After the happy Pacquiao cheers and Mabuhay – let’s all come back to earth

We all rejoiced over the fantastic knock-out victory of our boxing hero, Manny Pacquiao, who jabbed and punched his way to victory in Vegas. Here at home, all eyes were riveted to television screens, at home, in the office, and in the malls. Whenever Pacquiao’s left jabs and right hooks landed, the viewers cheered. When the final knockdown was seen, this elicited yells, applause – and in pubs and public places, some people went into a merry jig.

Alas, when the First Gent went up to the square canvass to congratulate Da Winnah, TV onlookers booed. Ditto when jubilant images of La Gloria were flashed on the screen.

Perhaps they were just annoyed at the FG and La Presidenta muscling in on the glorious moment of their hero? I got the biggest laugh, though, when it was reported that a planned coup attempt had been "postponed" because the soldiers recruited for the mutiny had refused to get on with their revolution until after they had watched the Pacquiao-Morales grudge fight on TV. I’ve heard of baseball games or football games, and tennis matches called off on account of rain. But a coup postponed on account of a prize-fight? I thought it was country first, enjoyment later. In any event, the fight is over, with Manny P. scoring a smashing victory. Where’s the coup? Probably postponed further for lack of men and support.

Yesterday, as expected, everybody ululated over Manny P’s triumph as a vindication of the Filipino’s ability to win against odds, his power to "can do," his will to be the best!, etc. A nation, indeed, experienced a swelling of the heart, a lift to the spirits. Pacquiao truly deserves his glory. We all shared in that "feel good" moment, our hearts aglow.

But sanamagan, why the suggestions that Manny Pacquiao become a Senator? Or even, but this I trust was proposed with tongue-in-cheek – a President? You know at least what you’re getting when you get a jock or athlete to lead nationally. Oh well. Judging from Senate standards, Pacquiao in that body – which both pro-Cha-cha and anti-Cha-cha groups seem to agree they wish to abolish – could do no harm. We already have had bad actors, sex-action men, drunkards, motor-mouths, tililings, rascals, renegades, and other E.T.s in that chamber – recently, it lost two basketball players whose terms ended, so, one fist-fighter, eventually even Champ, becoming a Senator may enhance that august body.

In ancient Rome, Julius Caesar died from almost two dozen stab wounds inflicted by his fellow Senators, including his dearest friend (possibly anak sa labas) Brutus. In that era, too, Emperor Caligula appointed his horse a "Consul" of Rome. Here, we name them Ambassadors.

Once more, with feeling: Mabuhay, Manny Pacquiao! Now let’s get back to work.

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The National Bureau of Investigation has just nabbed the shadowy Malaysian gangster nicknamed "Bala" (yes, rhymes with bullet) – a notorious international fence and accused hijacker – who flits in and out of the Philippines from Malaysia via our southern backdoor, and insolently operates in Tagaytay City, the rest of Cavite, as well as in Laguna.

As I mentioned in this corner three weeks ago, Bala is occasionally a "partner" of the 33-year old mastermind and participant in the December 17 hijacking of a Federal Express (FEDEX) truck in which P30.5 million worth of MAXIM microchips destined for the airport were stolen.

Extradition proceedings are now underway to deport the detained Malaysian "fence" back to Kuala Lumpur where the Malaysian police "Task Force Viper" wants him.

From what I hear on the grapevine, however, much damage has already been done.

At our Manila Overseas Press Club dinner forum the other week, Interior and Local Government Secretary Angelo T. Reyes announced that his Task Force NACTAF (National Anti-Crime Commission Task Force) had managed to recover "10 percent" of the snatched MAXIM microchips, "or the equivalent of, say, P3 million." This would have been cause for jubilation, but when the NACTAF officers actually met subsequently with MAXIM officials to turn over the "rescued" items, the MAXIM security manager, as well as Messrs. Cyrus Mer and Bruce Allen, they were told that the parts presented were not part of the loot.

The lady security manager of the manufacturing company even allegedly shouted at the NACTAF chief – by golly. What strange conduct I might interject when company officials are asking for NACTAF Task Force help and cooperation, especially when they don’t appear to trust the Region 4 Police.

