P’NOY’s “pusong mammon” dragged his 82% ratings down to ebb tide. He shouldn’t squander political capital by taking the heat for his cabinet.

My driver Pidong says, “Ang pagbunot ng Puno ay di sapat… kapag di kasama ang Ugat.”

An assistant secretary advised her boss to telephone Donald Tsang, but he didn’t catch on.

At a dinner hosted for UP alumni in the Aquino Cabinet, VP Jejomar Binary urged government officials to demonstrate competence in public service to restore public confidence. In UAAP jargon… a thick hint from a Maroon coach to Blue Eagle OJTs in the P’Noy bench.

TOURISM. Representatives Ma. Milagros Magsaysay (Lakas-Kampi) and Luzviminda Ilagan (Gabriela Party) are right to say that cabinet members who act “like they are still on OJT” should now resign before they are rejected by the Commission on Appointments.

But they are amiss in blaming Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim for being “slow-footed” and not coming up with a PR blitz.

A PR practitioner will tell you:

1. Besides being n bad taste, it is the wrong time to do counter-flow promotions which only advertise the sore; and

2. It may sound cynical, but 6 months from now, people will forget the nightmare at Quirino Grandstand and still recall a destination Philippines.

DoT should instead use the time to tap the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority to set up essential infrastructure (clean toilets, good roads and signs, connect transport/hotels/tourist spots, promote domestic tourism with home stay facilities, etc).

ABROAD. Thousands of coal trucks and other vehicles were backed up for miles in monster traffic jams that plagued an overloaded northern China highway since construction began on a parallel route this summer.

If they were on their way to a beach resort, do you still think it a good idea to bring Chinese tourists to Boracay?

JAILHOUSE ROCK. The Arroyo party (GMA, Mikey and Diosdado) filed House Bill No. 2703 seeking the repatriation Filipinos convicted of crimes and offenses abroad.
Good intentions. But Ambassador Al Vicente in Libya recalls as Consul in Brussels that a Filipino able seaman begged to stay on in the Belgian jail where he was earning more than onboard a ship.

Would our expat convicts exchange accommodations for Muntinlupa?

When rape convict Paco Larranaga was repatriated to Madrid, who was the unlucky Pinoy convict sent here in exchange?

Cebu jail might be better… where they can do a Michael Jackson and get several YouTube hits.

Feedback: jaz_aide@yahoo.com.