Ousted Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. disclosed that PGMA almost declared martial law during the Peninsula hotel siege in 2007 and asked him to fly to get Washington’s blessing for emergency rule. That’s politics - today, Kiss-and-tell, tomorrow, Kiss-and-Make-Up?

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Newspaper headline: “Ibrado won’t take gov’t job after retiring.” Iba Ito!

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When he becomes old soldier, he will … just fade away. But his name will never die.

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Many generals become ambassadors upon retirement. But do ambassadors become generals? Envoys and diplomats are the country’s first line of defense and offense.

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The only diplomat from DFA who became general was Carlos P. Romulo, one of the longest-serving Secretaries of Foreign Affairs in history who preferred to be called “General.”

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One of the first generals to be appointed Ambassador was retired Chief of Staff General Manuel Yan, our envoy to Indonesia. Ambassador Yan boasted, “Now there are two generals in DFA… but one has two stars and the other one star.” To our recollection, two-star General Yan never got promoted while General Romulo was foreign affairs secretary.

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Catanduanes Rep. Joseph Santiago swears that PGMA will never restore capital punishment. On our national day on June 12th 2006, I received a demonstration at our Paris Embassy …the kind we like. The French chapter of Christian Institution to Abolish Torture came with a bouquet to thank President Arroyo for lifting capital punishment.

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Ramon Orlina’s torso glass sculpture is among 25 short-listed in Saatchi & Satchi of London. His hobby is restoring/redesigning VW Beetles in his "Atalyer," (next to his atelier). With Orlina’s glass sculpture on the rear engine, the Super Beetle looks like it could run faster than a bullet. But, look again, it looks suspiciously like kryptonite?

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BenCab will paint the body of a 1974 Beetle and Ed Castrillo will do a sculptural dashboard. The deck of 1969 VW Beetle will be painted by Gabby Barredo, the exterior by Elmer Borlongan.

Catch the first exhibition of the Art Cars at the BenCab Museum in Baguio.

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An Islamic court in Malaysia sentenced Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, a 32-year-old model, to caning for drinking beer in nightclub. A-go-go dancers can do pole dancing, but no beer!

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BTW, do her last two names ring a bell to a dalliance of the Father of Indonesia with a popular Copacabana entertainer in Tokyo?

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A lost love letter, found after 10 years, reunited Steve Smith and Carmen Ruiz-Perez and led to marriage. Good thing that he did not write his love letters in the sand.

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A monster fish was harpooned after it attacked swimmers in Swiss lake. The 70 cm. long 8 lb. zander is served to guests. Confucius says: Better you eat fish than the fish eat you.

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When the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century cast its shadow, soothsayers and godmen divined omens. But RP’s only real worry is man-made eclipse of power failure and blackouts during vote-counting at May 2010 elections.

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Feedback: jaz@mb.com.ph