Yes, I'm Gloating

How can you not, with a deal this good?

Thanks to Richard (Tales From The Tummy) who alerted me to this promotion from Makati Shangri-La Hotel's Circles.

Yes, it is a Buy One-Get One promotion of their famous buffet offering at Circles. (It's called the Buffet Rush.) It took me more than two hours just to come face to face with one of the cordial officers of the hotel to book our reservation, which is why I'm sharing my experience here, if you plan to catch the last day that they will sell it, tomorrow, September 1, 2012. (Incidentally, also my mom's birthday.)

(1) The line officially opens at 10AM, and it ends 8PM. However, the lady I talked to informed me that at 945AM, there was a queue already. Ehem.

(2) It works like a book-and-buy promotion from the airline companies: You have to choose the date you intend to use the coupon, valid from September 3 until October 27, 2012.

(3) You have to personally line up, at Ballroom A of Makati Shangri-la Hotel, to purchase and reserve this deal. (Unless they change it, but I was assured that they would be at the same place tomorrow.) No buying or reserving by phone. Seats are provided while you wait.

(4) If you come here at 10AM, be prepared to go past the lunch hour. You should take a cue from one lady who brought her lunch with her from a fastfood chain. (One customer didn't even go to work for the first half of the day, we could hear her fielding calls from officemates and her boss, asking where she was.)

(5) If you have a wifi device, bring it. The hotel has free wifi so you can be distracted while you wait. Lengthily.

(6) The reason for the longish wait: Some people do multiple transactions. There was one lady who was buying for 30 people (yes, thirty), but for only one of her intended dates of use; she also wanted to have a romantic date with her husband (second transaction, for two people) and then with her immediate family on Sunday, for around 12 people. Yes, it took that long, that she regaled me, her seatmate in the waiting area, with her plans.

(7) She was number 20 something in the queue, I was 50 something. By the time I was done, it was close to 200.

(8) Choose a date before you enter, and have backup dates, as weekends are generally filled up faster. And if you have cash, you will be served faster over those using cards.

(9) There are four price ranges, depending on the day and time of use.

(10) You can gloat when you're done. It's hard not to, because this is a fantastic deal.

GO. NOW.


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For more information, see: https://www.facebook.com/MakatiShangrila

My Cab Ride With "Selda"

The prospect of taking a cab always makes me wonder if the universe has a target on my back: I always manage to get cab drivers who either play the music too loud, are enamored with what passes as voices of the AM radio commentators, do not know where Ayala Avenue is (when they picked me up in Makati) or something else. There's always something else.

A sign that I'm not too keen of, sometimes.

(Courtesy of actlikeaman.org)

Today was no different.

For today's special, I was treated to a show called "Don't Change That Dial!": the cab driver was listening intently to an ongoing radio advice program, the type where people could send letters and the DJ gives out advice in between playing "related" songs, meaning related to the problem stated by the letter sender.

He was so grossly invested in it that he had to ask me where EDSA was.

As the radio was at full volume (and apparently it sucked out the car's capability to cool the interiors, rendering my taking a cab quite useless in the comfort department) I really had no choice but to tune in to the said program as well.

30 minutes I can't return.

"Selda" describes herself as a prim and proper lady with conservative values, a "dalagang Pilipina" (maiden of the Philippines) if I remember the term correctly, who was about to get hitched to a guy named "Roberto". "Roberto", it turns out, is from the greener side of the fence.

As is "tradition", "Selda's" girlfriends (and one gay guy) throw her a bridal shower, of the naughty variety. They scour a box big enough to cover an entire person, bring the actual gift with a macho dancer inside to her very doorstep and rings her doorbell. She answers and is taken with the largeness of the box, wondering "ano ba naman tong regalo nyo, pwedeng kumasya ang tao sa laki ng kahon". (what's with this gift, a person could fit into this box) Apparently, "Selda" doesn't believe in the literary technique of foreshadowing and decides to spell it out for the deaf listeners of the radio show she is writing to.

