The Soldier, the Rebel, the Revolutionary Gringo Honasan

Sitting across the table of this man might actually get someone starstrucked, feared, proud, or curious. I've had the privilege of interviewing him a couple of years ago when he ran for Senator and we got to know him a little more personal that time. Today, we heard he was running for the second highest position in the land and I really wanted to know of all people, he was running with Binay, a question that resonated in the room but most people were afraid to ask. And so we did.

He knew since day 1 that  he would probably end up just answering that same question and defend the current vice president each time he's in the pedestal. In the beginning he wasn't really keen on being the nominee but in the hierarchy inside the UNO party just had him next in line. During the search, he was asked and felt a little hesitant. The Vice President position wasn't really a joke for him, it was a big undertaking and during the previous interviews, we felt that he wanted to spend more of his years less in the public eye and office, but in the arms of the most important people in his life... his family, his kids and grand children.

When asked why Binay, he said "I've gone against 3 Presidents, I was a soldier and didn't know what to do... but this coming elections, after 42 years, I know exactly what to do. I believe in the platform and program of the Vice President. I want him to be judged through due process and by applying the rule of law, in the proper courts. I know the standards are high with public officials, before public opinion renders judgement, I've gone out of the system in the past to solve problems because laws were not being followed. That's mob rule, that's not freedom, if that's the case, why don't we all just abolish the judiciary and close law schools... and remove the profession and practice of law, that's a huge saving in the budget. Let's all just go to MOA, Luneta or Araneta Coliseum and just raise hands if we want to choose who's guilty or not. Let's decide by consensus, referendum if necessary, but if we do not want things like that, let's all go back to the rule of law. It takes time, it takes effort, but let's not make that an excuse for trial by publicity. 

I've been a victim of that, like the PDAF issue. The amounts are ridiculous that I already know it's already partisan politics in the beginning. Corruption is serious, the issue of corruption must be met from the head, it's as old as mankind.What's happening now is a breakdown in control mechanisms, this is why there are tons of people who abuse it. I am not the one who will risk 42 years of public service, risking my life, my family, my honor, my future for 1.7 Million pesos. I could have easily just borrowed that money from my compadres, that's just money to buy a high end Innova. Would I gamble everything for that? Well, I guess it just comes with the territory. I've already said, until proven otherwise, I have full confidence in our justice system , again until proven otherwise."

" I don't want to be melodramatic, I was praying hard to communicate to you what this is all about. I'm a senior citizen, this is not about you or me, but the future of the country. I was a very reluctant candidate, because after all from the little you know about me, I was a soldier for 17 years. The starch in my body, my mind, my heart is to show for it. I think you know that I was a military rebel also, depending on what information you got, I can account for 1986, next month is the historic EDSA People Power revolution, and this is my 18th year being a Senator of the republic. Modesty aside, when I first ran in 1995 and won, we became the first truly independent candidate to win in the national Senatorial elections but I guess there are valid reasons for that. I think the public has a hand in that, instead of trying unsuccessfully trying to overthrow the government, they put me in the Senate and see how I can help make laws reforming society and government from the inside instead of outside the system. That's one perspective. "

 

"I've been called a coup plotter, a power grabber, self righteous messiah, but one thing that can't be taken away from me and my group is the consistency of our struggle. In 1986, we didn't break away from the military against Marcos, we broke away as a movement for the government. In other words, the one we're doing is systemic changes and not just changes in personality. So that's the other reason I have decided to run for the second highest position in the land. Because this would be the last time I would stand in the national platform and say to those who were born and not born during that time that when the Filipino people get together with their soldiers, under moral leadership, change is possible. Systemic changes and re-engineering of the society and government can actually happen and take advantage to tell our people how change takes place. 

