatin nang buongpuso ang mga anaknatin. Pero ako,pagdating sapagkakamali niya,kahit masakit...kumuha ka ngbuhay, e, hindi modapat ginawa. So,ako mismo angmagsusuko sakanya,” sagot niya.
Kung
isasapelikula oitatampok saMaalaala Mo Kayaang buhay niMarlene at siya angaaluking gumanapkay Marlene,tatanggapin niya baito?
“Ay, oo naman!”mabilis niyangtugon.
DOING SPOOFS& IMPERSON-ATIONS.Kinakabahan basiya kapag nag-i-spoof siya ng mgacharacters?
Paano niya bapinaghahandaan angpag-spoof niya saisang tao?
“Kasi sa BananaSplit, pag may
sa grand finals,”sabi ni Pokwang.(Ang Clown in aMillion ang comedycontest sa ABS-CBN kung saannanalo at na-discover siPokwang.)
Kahit banagkaroon sila ngnegative issue noonni Annabelle ay itopa rin angpinakagusto niya?
“Yun naman,aminado naman akona kasalanan koyun. Kaya hindi komasisisi si TitaAnnabelle na nagalitsiya sa akin thattime, duringPoohkwang saMusic Museumnangyari yun.Kasalanan kotalaga, peronagkapatawaran nakami. Nagulat ngaako noon dahil mayVTR siya sabirthday ko saASAP, di ba? Kaya Istill love TitaAnnabelle sa lahatng ini-impersonateko talaga.”
Ang pag-i-impersonate niPokwang sa mgacelebrities aydinadala niya rinhanggang sa dailynoontime show niyasa ABS-CBN naWowowee.Nandiyangpinagagaya ng mainhost ng show na siWillie Revillame angiba’t ibang karakterkay Pokwang bilangdagdag-aliw sa mgamanonood.
WOWOWEEISSUE. Speaking ofWowowee,pinagpaliwanag dinng PEP si Pokwangtungkol sa iba’tibang isyu nalumalabas na may
Pokwang kabado sa pag-spoof ng ibang tao kinalaman sa show.Una namingtinanong angtungkol sapagpapalit dawumano ng showmismo?
“Hindi, yungstage lang angpapalitan,”paglilinaw niya.“Mas pagagandahinyung setup ngstage. So, kayanagte-taping kamingayon,nagpopondo kamihabang ginagawayung studio.Magugulat na langkayo sa bagong setnamin, ang ganda!
* * *Cris Villongco is
appearing again forthe RepertoryPhilippines’ “Romeoand Bernadette” thismonth.
The RepertoryPhilippines featuresa hilarious Valentinestage play writtenby Mark Saltzmanentitled “Romeo AndBernadette” atOnstage, 2nd floor,Greenbelt One,Makati City.
Directed bytheater stalwart JoyVirata and starringyoung stage veter-ans Cris Villoncoand PJ Valerio,“Romeo andBernadette” is alight-hearted twist tothe tragic tale of
Romeo and Julietthat will surely ticklethe funny bones ofPinoy theateraficionados every-where.
Set in 1960’sNew York, Romeoand Bernadette isfull of familiar Italianmelodies from TVand movies thataudiences willenjoy.
Cris, who plays
Bernadette, de-scribes the hilariouspremise of thisplay:” It’s the storyof Brooklyn Guy andBrooklyn Girl.Brooklyn Guy istrying to takeBrooklyn Girl to bedso he brings her toa Shakespeareplay.”
“But the girl getsupset over the play,so to win her back
he creates thisstory of Romeo notdying, he took a lotof the sleepingpotion and knockedhimself out, wokeup and it’s 1960’sBrooklyn New York,”Villongco said.
The theateractress was lastseen playing thelead in Repertory’sMulan back inFebruary 2008.CRIS VILLONCO
POKWANG
pinapa-spoof saakin na character,pinapanood komuna sa YouTubeyung mga videonila. Pinag-aaralanko ang pagsasalitanila, yung galaw ngmga mata, bibig.Sabi ko nga, gagayarin lang naman tayo,ayusin na natin.”
Sa lahat daw ngkanyang mga na-spoof, angpinakapaborito niyaay si AnnabelleRama.