In any event, afterwards, when a final "listing" of the stolen parts was produced, the security manager must have been red-faced because the list clarified that the 10,000 pieces involved had been, in fact, part of the hijacked shipment. What wasn’t part of the December 17th shipment was another bundle shown, namely five tots of IC in a plastic bag which apparently were MAXIM stuff, but nobody could identify as to when and where the items had left the factory in the Gateway Industrial Park.

Evidently, DILG Secretary Reyes got an overestimated report on the recovery of the stolen chips, since what was found amounted to just half a million pesos’ worth. Oh well. A little recovered is better than nothing. (May I take this occasion to offer my condolences to Angie Reyes on the passing away of his mother).

* * *

What puzzles me, in fact, is another riddle. Neither FEDEX – isn’t it part of the carrier’s liability to guarantee shipments carried by it, or does insurance cover this? – nor MAXIM itself have filed any criminal complaint against anybody in this case! Why is this? Has a P30.5 million crime been committed without any criminal or criminals? Who owns the Philippine freight forwarders company running FEDEX locally? Mr. Big, I’m informed. How big entitles you to three guesses.

If there’s no complaint, therefore, how can anybody be arrested – including that swaggering Hijack and Fen-cing King who struts around with police bodyguards, and has beaten every rap not only in his native hearth of Cavite, but in Calabarzon – Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, indeed all of Southern Tagalog?

The Tulisans will continue to rule the roost unless our lawmen shape up and enforce the law, not dance a rigodon around it.

This guy mentioned above is not alone. Another multi-billion peso syndicate engaged in pilfering by the millions from warehouses and airport holding areas remains in full operation.

For its part, MAXIM may have committed an unfortunate blunder in offering a US $50,000 "reward" for the recovery of the stolen goods. This offer revealed the company’s desperation to recover the hijacked shipment and its value to purchasers abroad who had already paid for the micro-chips.

The kuro-kuro is that much of the stolen cargo has already been smuggled abroad, being too "hot" to peddle here or on the internet. Overseas, the international syndicates could even "bargain" with the firms whose assembly lines were stalled by the non-delivery of those microchips or auction off the stuff on the gray market. The Malaysian "grand-fence" Bala might have been here to engineer much of this, who knows?

As for the culprits of the heist, including the FEDEX driver who remains a suspect but after being in custody initially, they have mysteriously gone "missing." In truth, since no charges were filed by FEDEX or MAXIM, how could the driver have been held – even as a witness?

Strange, strange, strange. I wish I could say: "Only in Cavite."

* * *

Not too long before the latest coup jitters surfaced, National Security Adviser and Director General of the National Security Council Norberto B. Gonzales conducted a three-week tour of our archipelago, visiting eight military camps in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Since Norbert’s authority came from both his Cabinet rank and the Palace, he was able to assemble most of the service and field commanders in each region and dialogue with them. His mission had been to discover what our military men were thinking.

They all assured him, of course, that there was no mutiny brewing, and that they did not believe in a military junta or a military takeover. (Tell that to the Marines, the Americans used to say – but that’s not operative here, because in this Republic, the Marines, Navy SWAG-boys, and the Scout Rangers, are always in the frontlines of coup plotters. Why, even in the rumored "week-end" coup recently headed off, a Medal of Valor awardee from the above-mentioned was one of the leading suspects).

Secretary Gonzales, who hasn’t got a military pedigree although he did get a Masters in National Security Administration from the National Defense College of the Philippines, along with a Bachelor of Arts in Pre-Medicine (Pre-med) from the Ateneo de Davao University, almost believed them. This is what he told me when we met the other week.

This just goes to show that the only person to be trusted to bare everything was Lady Godiva, who went around, according to a charming old tale, on a horse, totally desnuyda in the altogether, concealed by nothing but her fair hair. Sadly, even Lady Godiva has not merely passed into legend, but has become a Belgian chocolate.

Norbert: Many of our generals in the military are just chocolate soldiers. They look good, they smell good – but they melt in the sun. Many officers with enough guns dream of shooting their way into a kingdom, and sitting as rulers on a throne of bayonets. (In the outcome, not very comfortable).

Remember the motto of the RAM – the Reform the Armed Forces Movement of Gringo, alias the Rebolusyonaryong Alyansa Makabansa: "Our dreams shall never die!"

We may have to beware of that Dream – Part II.