INSIDE MANNY PACQUIAO’s PUNCHES

by Earlie Doriman

Manny 'PACMAN' Pacquiao, considered the sports hero of the Philippines

Filipinos and the world have another big event to look forward to next Month. On May 7, 2011, Manny Pacquiao, the Philippines sports hero, will climb into the boxing arena again to prove his power against the much bigger opponent and highly regarded Shane Mosley. Manny Pacquiao or simply ‘PACMAN’ earned the admiration of boxing fans by collecting eight championship belts in eight divisions. His last battle against Antonio Margarito was the best fight to remember when he demonstrated in 12 exciting rounds why he deserves to be called the best pound-for-pound boxer of the world.

I used to know Manny Pacquiao as an ordinary person who aside from doing professional boxing, was also a very good billiard player. If my memory serves me right, it was between 1998-2004 when I could always spot him playing in one of Davao City’s ( Davao is a progressive city of southern Philippines) billiard halls along Bolton Street.

ENGLISH TONGUE TEASERS

by Earlie Doriman

Many Filipinos learn the English language as early as when they learn to speak a single word. We learn to say words like dog, cat, moon, even before we understand what these words really mean. We even know how to say ‘apple’ and not bothered how it looked like and whether or not we grow them in our farm. English is not strange to us at least, and it doesn’t matter if we become at times too literal in translating Filipino terms to its English equivalent, as long as we are able to convey ourselves in this crazy language, that’s quite an achievement.


When the Spaniards sold the Philippine islands to the Americans during the early 1900’s, English was introduced and in fact enforced to be the official language spoken in the entire archipelago. There began the familiarity of Filipinos to the language of the ‘whites’, and eventually some learned to become good speakers and writers of it. Most of the daily newspapers in the Philippines nowadays are written in English, the constitution is in English, medium of instruction in schools is English, and business correspondence is English, amongst others. Practically, we hear English everyday.

I am not really confident with my English skills, I maybe able to write fairly well, but to speak the language is not simple for me. It appears these two faculties do not go along at the same wavelength. I honestly find writing easier because I own my time and I can chose a topic that suits my leaning. On the other hand, speaking requires quickness of thoughts and tongue that deliver phrases using appropriate terms.

SUICIDE: OF GUILTS AND LIBERTY

by Earlie Doriman
The shocking suicide incident carried out by former AFP Chief of Staff Angelo Reyes, still makes headlines over televisions and newspapers.  It is but a distressing fact that his family and the Filipino people are both suspending upon a losing situation.  He left his loved ones with a vacuum of hope, and the country a missing link to the ongoing investigation of the alleged massive corruption within the Armed Forces of the Philippines.  Whatever his reasons in taking his own life, is a question that we could not answer but only speculate.

A FEW GOOD MEN

By Earlie Doriman

I still believe there is hope for our country. Whilst this massive corruption alarm, allegedly consummated by these high-ranking officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), I nonetheless trust with conviction that someday the ordinary Filipino people will find justice and integrity in this broken nation. Tall order indeed!

Many of us are fuming with disbelief and exasperation about the expose’ of the former AFP Budget Officer George Rabusa and Lt. Colonel Antonio Lim regarding the reprehensible corruption within the AFP.  I find it too atrocious for these generals to live in immense wealth whilst the ordinary soldiers are risking their lives in the battlefield, so uncertain if they could still get back home alive,

HEIDI MENDOZA: FEARLESS WOMAN

She maybe small but she is definitely a giant in moral principle. An ordinary COA (Commission on Audit) auditor with extraordinary task. And that particular task made her life, career, family, and principle, put into a stringent ordeal. Yet, she stands tough, sensible and a fighter amidst threats of her life, and future. She maybe a woman but she is fearless to tell the truth even to the point when her colleagues turn their backs on her.

We need many Heidi Mendozas in these times when we struggle to obtain genuine liberation from the perils of corruption. We need truthful voices from people

OF GUNS AND MANSIONS: THE AMPATUAN COUNTRY

by Earlie Doriman

Regrettably, fifty seven lives or might be more, had to be sacrificed to uncover enormous wealth and heaps of weapon and ammunition concealed within the premises of the Ampatuans.  It takes Martial Law in Maguindanao to pursue a family of politicians who have been in power for couple of decades and it needs an inconceivable massacre to discover millions-of-pesos worth of mansions.