“Ang pinaka-loveko sa lahat, si TitaAnnabelle. KasiClown in a Millionpa lang, siya na angginamit kong piece
M
“Ang pinaka-love ko salahat, si TitaAnnabelle. KasiClown in aMillion palang, siya naang ginamitkong piece sagrand finals”
ALEXANDRA Daddario joins LoganLerman in an all-out looming war betweenthe god of the sea, sky and hell in “PercyJackson and the Lightning Thief.” Percy(Lerman), an ordinary teenager and a demi-god travels to a special enclave called CampHalf Blood, where he trains to harness hisnewly discovered powers and prevent a dev-astating war among the gods. There, Percymeets two fellow demigods – the warriorAnnabeth, who is searching for her mother,the goddess Athena and his longtime friendGrover the satyr.
Annabeth then joins Percy on an incredible transcontinentalodyssey that takes them six hundred stories above New YorkCity (the portal to Mount Olympus) and to the iconic Hollywoodsign, under which burn the fires of the Underworld.
Alexandra Daddario starred in the TV soap “All My Chil-dren.” She has also appeared in many TV shows including “Dam-ages” and “Law & Order.” Her film credits include “The Squidand the Whale,” “The Hottest State,” “The Attic” and “Bereave-ment.”
Alexandra Daddario playsDemigod Daughter of Athena
BRANDON JACKSON
Thursday, February 4, 20106
Complete the grid so every row, columnand 3 x 3 box contains every digit
from 1 to 9 inclusively.
Previous puzzle solution
Ni McJoe PALAISIPAN Thelma Onego
SAGOT SA NAKARAAN
PAHALANG
1. Idrowing 7. Kalahating
dosena11. Blackboard12. Langis13. Sinambit14. Kapos15. Pang-ahit16. Dumi sa mukha17. Anak na lalaki18. Eddie Guttierez19. Simbolo
ng galium20. Nota sa musika21. Isasangkot
25. Inomina26. Panglan
ng babae27. Lamang-dagat29. Pangalan
ng lalaki30. Lumikmo31. Ginapas32. Alambre33. Kusinilya34. Kabisera
property sector will con-tinue to rebound andachieve growth in 2010even with the entry of anew administration inJune, according to theprojections of a middlemarket property com-pany.
Earth+Style Corp.president VictorManarang said themiddle market is goingto continue to lead themarket as more andmore Filipinos will con-tinue to look for prop-erties either for invest-ment or shelter require-ments.
“We are projecting a25 to 30 percent growthin sales in 2010 over lastyear ’s performance,”said Manarang.
“The results of 2009indicated that themiddle market pro-pelled the growth of theproperty sector in the
country. Overall, the sec-tor was not affected by theglobal financial crisis,”added Manarang.
In Earth+Style’s defi-nition, the middle markethas a price range of P1million to P3 million. Thecompany’s propertyprojects are focused in La-guna and Cavite.
Manarang said major-ity of the company’s buy-ers were Filipinos basedin the country and over-seas and migrant Filipi-nos.
“The remittances ofFilipino expatriates cer-tainly boosted the prop-erty market in the coun-try as a number of themdecided to invest in realestate,” said Manarang.
Aside from the remit-tances, Manarang saidthe availability of financ-ing from private bankswill continue to boostgrowth in the propertysector.
“As long as there isavailability of credit,many people will con-tinue to buy homes,” hesaid.
Manarang pointed outthat fulfilling delivery ex-pectations to the buyersis another key indicatorto ensure sustainability inthe market. Failure to de-liver the promises to thebuyers, according toManarang, will result ina company’s removal in
the radar screen of pro-spective buyers.
“Developers whofulfill promises will ex-perience sustainedgrowth. Delivering theexpectations will en-hance the credibility ofthe company, an impor-tant element in the prop-erty sector,” saidManarang.
Projects of Earth+Styleinclude PromenadeSouth, Piazza Bellissima,Parkplace Strip, Prom-enade Residences, .Arabella and Bellatrix Se-ries.
In Biñan, Earth+Styleis also developing theOne Asia Business Cen-ter, a 135-hectare devel-opment located withinJubilation New Biñan.It will offer office andcommercial lots in apark-like setting. Atpresent, development ofPhase 1B took place inApril last year.
“AS a fellow former police officer, I am appealingto my former superior officer, Senator Panfilo M.Lacson, to submit himself to the judicial process inproving his innocence, instead of fleeing the juris-diction of the Philippine Courts, in connection withthe Dacer-Corbito Double Murder Case.
