Former Nasdaq president Bernard Madoff had successfully engaged in a “Ponzi scheme” or pyramiding scam that raked in $50 billion from huge investors, some of them were Bank Santander of Spain, HSBC, Nomura Securities and even Steven Spielberg Foundation.
Gossips circulating around the business world also include a very close family member of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo in the list who lost hundred of millions of ‘greenbucks’ in the Enron and Lehman Brothers fiasco. Muntik na nga raw inatake sa puso ang nasabing Malacanang huge personality na papunta sana sa Tate dahil sa nasabing paglubog ng barko-barko niyang salapi na isinalang nga sa Enron and Lerhman Brothers na nag-declare ng bankruptcy. Buti na lang daw, hindi heart attack ang tumira sa nasabing mama habang nasa ere
at.... Diarrhea lang.
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Habitually, whenever Uncle
Sam sneezes, the Philippines gets the cold. What happens in the US is simulated in the Philippines. Gaya-gaya, puto maya, ba. Thus, when corruption and bad governance happened in the US private sector, it also happened in the Philippines’ private sector. The best illustrations could be observed in the banking, oil, mining and telecom sectors, resulting in defrauding investors and the government where corruption to the highest level is seen and felt, naturally by the stockholders.
In the US, the Federal Reserve Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Stock Exchange Boards are being blamed for inaction not to mention collusion that allowed the aforestated scams and mismanagement to happen.
The same is true in the Philippines. The BSP, the SEC, the Philippine Stock Exchange Board and the BIR always closed their eyes to the large scale corporate corruption going on. Tens up to hundreds of billions of corporate income had escaped taxation. Corporate executives are making tons of money that should otherwise go to stockholders. Wala, eh. Ibang tumikadas ang mga Pinoy. Mula sa pelikula, fashion, politika, hanggang sa malawakang corruption, tulad ng ‘Ponzi’ or pyramiding scheme, yakang-yakang tularan ng Pinas ang America. Kung baga sa kanta ...
Plakadong-plakado ang tira.
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‘Nak ng dalagang baka, kabayan! Was that scene shown again and again over CNN breathtaking! When Iraqi TV journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi threw both of his shoes, one after the other at George W. Bush, the world’s most powerful head of state until January 20, 2009, people around the Arab Region seemingly rejoiced in jubilation. Well, Bush ducked agilely twice to avoid being hit by a size 10 boots, but this shoe-throwing incident would be one for the history books. It will certainly not make Dubya nicely remembered, but it has made AlZeidi some kind of a folk hero to the Arab world.
Of course, the Europeans will pretend to be shocked, but secretly a multitude must be sheepishly smiling with its Mona Lisa grin. And the Confucian-influenced Asian leaders, who are typically quiet, as if unperturbed, knowing that in their respective countries something as disrespectful as that incident in Iraq, is not likely to happen. Although a Malacanang spokesman, Ret. Gen. Eduardo Ermita, executive secretary of a Palace ‘illegal’ resident had this by way of comment – “We Filipinos are different. We are more decent.” Disente raw sila sa Malacanang? Jaws ng mga mabunying buwitre sa Palasyo!
Itong mga Malacañang ‘microphones’ na ito are really something else, ha kabayan. Look, Ermita’s sidekick, spokesperson Golez weeks before said that Filipinos are “politically mature” when asked to comment about the then ongoing strikes and rallies in Thailand. Golez comment drew a sharp protest from the Thai ambassador who naturally inferred that Golez called his people “politically immature.” Anong karapatan ni Golez na ikumpara ang Pinoy culture sa mga kanugnog bansa tulad ng Thailand? What Golez did is beyond intelligent comprehension. Para siyang ...
Abogadong pulpol
* * * *
Well, it’s Christmastime my friends at sana ang maging maligaya ang ating selebrasyon ng Pasko at sa darating na Bagong Taon. It’s also well-timed to thank you all for your continuous support to this column and this newspaper all year-round. Ang dami-dami nating dapat pasalamatan at bigyan ng regalo sa Paskong ito. At dahil mahal ko kayong lahat, hugs and kisses from the bottom of my heart and gift ko to everyone!!! Mwah, mwah .... Hehehe... Sensiya na po, kabayan...
Kulang sa datung, dinero, greenbucks, pera, money si Mondee, eh. At any rate, Merry Christmas and a very Prosperous 2009 sa ating lahat!!! ... Cheers!
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SHORT ORDER: Many thanks to katotong Ace and Gie Alvarez for featuring us – me, Jovie Ciria and Miguel Caducio – sa Front Page Philippines TV show nila which is aired over Rogers TV 14 every Sunday from 11 to 11:30 a.m .... Daming tumawag sa akin sir Ace, ‘pogi raw pala ako sa TV!’...wow!!! akala ko ang esmi ko lang na si Frances at apong sina Nicole at Iyam ang nagsasabi ng ‘totoo,’...hehehe ...watch Front Page Philippines over Channel 14 on Rogers TV on December 25 and you’ll enjoy it... Thanks to my son-in-law Lawrence and youngest daughter Ross for giving Papa and Mama another beautiful granddaughter Yumi Lara last December 6. We love you!... Happy 51st bday greetings to my best friend-kumpadre Rey Fortaleza on December 29, so as to my elder brods Dikong Jun Datol of Novaliches, QC also on December 29 .... Belated 86th bday cheers to Nanay Lucia Caducio, Miguel’s mom who celebrated December 1... Cheers, too, to Jovie Ciria, Darius betterhalf who celebrated her nth natal day December 4 ...Merry Xmas to Kumpareng Romy Patricio and Family in Surrey, BC, ditto to Virgie and husband .... Happy Holidays, too, to colleagues idol AL Mendoza, Ellen Tordesillas, Ma’am Ninez Cacho Olivarez, sir Ducky Paredes, Bill Velasco, John Bello, sir Recah Trinidad, Beth Celis, Jimmy Cantor, Abac Cordero, Ka Hermie Rivera, Jake Ayson of golf, Virgie Tia-Romano, Ted Alcuitas, Jun Cordero, Bob Valdes, Kuya Ben Berto, Pinky Bartolome, Alex Vidal, at sa iba pa nating kasamahan sa trabaho diyan sa Manila at Vancouver... Cheers!!!
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