Out comes the macho dancer, and immediately he is asked to strip his underwear by everyone but "Selda". As a self described "conservative", she takes great pains to describe how she turns away from the, uhm, spectacle dangling in front of her, with the gay guy commenting "ano ka ba naman, Selda, di ka naman nya igagahasa, tignan mo lang" (what's the matter, "Selda", it's not like he will rape you, just look at it). Expectedly, "Selda" throws a fit, storms out of her own house and refuses to enter until the macho dancer has left.

In case I didn't mention it earlier, the radio program provides a "dramatization" with voice actors, and I was tempted to ask the cab driver "this is comedy, right?" but had to stop myself when I saw how lined his forehead was digesting both the reading of the letter and the acting out by radio. I thought it best not to say anything disparaging until I got out of the cab.

"Selda" then talks to the audience. "Mayroon pa ring mga konserbatibong mga Pilipina, noh. Hindi lahat ay liberated. Ni hindi ko pa nga nakikita ang hubad na katawan ng lalaki. Pero...kung ano man ang nasilip ko sa macho dancer, nagustuhan ko ang nakita ko. Matipuno sya, maganda ang katawan, machong macho. Sino ba naman ang babaeng hindi magugustuhan ang mga katangian na yun sa isang lalaki? Pero dahil konserbatibo ako, kaya ako umalis sa party." (There are still conservative Filipinas. Not all are liberated. I haven't even seen a naked man. But...from what little I did see of the macho dancer, I liked. Well built, nice body, very manly. What woman wouldn't find those qualities attractive? But because I was conservative, I left the party.)

I had to restrain myself from breaking out in laughter, lest the cab driver murder me from where I was seated.

The letter fast forwards to when "Selda" is late in meeting her still-boyfriend "Roberto".  They are talking on the phone, and she promises him that she is doing all she can to meet at the appointed place and time, while he keeps muttering sweet-nothings and asking her to take care of herself.

As soon as she finishes the conversation, the macho dancer materializes in front of her, fully clothed. I guess she also likes his face since she recognizes him right away. They get into small talk, trying to get past the inital embarrassment of how they met. She asks "ano nga ba pangalan mo?" (what's your name, again?) and he says "Alejandro", she remarks "maganda ang pangalan mo, lalaking lalaki, pag nagka-anak ako, gusto ko Alejandro din ang pangalan pag lalaki." (you have a nice name, very manly, when I have a child, I would name him Alejandro if it's a boy.)

This is something you mention on your first "meeting"? Oh, that's right. This isn't.

"Alejandro" asks why she left, and she tells him that she isn't used to "those" kinds of bridal showers. To which he replies, "buti naman, may mga natitirang mga konserbatibong babae pa pala sa mundong ito, kasi sa linya ng trabaho ko, syempre iisa lang ang gusto nilang makita." (that's good, there are still conservative women left in this world, because in my line of work, they only want one thing)

More restraint on my part.

"Alejandro" asks who was she on the phone with, and she tells him it's her boyfriend, who she is late in meeting with. She then segues into "by the way, ano nga pala ang number mo? Para pwede tayo magtext text minsan." (what's your number? So we can communicate by text messaging) He readily gives it to her and as they part ways, they shake hands and he asks, "Friends?" and she replies "oo naman, (of course) friends!"