“The best way to prove his innocence is throughthe instrumentality of the courts, which under Phil-ippine Laws, incorporates numerous safeguards infavor of the accused. Flight has been, universally andsince time immemorial, been considered an indica-tor of guilt, even if one tries to justify it with allega-tions of persecution or harassment. As prominentexamples, Senator Benigno Aquino returned to thePhilippines amidst serious criminal accusations; andmore recently, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile allowedhimself to be arrested in the very halls of the Senateand faced charges of rebellion and murder, for whichhe was subsequently exonerated. Sen. Lacson shouldfollow the example of these distinguished Senators,and many other Filipinos, who had the courage toanswer the accusations against them, and neversought sanctuary in foreign lands. For my part, I amready to face him in court and stand by my testi-mony against him.
“There is still a long way to go before justice forthe Dacer and Corbito families can be attained aftermore than a decade. It is my fervent prayer that thoseresponsible for this dastardly crime be finally madeto face the bar of justice, so that they may be held toanswer for their crimes should the courts find themguilty. In order for the justice system to continue func-tioning, it is not enough that the innocent be freed,but that the guilty – no matter how rich and power-ful — should not evade punishment.”
Mancao urges Lacson tosubmit to judicial process
Thursday, February 4, 2010 7
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Our Daily BreadOur Daily BreadOur Daily BreadOur Daily BreadOur Daily BreadWestern novelist Stephen Bly says that in the
days of America’s Old West there were two types offriends (and horses): runners and standers. At thefirst sign of trouble, the runner would bolt—aban-doning you to whatever peril you were facing. But astander would stick with you no matter the circum-stances. Unfortunately, you wouldn’t know whichkind of friend you had until trouble came. And then itwas too late—unless your friend was a stander.
Rather than being concerned with what kind offriends we have, however, we ought to consider whatkind of friends we are. In the final days of Paul’sministry, as he awaited death, some who had minis-tered with him turned into runners and abandonedhim to face execution alone. In his last letter, he listedsome (like Demas) who had run off, then simply stated,“Only Luke is with me” (2 Tim. 4:11). Luke was astander. While undoubtedly disappointed by those whohad deserted him, Paul must have been deeply com-forted to know he was not alone.
Proverbs tells us that “a friend loves at all times”(17:17). During times of adversity, we need friendswe can rely on. When the people we know face trouble,what kind of friend will we be—a runner or astander? — Bill Crowder
Dear Lord, help us to be the kind of friend whodoesn’t run when our friends are in need. Give usthe courage to stand by them, the wisdom to knowwhat to say, and the ability to serve them. Amen.
A true friend stands with us in times of trial.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAYTO REMIE CAGUETA,
WILLY SAN DIEGOON FEBRUARY 4
DATU Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr.was indicted for additional 15 counts ofmurder during the continuation yesterdayin Camp Crame of the trial of the November23, 2009 massacre in Maguindanao province.
This brought to 56 the total number of mur-der charges filed against Ampatuan Jr., whoagain arrived early at the courtroom at the Phil-ippine National Police (PNP) Non-Commis-sioned Officers Clubhouse from the NationalBureau of Investigation (NBI) headquarters inManila.
The detained mayor, tagged as the princi-pal suspect in the gruesome killing of at least57 people, including 30 media practitionersin Ampatuan town, pleaded not guilty to theadditional murder charges read before thesala of QCRTC, branch 221 Judge JocelynSolis-Reyes.
Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. faces 56 murder rapsFourteen of the additional murder charges
were transferred from a court in Cotabato Cityto the sala of Judge Reyes.
Earlier, Ampatuan Jr. also pleaded notguilty to the initial 41 counts of murder.
During cross examination of Buluan townVice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, defenselawyer Sigfried Fortun attempted to discreditthe sixth witness by inquiring about his al-leged pending criminal charges before a courtin the Autonomous Region in MuslimMindanao (ARMM).
However, Senior State Prosecutor LeoDacera objected to the questioning, which wasgranted by Judge Reyes.
Ampatuan Jr. was excused from the hear-ing immediately after the cross examinationand whisked by NBI agents back to the theirManila headquarters. Kim Pascual
THE Department of Edu-cation (DepEd) yesterdayasked the help of the privateand telecommunications com-panies to help improve theinternet connection of schoolsnationwide.
DepEd Secretary JesliLapus said they are gratefulfor the private sector ’s con-tribution to the education sec-tor in recent years throughsuch innovative programs asthe “Brigada Eskwela” andthe Gilas (Gearing upInternet Literacy and Access
for Students) but added thatmore could be done, espe-cially in the provision of In-formation CommunicationTechnology (ICT) tools suchas computers and Internetsubscription.
He said DepEd needs “con-nectivity and training for stu-dents and teachers.”