Second, I decided to run because I am the Vice President of UNA. The party I am leading and helping organize after running in 4 recent national elections as an independent. I was looking forward at retiring in 2019, when VP Binay was high in surveys, there were tons of VP's that wanted to be his running mate and I think that's how the law of nature works. The nature of politics is that when he was high as 40% there were tons of them who wanted to run with him including a whole senatorial lineup. One year after the senate investigations, he was in a bump and everyone was gone. One Sunday morning as the executive committee was meeting, they just said "Senator Honasan, what you you think?" I laughed and I said "What do I think of what?" they said "Maybe you can run for Vice President" and I replied "I told my family that in 2019, my 4th term ends..." and I told them that I would be with my family that whole time, 17 years as soldier, 7 years as a rebel and 18 years as a Senator, that's 42 years of public service already I was thinking the country wouldn't ask more from me."

"I had to confront that issue with my family and explain to them, even my youngest daughter. She cried and said that when she was born I wasn't there, when she was christened I wasn't there, when she graduated from High School I wasn't there, on her debut I wasn't there. She's only had these past few years to make me her friend, so I had all that against me. I told her I'm a good soldier, I don't expect her to embrace this decision but asked her to try and understand. She told me they wouldn't be very supportive, we don't agree, but once you run and whatever result it may be, just come back to us alive. They told me to come home and never come back to it. They wanted me to make more time to enjoy my 5 grand children. That was the first situation, second I told my party that I don't have star complex, I have no ego to contend with if I'm the last choice or just a prop, we cannot afford ego with our leaders. I want to feel that I'm not just a wallflower, give me the moral, the logistical support, the prayers, that will allow me to wage a national campaign, and put anybody in front of me and I'll beat them.

Both of these were met, and I'm a good soldier, I wouldn't just leave anyone in the air like the others. I know the feeling, I'm always independent. In 1995 I was almost declared as a nuisance candidate, everyone had a negative feeling, but I had 9,000 volunteers, an army. I landed number 9, I did it again in 2001 to fill up the vacancy of former Senator Fernan. I was jailed and accused by the administration then of inspiring the Oakwood Mutiny. That I did a lot to encourage then Colonel Trillanes. I was only given a few weeks to campaign, and I won, landed number 10. The last election I was number 13, in a convincing margin. This is about your future and the problems of our country are serious, and it needs serious answers." 

"I suppose I know that all of you are younger, a generation apart, you are the future. But you are your own future, we can only show you by example so you could be dependable. I do that for your generation and my own children, the changes must happen between elections, it will be given to you by UNA, not just the Vice President Binay or any personality. I want to help a party that will organize and present a platform for the future characterized by party discipline. Actually I don't think we even have a party right now, you name me a party supporting this or that. If our candidates do not make these changes between elections, people will have national impatience, and go into national self help. If you don't want to do these changes, the people will do it and call it People Power. There are a lot who say people are already tired of doing it, maybe, and now I ask for your help and your precious time to take it out there."

He adds "I'm not a techie, winning is secondary, I want to promote unity after May, develop a common national agenda that will be characterized by a system of priorities. I am looking forward to meet other candidates from other parties while it's still fluid so we can talk about what to do after the elections. We don't know yet who will win, so it's better to talk about it now. The other difficult way to to force your candidate to win by cheating, this country would become ungovernable, this country is such a beautiful one, any thinking sector that I've talked with said we know how blessed our country is because we just wake up and see we're growing 6-8% GDP... can you just imagine how bigger that could be if we all get our act together? The potential if we can hammer out a long term economic policy, a long term foreign policy, a long term security policy, how pivotal, how strategic, how we can develop issues like poverty, hunger, ignorance, health, security, that's what we're facing right now. That's why in May, if the elections do not warrant clean results, then I'm afraid things will become worst before they become better. That's why I'm asking for your help not for my candidacy but to find that Vice Presidential candidate that's for the country, for people to make an rational, intelligent, informed decisions based on facts and not on perception."    

I told him point blank that I didn't have any Vice Presidential candidate yet in mind and he didn't force me to vote for him. He's got a stellar number of laws passed which he authored, co-sponsored and supported during his term. He's also a good man, I can see it in his eyes when he talks to me and I can feel how sincere he was to give public service a priority when he had to. I'm not in any way shape or form endorsing him, but he's already proven to be a good choice. Choice, we need tons of that. He also emphasized the need for rational informed decisions instead of bloating out his accomplishments during our interview. That to me tells a lot. Make sure you read up and learn about the one you're voting because there's a lot on the line. It's our country and our future, he's right.