The background music cues in, and how could anybody be surprised that the DJ decides to play an old song with the lyrics, "torn between two lovers, feeling like a fool....(something, something) breaking all the rules..." "Selda" continues her narration, expounding on how "Alejandro" now calls and text messages her, even writing to each other on Facebook, which progressed into movie watching and dates, "pero walang malisya ha!" (with no malice) which stuns the cab driver because she then poses her dilemna to the DJ and the audience:

"Bakit ganun, eh platonic lang naman kami ni Alejandro? Naguguluhan ako. Mahal ko si Roberto, pero napamahal narin sa akin si Alejandro. Siguro dahil, nung lalo ko siyang nakilala, nalaman ko na pareho kami, galing kami sa mahihirap na pamilya, kumakayod at gusto ng magandang kinabukasan. Hindi tulad ni Roberto, galing sa maykayang pamilya. By the way, may polio pala si Roberto." (Why is it like that, when I have a platonic relationship with Alejandro? I'm confused. I love Roberto, but I've also fallen for Alejandro. Maybe because, when I got to know him more, I learned we are the same, from financially disadvantaged families, working hard, wanting a better future. Unlike Roberto, from a well-off family. By the way, Roberto is polio-stricken.)

Thankfully, my stop came up, before I lost any more of my sanity from hearing "Selda" justify her longing for "Alejandro" all the while brandishing her conservative badge and waving it repeatedly for all to see. Or, in this case, hear.

Calling ABS-CBN and GMA: you may have a hit scriptwriter here for your next telenovela. And "Selda", all I'm asking for is 5% of your gross, as your "discovering" agent.

I'm conservative that way.

Finally, Boon Tong Kee. Here.

Yes, there is a back story to the title of this post.

It can be summed up as: "We went all the way to Singapore and didn't sample Boon Tong Kee's famed poached chicken (Hainanese chicken)!" And we were tired, hungry, searching for hours for BTK using their (highly efficient) public transportation system of buses and trains...and when we finally arrived, and were seated in two large tables (that's how big our party was), we were told: "Sorry, we ran out of Hainanese Chicken!"

Nooooooooo. (No one verbalized this, but you could tell it was what was on our collective minds.)

So, when we scored tickets to the excellent Cirque Du Soleil production, Saltimbanco, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, I breezily put it out there that maybe we should have dinner before the show, and when I was asked where, I said "there's a Boon Tong Kee here, so that's where we're headed."

It may be just me, but did they design Mall Of Asia to be confusing? There are no directories with clear indications of specific stores. The fact that you could ride tram cars to get to buildings within the complex indicates how big it is area wise, so it's not "fun" when you get directions like "go to the center, turn right, go out and climb the stairs, go to the edge," as they involve literal kilometers, and when you're hungry...well, you can imagine what that does to your mood.

Finding Boon Tong Kee was a challenge. (Hint, hint.) Good thing it was worth the search. And wait, keeping the back story in mind.

As soon as we were ushered in, the lady taking our order wasn't even finished with her spiel and I said, "Hainanese Chicken. Please." Everyone else was looking through the menu but I knew exactly what it is I came here for. Arthur told me "let's get something else as well" so that's how we ended up ordering a tofu dish that was actually excellent.

After our order was taken, we noticed that it was not a very large space (in fact the booth we were at seemed a little cramped). They were showing various cooking demos on the television screen. We waited around 10 minutes for our food to arrive, which was just right in my book.

One could argue that a poached chicken is a poached chicken is a poached chicken, but the delicate aroma and taste of Boon Tong Kee's version of their signature dish lends weight to the claim that they are Singapore's best representative of the dish. (I also found out that their government hands out citations or recognition on an annual basis as to what is the best Chicken Rice version.) Light but flavorful, the aroma pierces through without overwhelming you, leaving both your olfactory and gustatory senses satiated.

The ginger sauce was a bit bland for me, but the others found it good, so that could be a matter of personal taste.

The rice that accompanied the chicken got the most "oohs" because it was thoroughly infused with the broth and could seriously be eaten on its own, even without any viand. It looks a little blah from the outside, which is why it elicited the most unexpected response.

This dish was also very good, tofu mixed with seafood (I saw crabs and squid) and it was definitely a pleasant surprise since I was very single-minded about having the Hainanese Chicken and nothing else. Again, it was light but had quite a kick flavor wise, the seafood complementing the canvas of the tofu. Like everything else on the table, nasimot sya (it was practically licked clean) because even the sauce was enticingly delicious.

