Call our language Cebuano not Bisaya

The headline says Mayor Tom O has endorsed Vice Mayor Mike Rama for Mayor. Someone challenged me: "Bet you Mike won't be it at the end of the day. Wanna bet?"

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I'm not betting although I know that only fools don't change their mind. And Tom O has never been known to be a fool. But tell you what -- should Mike indeed be Tom's best bet for Mayor, the nasty things Tom had said about Mike would find their way into the campaign posters against Mike. And on this I might bet.

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A city resident who identified himself as a member of the Jesus Is Lord (JIL) religious ministry called up to ask: "Why is Brother Eddie Villanueva not included in the surveys of Pulse Asia and SWS?"

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I don't know, Brod. And I'm surprised too. Brother Eddie, founder and head of the JIL, whose membership is, to quote one observer, "a sea of humanity," has publicly declared his intention to run  for the presidency in 2010. He's serious about his presidential aspiration and has even organized a movement to support this aspiration -- the Bagong Pilipino movement.

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Another religious personality who has made known his desire to run for President but has been ignored in the surveys, despite his claim of having millions of supporters, is Brother Mike Velarde. He heads the El Shaddai religious organization whose members would obey what he tells them to do.

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In one of the El Shaddai prayer rallies in Manila, Brother Mike was seen and heard saying: "If you want your prayers to be heard, jump seven times." And the followers jumped seven times. Once he also told his followers: "If you want blessing from Heaven, open your umbrellas and point them to the sky in inverted position." The followers did as told.

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It is because of the seemingly fanatical obedience to his orders by his followers that Brother Velarde is considered by many political watchers as a strong candidate for the presidency. But why is it that, like Brother Eddie, Brother Mike is ignored by the survey groups like Pulse Asia and Social Weather Station?

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E-mail from "Your Reader": "Why do most of us call our language Bisaya? We must call our language Cebuano in keeping with the fact that it is (Cebuano) and out of pride ... Did you know that natives of Iloilo and the three Panay provinces also call their language Bisaya?."

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Dr. Ernesto Implar said in a faxed opinion piece: "There was a leadership forum on tv last Saturday night. It was attended by some presidentiables. Erap Estrada was one of them. He was the life of the audience. He made the audience laugh with his answer to every serious question. I like laughter. But not when it is caused by a statement from someone wanting to be president again after his fall from grace."

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Many friends of Sen. Ping Lacson felt sad over Ping's decision to withdraw from the presidential race. One of them is Jesse Bacon, formerly of The Freeman and now with The Tribune in Manila where he writes a hard-hitting column. Jesse shared with me the contents of his message to Sen. Lacson. Said Jesse: "I am saddened not by your decision to withdraw but by the nation's having missed the privilege of being led by an upright leader, you. This development pains the heart of every Filipino, like me and my family who supports you for what you fight and stand for. God bless you always, Sir."

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