Unanswered questions

Question I was asked which I could not answer, not even with a guess: "Where is the P10 billion pork barrel now?"

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A followup question which I still could not answer, still even with a guess: "Did Janet Napoles pocket every centavo of the P10 billion pork barrel?"

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Banat News recently asked in its editorial in connection with the P10 billion pork barrel scam; "Sa mga magbabalaod kinsa kahay mapriso?" Duna kaha?

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A commercial sex worker who had just had her bungalow in Labangon blessed said she knew she was being talked about by what she called "crabs." She told the priest who blessed her house: "Wa ko magtagad anang mga tsismis diha, Padre. Basta kay wa maggikan sa pork barrel sa politiko ang gitukod ko aning gamay kong bay." The priest laughed aloud.

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Dr. (Ph. D.) Anthony Lamberto Sr. who teaches Asian languages in a Christian college in Manila said he reads Tagalog tabloids (including PM and PSN, our sister publications under the Phil Star Group of Publications). "I read them to widen my perspective on Tagalog as the Phil lingua franca," he said.

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Dr. Lamberto, who is Bicolano, said: "I like the language of the tabs. They have their own Tagalog slang." He stressed that his opinion on the tabloids should not be considered prejudicial to his acceptance of Tagalog or Filipino as the National Language.

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The president has signed Proclamation No. 242 declaring Sept. 5 to Oct. 5 of every year National Teachers Month. Reporter Helen Flores of the Phil Star urges students to thank their teachers who have touched their lives.

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Which reminds me again of my media colleague Loy Jurado whose personal advocacy it is to remind children, whether pupils or not, to always say "thank you" for any favors received. Loy initiated this advocacy after observing that many children never say "thank you" to people giving them gifts or relief goods during disasters.

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OVERHEARD. Three business executives were overheard discussing the news about Sen. Bam Aquino saying that the PDAF is almost certain to be abolished in the Senate. One of them said: "Natural, diha man nasakpan ang dakong scam." Commented another: "Kato ra tingali ang mga senador nalambigit kang Napoles ang di na hataga'g PDAF." The third exec said: "Sa ato pa kadtong mga wa pa hisakpi tagaa'g chance?"