I can't compare it with the Singapore version since I haven't had the opportunity to try it there, and I can already here the purists going "it's just not the same" but sampling the Boon Tong Kee chicken here - as well as something else - makes me feel we aren't missing that much from the version of where it originated from.

And I can finally say, I've eaten at Boon Tong Kee. And I like it.


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More information here: https://www.facebook.com/BoonTongKeePH

One Evening At Corniche

When you have foodie friends, they are sure to "spread the word" whenever a too-good-to-pass-up deal is known, and that is exactly what happened when I came across the Facebook Wall of a good friend who "hung" a poster for Corniche (in Diamond Hotel Philippines) announcing a fantastic deal offered by the hotel restaurant.

(Courtesy of gopacmanila2013.com)

It has been probably years (a decade, even) since I set foot in Diamond Hotel so I thought this was a chance for me to revisit them. The poster announced that they were offering their lunch and dinner buffet for PhP 999.00 nett (Philippine Pesos, inclusive of all charges) which also included free flowing sodas or lemonade - a practically unheard of deal in the bigger hotels, so the question that remained was "When do we go?"

Arthur told me that we did not need to worry about parking because as he recalls, they have a large parking space underground, which was the case when we got there. The stairway from the basement parking leading to the hotel will take you right to the doorstep of Corniche - a useful point since after dinner, you will probably have to gulong (roll) your way back to the parking area.

The decor was decidedly modern, very clean lines and lots of spaces. There were several "stations" set up all over the place which I thought was a better placement than having all the stations side by side and having people "bunch up" in line waiting for those undecided as to what to put on their plates.

I started off with appetizers. I was attracted by the way they presented their lumpiang ubod, and had to sample it along with other goodies.

Lumpiang ubod was almost too much of an eye candy to eat.

After that, it was a free-for-all: Arthur commented that I would never have a future as a food stylist because I would place odd things together in one plate. I replied, "Mind your own beeswax."

Here are some of the featured items in the buffet. I have to emphasize that because I think I was able to sample only a little more than half of the things that were being offered.

Lechon Macao was just OK, everything else was good.

"It's all seafood naman, eh." (To make one feel better.)

United Nations...of food. Sage flavored cheese was a surprise.

Salmon, 3 Ways: Sashimi, in Ginger Broth, and Baked.

Mexican, Indian, Middle Eastern...and Lamb Kaldereta. Yum.

Do not miss out on the Green Tea Brulee - if you can catch it.

This was a better spread than we expected. Everyone in our party agreed that for the variety on display, and given the price, this was a hard act to beat. We were (luckily) seated near the roasting station, and I used that advantage to take on the baked salmon. (Not to be passed up, if you like salmon as much as I do. It's just a big plus that nutritionists are pretty unanimous in declaring it a "top food".)

For carnivores, a beautiful sight.

The wait staff was also a delight, very courteous without being cloying, although they noticeably weren't as attentive when the crowd swelled up - some of our plates piled up on the table, and I even saw one table returning their plates to the place where they stacked up the used dishes. But they were nice and apologetic about not being able to service tables faster, which pretty much smooths things always. (I guess they didn't anticipate as large a crowd as the one we were part of that night.)

Read the fine print for exclusions. Then enjoy.

(Courtesy of the Facebook page of Diamond Hotel Philippines.)

This promotion only runs until September 4, 2012.

Go. Now.



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For more information, please visit:

https://www.facebook.com/diamondhotelphilippines

(632) 528-3000

The Robredo Standard

I am part of the unlucky majority who has never personally met Secretary Jesse Robredo. And yet, this did not stop me from feeling the weight of losing him the way we did.

My gold standard for public service.

(Courtesy of pcij.org)

This country is poorer with his death.