For more information about him:

Gringo Honasan for Vice President

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Film Director Joyce Bernal for "Everything About Her" by Star Cinema

We're talking to Director Joyce Bernal who did this new film "Everything About Her" starring Vilma Santos, Angel Locsin and Xian Lim. A stellar cast means it would be difficult to put them into the character's shoes. Direk says "She's a given, a very good actress and I had to find something that irritates her so we can do her role. She's not a diva in real life but when she does it, she delivers. The people I meet and really look up to, that's where I got her back story. We worked on it and see what she wanted to build from that. About her in laws, about trying to prove herself. She's Vilma, she was a dream, and I got to work with her. When the script was given to me, I was so happy, that was around March last year. I haven't worked with Angel, but they're not perfect, when I read the script and analyzed it, I made them who they are. It's a long process, it's not a romcom and I admit it was really difficult to work with Angel and Xian, it was a challenge. Although I've worked with Xian and I don't have qualms with him, the characters in this movie so I had to make it easy in the scene. The role of Angel is very "Epal" and I had to think of ways to do that because she is different in her past projects."

"Xian and I was pressured because in the actors, he's the one who has to prove something and we prepared for it, he did his homework. He emails me about scenes but we end up just talking about it and talk so he gets prepared. Hopefully people wouldn't ask anymore why he was casted because you'll know once you watch the film. There are funny and sarcastic scenes from Vilma that you should also watch out for because this is not predictable. You think she's evil, but you'll see something else why they became that way. You'll see how the three characters get intertwined and at some point it's going to be serious as it is cancer. "

"Angel and Xian had to also work together and even if Luis and Kim might be identified with them, they had to make it look real and be in character. They did deliver for me and I hope that's what people will see. If you see Vilma bad in this movie, I wanted to actually have it be more than that, full blown, she never hesitated and she asks me about it, we agree and she never even fought me about anything. Luis visited the set and watched the scenes, we joked about him being biased."

"Vilma wants to be different every time and that's why we made her that way. We made her look evil, have mannerisms and sarcastic remarks. She's very concerned and she did made efforts, I didn't allow them to talk on the set because that's what I wanted to build in the very beginning. I didn't want them to throw lines behind scenes and just do it on set because they had to be distant."

This much awaited movie from Star Cinema will definitely make your trip to the movie house worth it. With the caliber of actresses, the good looking actor, and a new story line to work with, this is a refreshing view on what a Vilma Santos can do on the silver screen. It's a must watch and will show on January 27, 2016.

For more information about their artists:

Star Cinema

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Internet Speed a Priority for Augusto "Boboy" Syjuco

I have to admit, I've been a bit skeptical about this man and his reasons for running for the Presidency a couple of months ago. I didn't read about him that much so I didn't really know. I was far from being an uninformed voter and I do read a lot of news. He was also mentioned to me by a fellow UEnian in one of our chats so I was shocked once I saw his credentials. He was the former TESDA Secretary, a BSBA Graduate (with Latin honors) from UE and Masters in Business Administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the US. He chaired tons of very successful corporations and even owned the franchise of 7UP, RC Cola, Jazz Cola which gave international softdrink manufacturers a run for their money in Visayas and Mindanao. He's done so much since and even amassed leadership and managerial experience in those years. He also has received numerous awards, of which he's so proud of as he feels he's really worked for it.

During our small interview in the lawmaker's home, he said "The administration has not answered question, things are on standstill and perhaps they've given no attention on matters like traffic, mrt, human hours lost so we're incurring economic losses because of that. No place to ride or go down, no systems, I don't know where to start telling you where the problems are. Tonight I want to share with you what can we do about it, how it can be done. I have 15 platforms that I woukd want to let the public know and I hope I could do this all at the same time.