At present, 4,017 publichigh schools are already con-nected to the internet, 2,020of which through the initia-tive of the private sectormostly through the GILAS
project.But he said the program
offers only a one year freeinternet connection afterwhich the DepEd has to shoul-der the cost, he put theamount at P300 million an-nually.
DepEd said it would maxi-mize the use of modern IT tech-nology by providing moremulti-media packages to pub-lic schools this year as it hasto cope with a smaller bud-get compared to last year.
Marco Lorenzana
DepEd to improve schools’ internet connection
Arroyo orders gov’t agenciesto assist OFWs from Haiti
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has instructed the Depart-ment of Foreign Affairs (DFA),Department of Labor and Employ-ment (DOLE), and the Departmentof Social Welfare and Development(DSWD) to assist Filipinos arriv-ing from Haiti and their families.
Executive Secretary EduardoErmita made the announcementin a press briefing on Wednes-day.
Forty-one Filipinos are expectedto return to the country this week,with 11 arriving Thursday andanother 30 coming on Friday.
The two groups will be escortedby Philippine Vice Consul toHavana Jason Anasarias andPhilippine Ambassador to HavanaMacarthur Corsino, respectively.
Aside from 172 Filipino peace-keepers, there are an estimated 290overseas Filipino workers in Haiti,mostly occupying middle andupper management positions inthe garments, telecommunication,and power generation sectors.
Twenty-three Filipinos arrived overthe weekend from Haiti, which wasdevastated by a series of earthquakestwo week ago. Alex Balcoba
WHERE’S JUSTICE?Relatives of the “Wowowee stampede victims” light candles and stage a rally in frontof the Supreme Court (SC) which has yet to decide on the case filed against ABS-CBN and host Willie Revillame. The stampede took place four years ago.
velopment Authority (MMDA)Chairman Oscar Inocentes saidthey won’t hesitate to arrest con-tractors of local utility companiesbecause of their unscheduledroad repairs and excavationsworks that cause traffic conges-tion.
Inocentes said the MMDA willconfiscate construction equip-ment blocking the roads duringrush hours as he enjoined the con-tractors to strictly comply notonly with the appropriate safetyguidelines but also with theMMDA’s traffic regulations.
“Before you make any diggingor close any portion of the road,submit your notice, traffic plans,and timetables. If you will notcomply, I will have you arrested,”the irate MMDA chairman toldrepresentatives and contractorsof the Department of Public Worksand Highways (DPWH) and vari-
ous utility firms and telecommu-nications companies during ameeting on Tuesday at the MMDAoffice in Makati City.
Inocentes said he concernedabout the apparent rising num-ber of complaints from angry mo-torists caught in constant heavytraffic on Edsa and other majorhighways.
Inocentes said the DPWH con-tractor did not submit a priornotice to the MMDA concerningits concrete re-blocking project inEdsa.
Inocentes asked the DPWH’sdistrict engineers and contractorsto move their re-blocking projectin Edsa on summer.
To prevent incidents of trafficjams, Inocentes asked DPWH andthe utility companies to come upwith an advertisement notifyingthe public about its scheduledroad works in advance.
Marco Lorenzana
8 Thursday, February 4, 2010
THERE are reportsfloating around thatFloyd Mayweather Jr.is trying to avoid amatch up betweenhim and fellowAmerican sluggerSugar Shane Mosley.
Reports releasedby philboxing.comdisclosed thatMayweather Jr. is notsigning the contractfor a fight againstMosley.
Sitting on desk inGolden Boy Promo-tions CEO RichardSchaefer ’s office inLos Angeles is Mosley’s signed contract to faceMayweather on May 1st in Las Vegas. Conspicuouslymissing, however, is Mayweather’s.
Though both sides have agreed to the terms of thefight — which will include random blood testing doneby the USADA — Mayweather has still not signed thedeal. And Schaefer doesn’t understand why.
“I have no idea what’s going on,” Schaefer told SI.com.“Every time I talk to [Mayweather’s advisors] they tell
Mayweather Jr. also fears Shane Mosley?
MO
SL
EY
MA
YW
EA
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me it’s coming thenext day. Every dayit’s the next day.”
When Mosleyc h a l l e n g e dMayweather lastyear, the formerp o u n d - f o r - p o u n dfighter also de-manded that he andMosley should un-dergo a random drugtesting, just like whathe requested for cur-rent pound-for-pound boxer MannyPacquiao.