Many of the public eulogies and adulations being showered on him are centered on him being an effective and efficient mayor of Naga City, turning it around from being poverty stricken to being a model city, for which he was given the Ramon Magsaysay award; for being a homesick father who could not wait to go home, to his family, and to his hometown; for being overly zealous in his last post, so much so that he was working on a Saturday, a practically novel phenomenon for a country that can consider itself lucky if public officials come in every weekday; for being first to arrive and last to leave in any disaster, calamity and other perilous situations, if only so that he could help any of his constituents with as much as he could.

He championed transparency and accountability, even before talk of the Freedom of Information bill made its way to the public consciousness; he didn't tell his wife to run for mayor after his successful stint for almost a decade; he refused that giant monolith, SM, from planting its feet into his hometown, and instead thought of what would happen if it did and could not fathom that future; he went up against organized gambling and entrenched politicians who did not want to change the old ways; he never understood the need for bodyguards and was uncomfortable to have them, preferring to take public transportation when possible; he believed in involving the people in doing public service, so that everyone has a personal stake in achieving mutual goals to benefit the community; and he was always seen at gatherings, events, occassions that put him in touch with "everyman", not barricaded with high ivory walls in a gated community.

I have to admit that for so many times, over and over, this country, being represented by its public officials, has broken my heart and spirit in ways too numerous to mention: the rampant and shameless corruption practiced in the broadest of daylights; the wanton disregard for the space of others, that anyone can just enroach on another's property and claim poverty as their birthright to appropriate any land for themselves illegally, which local officials look the other way from because they need these votes on election day; this privileged insularity that public officials claim for themselves that they refused to be scrutinized by people on their finances, and claim that the law protects them, when we all know they are looking for their own interests; where a politician, once barred from running, fields his wife, children, uncles, aunts, neighbor, godchildren and even their pets if it was possible, to run for the position being vacated, until he can return to that same post.

Secretary Robredo embodied so much of what I believe should be the very standard of all public officials. He was living proof that you can serve and not see yourself as a ruler, because public service means you are there for others, not for yourself. He preferred going back home to his loved ones, and not hobnobbing with the "elite" who have vested interests of their own; and he believed in the Filipino, that we should all be involved if we are to raise this country up, who never saw himself as privileged by virtue of his positions, but as a conduit to effect great change and greater things.

May we all be inspired to emulate his worthy example, not just in words, but by his deeds and his very life. Let us not let his life end in tragedy, but may it give birth to a renewed hope - and action plan, for he was indeed a man of action - that we have to link arms together if we want our country to stand tall among the family of nations.

I now view Secretary Robredo as the gold standard by which all other public officials must be measured against. May we all be up to the task, left by your legacy in public service.

Rest in peace, Sir.

Should Sotto Run With Corona?

Should we weep for defending plagiarism, also?

(Courtesy of philippinenews.com)

While last week was largely about Sotto and his office's plagiarism (which some have already begun to call "Bloggergate"), I was struck by a sense of familiarity that can best be described as uneasy, and then it hit me: this seems like a replay of when former Chief Justice Renato Corona was on (impeachment) trial.

Tears have been making very public rounds lately.

(Courtesy of interaksyon.com)

I can hear defenders of both of them going ballistic, so let me explain why I drew the comparison.

Both of them would never be my choice for their government positions.

In the last senatorial elections, Sotto was on the top of my "I'm never voting for you" list. I have made my feelings about entertainers running for public office known in my past blogposts, and the way he is defending himself in "Bloggergate" just confirms I made a correct assessment.

Corona was forced on someone like me, because I didn't vote for GMA in 2004. Unfortunately, that is the way our democratic system works, and the sitting president gets to appoint the next Supreme Court Chief Justice. Had the post been up for a vote, I would never have voted for Corona, either.

Both of them were caught in "ambiguous" legal scenarios.

