The Fart King

He is known as Manuel to us
Reputation not for his intellect in the class
But for something else far more distinctive
Whiffs of several kinds you can never forgive

At sunrise comes the first blow
A premonition of a day to follow
While still in bed he screeches
You’d think it went through his breeches

In the shower of the early morn
The second bomb engulfs the dorm
The third while we are all donning our clothing
The fourth on the way to the chapel for praying

After each Bible verse he goes
Out his back and to everybody’s nose
Even the celebrant priest is in dismay
Whenever the wind carries it his way

At breakfast, in class and even during snacks
We wished on our heads we all wore sacks
For there is no immediate way of stopping
The royal smell of the Fart King

We count to more than a hundred at the day’s end
The Guinness’ Book of World Records would surely bend
We go back to our bunks in the dormitory to rest
Poor Manuel tries to control it with all his best

As everybody settles down to sleep
The beadle warns our mouths to keep
While silence lands and out goes the light
A last hurrah disturbs the night!

(Photo courtesy of www.sodahead.com)

Dragon Defender

The call came on my cell phone around four o’clock in the afternoon. I had just risen from my nap and quickly answered it. It was Reggie (not his real name), an operative of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). I knew immediately that there was something going on. He immediately gave the description of an unmarked car that was to pick me up at a shop near my house in about 30 minutes.
I recalled the first time I met the guy while I gathered up my gear. It was less than a year earlier in Naga City and during another drug-sting-operation. I was thrilled for having been chosen to cover another undertaking by the said agency. After checking if I had everything I needed, I proceeded to the rendezvous and got the ride after a 15-minute wait.

After another 20 minutes, we arrived at a village on the outskirts of Ligao City. The throng of onlookers by the road made me suspect at first that the mission was over, not yet anyway. Reggie met me at the entrance to a dusty side road and cleared me through the cops guarding the perimeter.
A few meters away, a man being frisked came into view. I found out that the suspect and his wife were the targets of a search warrant. To make sure that they got their marks, the agents earlier conducted a ‘buy-bust’ exercise and were able to collar the husband selling a couple of sachets containing shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) to a poseur-buyer. Amazingly the pregnant wife and the six small children were able to escape. It was believed that they were being cuddled by sympathetic neighbors or relatives nearby. Unfortunately, the warrant only covered one house and nothing more.

This is just one of the daily routines of PDEA agents in their continuing battle to rid the Philippines of illegal drugs. By allowing members of the media to be embedded in their activities, they are sending a message that their job is not that easy as others may think. It is tiring, dangerous and most of the time frustrating.

I never fully understood what they meant by ‘frustrating’ as the drugs they recovered were substantial enough to build a formidable case in court. Later, a source whispered to me that the agents believe that there is a possibility that the suspect was being protected by one of their own. At that moment I knew that I had a real story on my hands.

(AUTHR'S NOTE: This is just a prelude to a formal article about to be written. How soon it will be finished will depend on how soon the critical facts are gathered and properly documented. All photos courtesy of PDEA)

Acrylic Art

When one is in between jobs, time is not scarce. How this treasure can be spent depends on an individual's mood, intellect and imagination.

This is exactly what I went through.

What started as a simple activity to ease my boredom turned out to be one of the greatest discoveries of my life. The passion still continues but a journey back to that time is what I need to analyze the present and look forward with high hopes to the future.

For me, painting is not only an expression but a window into a person's innermost thoughts and emotions. It is almost a perfect picture of the way he looks at his existence in relation to his environment.

These are just five of the several frames I have created at that chapter of this book I call 'Life.'

The Realm of the Blue (A Whale of a Tale)

Behind seaweeds he glides like a bird in flight
Humongous flanks bathed in rays of light
Carefree and content of all things around
For this is the blue realm where things abound

Letting out a resonance of glee
Twisting and paddling around for all to see
How content and happy this giant is
This must be the life of eternal bliss

Turning and twirling creating bubbles
Never thinking of all the possible troubles
But a large black mass it fails to see
The impact was forceful and loud as it can be

A sudden swish of a much bigger tail
Was a realization there was a larger whale
It was the wisest and the oldest of all the mystics
Apparently annoyed with such childish antics

“Listen young fool for it is not as you think
The world is cruel so take another blink
There is not only good but evil as well
Our pleasure and pain we cannot foretell

There is still a long way that lies ahead of you
Countless other lessons in this Realm of the Blue
Always remember to keep a sharp eye
When the moment comes you will know why

Never dare venture nor approach the shore
For there lies the empire of Anguish Galore
They will chop you up after running you down
Parade your bones in the middle of their town!”

