The swellheads NO HOLDS BARRED Armida Siguion-Reyna 05/07/2010

The swellheads

NO HOLDS BARRED Armida Siguion-Reyna 05/07/2010 And they are many, littering the political landscape, strutting as if sure winners, treating us like dirt. Fortunately, karma in this digital age moves just as fast. We take note of the affected, the weekend before the elections. Initially hit, and oh, so clearly, is Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer, Sen. Manuel Villar. Early on ranked number one in the surveys — if you believe in surveys, which is altogether another issue — look at him now. Oh, what a fall. As op-ed columnists, coffee shop wags and pundits outrace each other analyzing what went wrong with the Villar campaign, those in his payroll — and believe you me, they are legion — are bravely keeping up a brave front. But how to stay upbeat in the face of numbers that have slipped from first to third in the race is a problem. A very big problem. Methinks the tumble began when Villar snubbed the Senate committee of the whole’s investigation into the C-5 transaction, in 2009. He never bothered to honor his peers with his presence, at one time sent word that he was in some far away place but was only actually at the Sofitel; five minutes later and soon after the session had been adjourned he turned up to meet the media in an “impromptu” press conference to “defend” himself — that’s when he fell down the wall and all the wannabe president’s men couldn’t put Humpty-Dumpty together again.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100507com4.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Works of evils FRONTLINE Noynoy can’t hack it focus For proud Pakistani-US community, an embarrassment NO HOLDS BARRED The swellheads DIE HARD III Struggle reaps triumphs COMMENT The disgraced Nacionalista Party FEATURE Tribal anger rises in Bangladesh’s volatile hills