Not-so-secret secret service

According to our ear-spies, there’s a brewing friction between the US Secret Service and local intelligence agencies on security preparations for US President George W. Bush’s visit on Oct. 18. Our ear-spies overheard that there’s a virtual "tug-’o-war" between the US Secret Service and the Presidential Security Group (PSG) on the issue of who will take the lead role in protecting the US President. After 9/11, only the US Secret Service will have direct responsibility on the security of the US President, while local security groups are only allowed to play a secondary role. In fact, our ear-spies say the same friction will most likely occur during the APEC meeting because the security groups of 21 heads of state will stress their key roles in protecting their own leader. Our ear-spies believe the US Secret Service is more concerned today about the safety of the US President especially after the escape of Fathur al-Ghozi from Camp Crame last July.

‘Ala Kris Aquino’ English Department

According to our ear-spies, an irate parent sent us an email complaining about the English department of a five-star "Chinese" school in Greenhills, San Juan. In this school, the parent wrote, the English language is hacked and mutilated by an allegedly "know-nothing English Department." The enraged parent also said that a quick-read of a current textbook will make her point crystal clear. Why they had to abandon Voyages in English for the teaching of ‘classical grammar’ is something that’s hard to explain. "What passes for the English language instruction today is characterized by improvization of the worst kind, and even worse, by people whose tenses are less than perfect and whose participles dangle precariously above a cliff where our kids are bound to fall if no one calls attention to it..." The result, she said, would be boys: "who love to lace their speech with an amboyslang-infected coligialo-speak ala Kris Aquino and nothing more – bad sentence, awful phraseology... "In a day and age when money is hard to come by even for rich folks, and English is as important as breathing clean air, demanding a fortune for this kind of "ala Kris Aquino" English is nothing less than criminal.

Against All Odds?

Our Palace ear-spies recently disclosed that Sec. Eduardo Ermita might just clinch the appointment as Secretary of National Defense. Our defense ear-spy said that two weekends ago, critics of Ermita were out to discredit him and even presented supposed evidences that he was corrupt, and a dossier that he has three lovely mistresses. However, Ermita’s aide already requested the DND to provide the Palace with the department’s accomplishment report for the first half of 2003. According to our ear-spies, this is to prepare Ermita to assume the post. The defense department staff is looking forward to strong changes in the armed forces (despite the dossier) if and when Gen. Ermita takes over.

French Fried Presidential Adviser

The infamous presidential adviser is at it again, giving the wrong advice for the wrong reasons. This time, he is trying to convince GMA to cancel her Paris trip and extend her New York City stop. Our ear-spies overheard that the presidential adviser is doing this so the President could meet the presidential adviser’s "boss" in the AIG Group – and spend more time with him. Apparently, his IPO – influence peddling operations – are still alive and well, and now his target is the President. However, when the presidential adviser met the GMA, in her classic mataray manner, she quipped, "I will speak before the UNESCO. I’m going to Paris! Period!" Now the presidential adviser knows what it means to be "french fried."

Spybizness Survey

SPYBIZ recently conducted an informal survey on who, most likely, would be the business sector’s bet for 2004. The survey revealed in order of choice: Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, he could do another Thaksin; GMA, at least we know her track record; Roco, honest and straight; Lacson, better with strong-arm tactics to curb criminality; and Angara, a good man but not winnable.

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