The youngster nods but nothing is clear
This was new knowledge maybe nothing to fear
“Why tell me this O wise and true?
Did something tragic happen to you?

What dark secrets can you reveal?
Are they just myths or are they for real?”
The old gray eye looks down to the sand
Left cheek to one side exposing a brand

Staring straight with aged brows knitted together
The cunning slowly disclosed to the youngster
“This happened when I was about your age
Stubborn I was when I disobeyed a sage

I trekked too close to the humans one fateful day
Dragging with me someone’s offspring who had gone astray
As if to put our strength or stupidity to the test
We challenged a hunting boat and boasted our best

It was a fatal decision which I eternally regret
A harrowing experience I will never forget
As we slid along the cursed craft noisily
We soon were under an intense volley

Harpoons and arrows struck below water
Hiding and blocking our view of each other
After a few moments I heard a cold squeal
Death had found the kid; it was the end of the deal

Immediately diving and abandoning all pride
Nothing left in the world to do but hide
But I was not quick as I hoped I would be
Something hit me in the darkness of the sea

I do not know for how long I lay
I woke up back in the comfort of our bay
I finally learned that in the Realm of the Blue
If you are not cautious death could get you too!”

Mind enlightened and soul kept humble
The young whale bowed to the wise and the noble
To mend careless ways is what must be done
In the Realm of the Blue, life is not only fun!

Bicol Blossoms (Part 2)

Our survey of the different beauties from the southern tip of Luzon continues. This time we focus on those that thrive by the highway into the province of Sorsogon. These delicate forms were found particularly near the villages of Putiao in Pilar and Cumadcad in Castilla. The others were sighted in Pangpang, Sorsogon City and on the road going to the town of Prieto Diaz. Although there exists a variety of colors, those shown here are those that are sure to capture a woman's fancy. (All photos by J. Garalde)

Wild Wolves

According to Robert Jackson, “Men are often bribed by their loyalties and ambitions than by money.” In this age where the quest for power always outshines that of the common good, men and women belonging to all kinds of institutions have always (knowingly or unknowingly) lived up to this quote.
Presently, the senate of the Philippines is sitting as a single committee to hear unethical complaints hurled against one of their own, Sen. Manny Villar. One cannot blame a regular observer if he questions the objectivity, much less the credibility, of the accusers and the defenders alike. For one point, the sitting arrangement of the senators during the first day was almost a give-away of where they stand. Flanked by two opposing forces, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile was the only one who seemed fair during that set up.
As standard practice, the proceedings started with the finalization of what rules were going to be followed during its entirety or whatever amendments were needed to be included to get the ball rolling. This initial stage alone was enough to solicit an outbreak of viewpoints from both sides. When the counsel of the Ethics Committee for instance started reading the list of alleged ethical violations of Villar, Pimentel was quick to interject and tried to tone down the counsel’s report claiming that the statements being read may very well spark a ‘trial by publicity.’ The other side did not budge as that is probably exactly what they wanted.

Most individuals surmise that this hearing on ethical complaints against Villar is nothing more than a blade designed to slice the man’s possible rise to power into several pieces. The former senate president who has been reportedly leading every political survey is what stands between his detractors and their own ambitions. Meanwhile, these very same detractors are also the ones blocking the certain objectives of Villar’s backers once he is in the country’s top executive post. In short, everybody has their own cause to rally.
An ethical disgrace would certainly cut down Villar’s chances of claiming victory in 2010 more so now that anomalies are being unearthed like worms almost daily. Villar might as well kiss his goal goodbye once public perception is molded against him because of this controversy. If he goes down so will the aspirations of those who champion for him, whatever they may be. With Villar out of the way, analysts say that the attack dogs would then turn to each other in frenzy. That’s the way of the world. In the end, the question still remains the same: will the last man standing be the one to truly fight for the cause of the many against the few? We sure hope so.
In fairness, Enrile gave the impression last Monday that the hearing would be impartial and well-mannered. That however still remains to be seen. In the coming days, the Filipino people must follow this development closely as it will determine an outcome in which all of us have a lot at stake. Let us try to grasp whether this democratic body which we all trustingly instituted is really what it is and not a pack of sharply-dressed wild wolves tearing at each other for the kill. (Photo courtesy of www.esc.mtu.edu)