I want to build the fastest internet backbone in 2017. In TESDA, we've done a lot of training for BPO services, we give aptitude tests and if they don't pass that we have skills training in 150 different courses all free so they can have a background in how to do things. We are losing 80% of our BPO services because we're slow and can't handle the services here. That's 45 Billion a year, meaning 1.3 Billion employees should have been hired for those internet based jobs if we had the infrastructure. We must equal the fastest in the world or even surpass it so we can maintain that lead over other countries. We are victims of stupidity and non caring of this government and they stand there and think we need 6 more years of this? There's an attempt to fool us, the same people, same banana. On day 7, I'd like to start that program, state of the art, have it be done by "build operate transfer" systems, include to have foreign ownership, remove taxes on oil, petroleum, equipment to do this just like Hong Kong.

Education is the great leveler, we have never given that chance to poor people and I'd like to level the playing field. We should all 15 million to have education, technical education, high school and elementary. We will have the best labor force and have the lowest cost of production in the world because we're charging no taxes. We're only going to do a flat rate of 8-12% in personal and business income taxes. This is what I would want to do.

When I was a congressman, I went to court and I've always heard the reason that they are raising the prices because they lack funds for investment and capital infusion. We need more players, so they don't monopolize the market. We need radical but rational decisions. I've never heard solutions from them. We should include nearby provinces and make a Super Metro Manila. We need a good transportation and communication secretary, a separate one. It's not enough to just have them in one department because these are pressing matters. I hope to do this and make it on day 1 running. We're looking for young and capable people for that.

I am by nature a giver, not a taker. There is no situation in my life that I have taken anything from the government. My left hand will be an iron fist whilst my right hand will be for pabebe wave. Public interest must be prioritized, but we must always be fair but just."

I changed my mind talking to the jolly Congressman. He's got a track record, has helped countless people to get scholarships of which some are also from his own pocket. He's definitely a man you can consider when voting for a president. He's got real education, corporate and public office experience to back it up. Aside from that, he's got the passion to see that technology could help us all in achieving economic success. He's done much of it in his own district and vows he could do it in his own programs if elected in office. Make sure you read up on your candidates and not just listen to advertisements which costs an arm and a leg on TV. You just wonder where they're getting the money for that no? Be educated and be mindful that you have choices, he is one of them.

For more information about him:

Augusto "Boboy" Syjuco

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The Kosta Bluelounge Apple Watch Charging Coaster

Had the chance to see this Kosta Bluelounge Apple Watch Charging Coaster the other day and I could see some obsessive compulsive guys would really love to have this - mainly to keep their watches and fit bands. Although I do have a leather box where I keep all my watches, this coaster keeps everything tidy because it's built with a slit on the bottom panel where you can keep the cord or charger cable of you Apple Watch tidy. You won't be complaining of another broken cable, and the silicone rubber material that this is made of wouldn't be constantly sliding off your table unless someone physically flips it off. 

It's moderately priced, but think about the way it could cushion your Apple watch instead of just placing it on top of tables. Your Apple Watch deserves to be taken cared of of course, hear me out.

All you need to do is insert your original Apple Watch cable on the slit of the coaster and pull it up to half way, just enough to get it to be attached on the watch itself. Instructions on the box pretty much is elementary and this would help keep that watch of yours safe from scratches and bumps. Those damages might just devalue your device if you plan to sell it later on and get a newer model, but really, if you paid for the watch, wouldn't it be a smart thing to do to maintain the lovely gadget as spotless when you bought it? Makes sense huh?

Just like the way you put cases on your phone, you need something to get your watch protected. I don't think I need to reiterate that but it's the one thing this could do for your watch. Just put in in your nightstand and leave it to charge accordingly. It's also available in Dark Grey, Light Grey or Lime Green colors. These are manufactured by Bluelounge who's headquarters is in Singapore. They also have design studios in Jakarta, Indonesia and Pasadena, California in the US so you're pretty much looking at world class accessories to keep your Apple Watch. That's a good thing. It's also available in Digits Trading stores nationwide. It's off the shelf of Digital Walker or Beyond the Box today!

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Digits Trading

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