What happened to Karen Davila?

Many people, including businessmen, were expecting fireworks to happen during last Sunday’s PiliPinas presidential debates in Pangasinan, but it turned out to be a tame affair with the candidates being very civil to each other, even in the segment where they got to ask questions directed at their rivals. But what came out as really surprising was moderator Karen Davila who came across as “aggressively rude” against some of the candidates, most especially Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Perhaps the Vice President’s joke that he must be Karen’s “favorite” for number 1 (“Talagang favorite mo ako sa number 1 ano? Kapuna-puna pa naman naka-blue ka ngayon”) did not sit well with the female anchor, who retorted her shirt was “dark blue.” 

We know Karen to be straightforward and professionally civil whenever she asks questions but many, especially those who are familiar with her show “Headstart” over at ABS-CBN News Channel, were amazed to see her cutting off VP Binay during the “Fast Talk” segment of the debate. It looked like she was angry for some reason, and the fireworks was coming from her instead of the candidates.

As the businessmen were all asking, “What happened to Karen?”

Best chopper deal from Bell

The eight Bell 412EP helicopters delivered to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Department of National Defense three months ahead of schedule last August is a good example of a successful government-to-government procurement agreement between Canada and the Philippines, informed sources told Spy Bits. Unlike the controversial Agusta-Westland chopper contract with the private Anglo-Italian aircraft manufacturer, the G-to-G contract is aboveboard and underscores the ongoing defense collaboration between the Philippines and Canada, the same source told us. While Bell is headquartered in Texas, the choppers were built in Montreal and form part of a Canada-US defense co-production initiative with support from the Canadian Commercial Corporation.

During the delivery ceremony attended by Ambassadors Philip Goldberg of the US and Neil Reeder of Canada with Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Bell Helicopter Asia Pacific managing director Sameer Rahman, the latter expressed pride at the important role that the Bell choppers have played in the country’s national defense in the last six decades.

The Bell H-13 Sioux, a variant of the iconic Bell 47, was the first helicopter to enter into service with the Philippine Air Force in 1955. The PAF has operated derivations of the Bell UH-1H since the late 1960s, and since 1994 when they received their first two Bell 412s. According to DND insiders, the Bell 412 and variants offer the most rugged medium twin-engine helicopter available, with the best readiness rate of any helicopter in its class.

The Bell 412EP easily fulfills many mission critical helicopter operations worldwide, offering reliable performance in some of the most extreme climates. With a cruise speed of 122 knots (or 226-kph) and a range of 357 nautical miles (662km) plus an expansive cabin that can easily accommodate 13 passengers and two crew members, the Bell 412EP is capable of fitting multiple mission criteria.

The final delivery of the fully configured choppers highlight the strong defense collaboration between Canada and the Philippines as well as the longstanding cooperation between Bell and CCC aimed at providing “cost effective government-to-government contracting solutions for advanced aerospace products,” said CCC contracts manager James Mott.

The singing US Ambassador

At a dinner hosted by former Ambassadors Jesus Tambunting, Bobby Romulo and Lani Bernardo for former Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario, a professional singer who provided the entertainment went around asking the ambassadors to sing, with some readily obliging.

The surprise of the night however came from US Ambassador Philip Goldberg who gave a very good rendition of Louie Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” Some of the guests present quipped that the US Ambassador was probably dedicating the song to presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte who recently slammed the ambassadors from US and Australia over the rape comment issue.

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