But when Mosleyagreed to the terms,
Mayweather reportedly became unavailable.Schaefer had initially planned to bring both fighters
to the Super Bowl in Miami to begin promoting the fight.That plan, however, has been scrapped.
“The Super Bowl was going to kick off the promo-tion,” said Schaefer. “It would have been a great plat-form for promoting a fight this big. But I’m not goingdown there until I have a signed contract fromMayweather.”
CLEVELAND Cavalier LeBron Jamesis a freight train and there is no stoppinghim from going to the top of the NBA’sfood chain.
James tied a career high with 15 assiststo help the Cleveland Cavaliers beat theworn-down Memphis Grizzlies 105-89 onTuesday for their ninth straight NBA vic-tory.
James scored 22 but was more focusedon setting up his teammates. It was thefifth time in six games he has had at least10 assists, accepting the challenge of run-ning Cleveland’s offense while the clubwaits for guards Mo Williams and DelonteWest to return from injuries.
Shaquille O’Neal ruled beneath thehoop, collecting 13 points and 13 reboundsin 21 minutes as Cleveland again won com-fortably — the Cavaliers have won theirpast four games by an average of 19 points.
Rudy Gay scored 15 for Memphis, play-ing its fourth game in five nights.
Thunder 106, Hawks 99In Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant had
33 points and 11 rebounds as OklahomaCity recovered from blowing a 13-pointlead and still beat Atlanta.
Durant became the first player sinceAllen Iverson nine seasons ago to score atleast 25 points in 22 consecutive games.He made two free throws with 10 secondsleft to complete a perfect 14-for-14 nightat the foul line.
With Atlanta within two points, Duranthit jump shot of back-to-back possessionsto make it 97-93 and then set up a threepoints by Jeff Green and a layup by RussellWestbrook that sealed the result.
Green finished with 19 points.
LeBron James setsNBA career high
So eyes title at Moscow Aeroflot OpenFILIPINO Grandmaster (GM)
Wesley So is looking forward tohis next big tournament – the 2010Aeroflot Open chess champion-ship on February 9 to 17 in Mos-cow, Russia.
Hardly disappointed by hisfourth-place finish in the 72ndCorus tournament in Wijk aanZee, Netherlands last week, the16-year-old So quietly flew backto the country for a brief rest pe-riod before preparing for another
acid test in his young and sto-ried career.
So is set to leave for the Rus-sian capital via Hong Kong at 4:40p.m. on Sunday.
“It’s a new challenge for me,”said So during a courtesy call toNational Chess Federation of thePhilippines (NCFP) presidentProspero “Butch” Pichay at theLocal Water Utilities Administra-tion (LWUA) office in QuezonCity.
Orcullo spearheads RP Team in Hannover pool tiltTHE former world No. 1 Dennis “Robocop” Orcullo
delivered twice to lift RP team into a 4-1 smashingvictory over Czech Republic late Tuesday to cruise intothe Last 16 of the first-ever World Team Cup Champi-onship being held at the Hall 13 Hannover ExhibitionGrounds in Hannover, Germany.
Orcullo from Bislig, Surigao del Sur, and one of thetop players of star-studded Bugsy Promotions defeatedRoman Hybler, 8-2, in 9-ball, and Lukas Krenek, 7-2,in 10-ball.
“Orcullo played well against his Czech opponentin the 9-ball and 10-ball competition. He refused togive him any chance to come closer.
I hope the trend continues,” said sportsman/ busi-nessman Ceferino “Perry” Mariano, president of BugsyPromotions, who watched the intense game throughonline internet with International Master Marlon Ber-nardino.
Japan-based Antonio “Nickoy” Lining beat MichalGavenciak, 8-4, in 9-ball.
THE Philippine Olympic Committee (POC)yesterday urged the National Sports Asso-ciations (NSAs) to form a fighting team forthe 16th Asian Games.
The NSAs will be sending athletes to theNov. 12-27 Asiad in Guangzhou, China andthe POC is hoping that they will be a fight-ing team.
“We have to decide early if we just want tojoin or actually compete for medals," Cojuangcotold sports leaders during a meeting.
“We need to be assured that the team wewill be sending to the Asian Games will be afighting team because the public and mediacan be critical if we don’t measure up to theirexpectations," he added.
The POC has given the NSAs their respec-tive technical handbooks for the Asian Gameseven as chief of mission Joey Romasanta in-structed them to craft their plans of action byFebruary 15.
The Philippines is hoping to improve onthe four gold, six silver and nine bronze med-als it won in the 2006 Asian Games in Doha,Qatar.