Sotto has maintained that there is no cut-and-dried law about lifting excerpts from a blog, and to warrant calling that as illegal, and his chief of staff has basically described the internet as an open source so that there would be (from the chief of staff's perspective) no need to credit anyone for anything as long as it is sourced online. (I wonder how Sotto would feel if somebody copies Eat Bulaga - the show largely instrumental for his fame as he co-hosted it for years - from any social media site that has their episodes.)

Corona has also maintained that there is no need to declare his dollar accounts because as far as he and his lawyers know, the law only requires him to state his peso accounts. Despite the differeing interpretations of  various legal provisions, Corona chose to use the situation to claim that he is correct in his interpretation.

Both have little, if any, appreciation for ethical considerations, and consider these inferior to legal ones.

As far as Sotto and his staff were concerned, no "stealing" took place. Never mind that they already admitted to plagiarizing Sarah Pope's blog. Never mind that most social commentaries have focused on how the act of plagiarism is never an act of accident and how stealing a gold bracelet is no different from stealing a writer's words, even though the writer is "just a blogger". (The senator's wanton use of a blogger's words to advance his cause regarding the RH Bill betrays how he really views them.)

Corona also maintained that he has done everything "legally". Never mind if lawyers cannot agree on one interpretation. Never mind that his very appointment was shrouded in much controversy. Never mind that his stance on declaring dollar accounts as unnecessary would make us practically a safe haven for money laundering. Never mind that the spirit in which the law intended - to make public officials accountable - would be circumvented by a specific way of interpreting the written law.

Ethical considerations demand that they act according to the highest levels of propriety. And both of them have defenders decrying this "unfair" standard, saying that they should be measured "just like any other citizen". Last I checked, "any other citizen" cannot filibuster a bill that's been stalled for years or reverse a decision that's been ruled with finality. Three times.

And yet, "any other" public official like Delsa Flores could be sacked for not declaring her market stall. And "any other" student can be expelled for plagiarizing an academic paper.

Both of them threw their (positions') weight around.

Sotto: "Whatever it is, the buck stops with me. I'm the senator."

Corona: "And now, the Chief Justice of the Republic of the Philippines wishes to be excused."

Hmmm.

Both of them are/were in positions that issue decisions I have no choice but to obey.

As Senate Majority floor leader, Sotto gets to determine to a large extent what bills to give attention to, and as is rather painfully obvious, he is doing everything in his power to prevent the RH Bill from seeing the light of day by giving speeches day in and day out. Yet again.

Even now that Corona has been booted out of office, his decisions when he was Supreme Court Chief Justice stays. How he interpreted the law when he was in power is how everyone is supposed to interpret it, until the decision is changed.

While glancing the news overseas, it struck me that both of them are actually being represented in the upcoming US elections, via the Republican Party.

Could they be the template?

(Courtesy of boston.com)

Mitt Romney refuses to show his tax returns, while Paul Ryan believes women should have few, if any, choices regarding their reproductive health, among other "odd" stances.

Anyone here who wants to field the Corona-Sotto tandem for the next elections?

Not Just For Senator Sotto

Hope his staff doesn't read it first.

(Courtesy of barriosiete.com)

Dear Senator Sotto,

Many events have taken place since my last blogpost, more than 24 hours ago.

And they have to do with your public disavowal of plagiarism on a television show; the subsequent discovery of the blogger of all this brouhaha happening halfway around the world from where she is; and her reactions - first being "amused" and then later writing a rather pointed blogpost and mentioning you directly that leaves no doubt as to what she wants to say. We also have the "apology letter" written by the head of your staff now going viral, which is basically an admission that your office committed plagiarism, and the pecuiliar way the apology came off.

See the following for full details:
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/on-plagiarism-the-pill-and-presumptuousness/
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/08/16/12/blogger-cant-believe-work-was-plagiarized
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/08/16/12/sottos-office-admits-copying-us-blog

First, an admission.

