Cuisia huffs and puffs

Palace Eye-Spies disclosed that former AIG chairman Maurice "Hank" Greenberg quietly flew in by private jet last week. GMA secretly gave him an honorific award last Tuesday but it was kept hush-hush because of Greenberg’s current legal problems in New York. Philam president Joey Cuisia was not invited to the ceremony but forced his way and wrangled an invitation through Executive Secretary Ed Ermita. GMA, however, ignored the uninvited one throughout the ceremony. Cuisia apparently had been bad-mouthing the President all over town for some time now. As a result of the snub, Cuisia left in a huff and vowed to huff and puff like the bad white wolf until he blows the Palace down the river along with Little Miss Red Riding Hood in it. Now who’s afraid of the bad white wolf and his co-conspirators?

Mark the date – Nov. 22

Our US-based Ear-Spy reported that Mark Jimenez is arriving at 10:55 a.m. on Nov. 22 onboard Korean Airlines Flight 621. The former Manila congressman-turned-fugitive was extradited to the US in December 2002 on charges of tax evasion, and served a two-year sentence in a minimum-security Florida prison. Sources close to Jimenez said he plans to get back to politics and gun for the position of Manila mayor. Those expected to spread the welcome mat for Jimenez are Congressman "Prosperous" Pichay and former Allied Bank president now DTI Secretary Peter Favila. Both gave Marky baby a warm send-off when he left voluntarily three years ago. However, rumors have it that Mark’s No. 1 enemy Nani Perez may prefer to stay as far away as possible from the airport, while his ex future crony, former Bulacan Rep. Willie Villarama may plan to be out of the country on that day.

Danger lurks all over the city

Reports of carjackings have been rising for the past few months, prompting the former Traffic Management Group (TMG) chief to suddenly go on an indefinite leave. According to police authorities, carjackers usually tail target victims and wait for an opportunity to suddenly block the path usually in a dark portion of the street. Car occupants are then ordered to leave at gunpoint. Aside from automatic pistols, these criminals also carry M-16 rifles. According to the TMG, an average of two to three vehicles are stolen everyday in Metro Manila. Most of these are allegedly sold in an Apalit, Pampanga barangay. Here’s a list of the streets considered to be among the most dangerous in the metropolis. Motorists will do well to avoid especially at night: Commonwealth Avenue, Katipunan Avenue, Gilmore corner Hemady Streets, and Araneta Avenue, all in Quezon City; Marcos Highway, C-5 Road Makati, Quirino Avenue corner South Super Highway, JP Rizal corner Taft Streets, C3 Malabon, and MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City. There have also been recent reports of carjackings in Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City. Come to think of it, it is dangerous practically all over Manila.

Unauthorized commemorative plates?

A Spybiz informant who purchased a Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) commemorative plate is getting sick and tired of the harassment he is getting from MMDA officers. The plate is valid until March 2006 and was authorized by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) with the signatures of DOTC chief Leandro Mendoza and FAP director general Leo Martinez. However, apprehending MMDA officers insist that it is not in the list of approved licensed plates issued by the LTO. Could this be another scam meant to milk unsuspecting motorists? Perhaps, this could be worth filming as a challenge in a reality show.

Spy tidbiz: Look good and live well

Research conducted by economics professor Daniel Hamermesh of the University of Texas revealed that good looking political candidates have a much better chance of winning than their ugly competitors. The study focused on the results of elections for the American Economics Association from 1996 to 2004, where handsome men had a 56-percent chance of winning on election day. In other studies, Hamermesh also came to the conclusion that good looking professors get better ratings from students, though this does not necessarily have to reflect on their ability as teachers. Even in the legal profession, it was also discovered that attractive lawyers have an edge, earning more money than their not-so-handsome counterparts after five years of practice, with the disparity getting even bigger by the 15th year. Asked for an explanation, the economics professor said there is really no clear answer. It is no wonder, the Hernando character in Saturday Night Live used to end his skit with, "And remember Dahling, it’s better to look good than to feel good!" Because as it turns out, looking good translates to living well. But then again, this is really no mystery anyway.

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