Hazards of the trade

A certain col. pangilinan of the counter-intelligence unit of the ISAFP has been going around threatening journalist of certain death. He singled me out for purportedly running a story on his counter-intelligence briefing about the coup conspiracy last friday. Among the things he mentioned were the participation of some multi-national companies in the destablization move. According to the good colonel, these firms gave money either to the NPA or some other political entity as "Insurance" should the power grab succeed. One of the names that cropped up was Nestle Phils Inc., a giant food and beverage company that used to have Juan Santos of the Hyatt 10 fame as it's president a few years back.

Insurance policy aside, it is a sad fact that my story on the conspiracy was killed by some higher ups in our station. Equally chilling is the fact that no one save the producer and writers knew the contents of my script. So how the hell did the military learn about something that did not air in the first place?

And you should see this middle-aged creature swagger his mojo around the press working area. A veritable Napoleon Bonaparte in every aspect of the word. He even had the gall last week to single ABC-5 out and demand for the Ariel Querubin-Danilo Lim tape documenting their "alleged" withdrawal from the government. If the smart guys at ISAFP can say they saw the tape's contents and identify who were present during that meeting, why the hell do you need a copy of tape from us? Provided there is indeed a tape of that sort.

Ping Lacson's word ring true particularly in this time of intimidation and pseudo-martial rule: Huwag Matakot. Indeed. Last time I checked, this wondorously convoluted, frustrating, imperiled and chaotic soup of humanity I call my country....was still free.