I did not vote for you. That is because I have been consistently vocal about my extreme discomfort with entertainers subsequently running for public office. Personally, I feel the lopsidedness in your advantage as far as name recall is concerned: your position as entertainers assures that you will stand out in some way. And name recall is king in our elections. Or at least our brand of it.

I am well aware that as a citizen of a secular democracy, you are entitled to run for any elective office. The question is not can you?...but rather, should you? The recently deceased local King of Comedy said it quite well (and I will paraphrase it in English): It's easy to win an election, but what happens after?

Also, let me say this off the bat: I am not a lawyer, a legal expert, not even a paralegal. I am "just" a blogger - the way you casually mentioned bakit ko naman iquo-quote ang blogger should tell everyone how you view anyone who "just" blogs. But as I understand it, a senator is someone with a national mandate to write, amend, and if needed, change completely, our laws.

(Quote from http://professionalheckler.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/gotcha/)

Are you aware of what an awesome responsibility that is? I am desisting from using the word power, as that is all we have been brought up in and known, all our lives - a politician is to be feared, respected, bowed down to. I want to focus on the other side of the coin, a cliche thanks to Spider-Man: with great power comes great responsibility.

You can effect laws that can change our very lives: Economic provisions, the taxes we pay, whether foreign bases can (again) set foot in the country, the punishment to be meted out to child molesters, what it means to uphold the separation of state and religion in a tangible, concrete way and not as a vague concept only to be discussed in political science courses...

It can also affect he state of maternal mortality and teenage pregnancies in the country, one of the many issues that can be helped, even in some measure, by the passage of the RH Bill. Actual lives - human lives - are at stake by choosing which pieces of legislation to pass. That is how encompassing your responsibility as a senator is.

Which is why I cannot hide my dejection, disappointment and most of all, my anger, with this issue of plagiarism, something your chief of staff wanted Sarah Pope to stop focusing on, something you yourself dismissed nonchalantly as an attempt to discredit your person, under the (erroneous) assumption that what you have charged about the ill effects of the RH Bill cannot be countered by those who support it (they have been answered point by point squarely, by your co-senators and by many, many groups and people, over and over again).

I expect that all senators - even the ones I did not vote for - be personally responsible for what they say and do, because whether I like it or not, your decisions will affect me in a personal way. And as a citizen of this secular, democratic country, I will be bound by the laws that you and the other senators approve.

You cannot pass off this "incident" and say "my staff did it": they won't be voting on crucial bills. YOU ARE. It is your vote, your decision and your signature that will determine what passes for law in this country. It behooves you, therefore, to have armed yourself with the latest scientific findings and factual research when it comes to issues regarding reproductive health.

You do this country a great disservice by not researching things on your own, and while you are not barred from hiring people to help you with your work, it is your responsibility to ensure that they have provided you with accurate information for the purposes of crafting legislation. You do us an even greater disservice by passing this off as the work of those under you, and doing what is colloquially called a Pontius Pilate: washing your hands off the incident.

Do you not comprehend the gravity of what you may have done had the blogger not called you out on this?

Whenever I hear of "how much work" senators have to do, of how many meetings you have to attend, of how many committee hearings are scheduled, of how your backlog is so huge, it strikes me as odd - I've edited myself here - that I now see senators posing for ad campaigns of processed meats, computer universities, and even hosting morning and primetime television shows.

Surely, in between takes, you could at least verify that the information you are using as the basis for legislative decisions are, at the very least, identified by source?

This recent debacle you are now facing has reinforced my vote in the last senatorial elections as being the correct one. I am hoping that many more of our citizens will come to the same realization, too, as well as one more thing:

Public officials answer to us.

Sincerely,
Guy With A Blog

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*As I was about to post this, a news item was alerted to my attention. I'm guessing this is how the senator plans to handle this - a friend called it Sotto Pilato.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/10692-sotto-isn%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99t-sorry,-says-chief-of-staff