TO CONFIRM IF MY OBSERVATION was accurate, I called Solar’s VP for Marketing Jude Turcuato first hour in the morning.

I told Jude I did not see President Macapagal-Arroyo or any member of her entourage on television during the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics last Friday night.

Except for Manny Pacquiao, who was flashed onscreen for a split second.

I might have blinked, I told Jude, and missed the image of our head of state on television. None of my friends and associates had seen her either.

Whatever the political inclination and affiliation, the Filipinos I talked with felt this omission was a form of snobbery on the Filipino nation as a whole.

* * *

Jude said he did not see the President during the entire 4-hour coverage either although his eyes were glued to the screen all night. Solar had set up a wide screen at the car park of the I-Max at the SM Mall of Asia for public viewing.

Six bands provided the fanfare for the opening of the world’s biggest sporting event.

“I only saw Manny (Pacquiao) briefly. Come to think of it, the President wasn’t shown at all,” Jude confirmed.

Considering that there was only a handful, almost all the world leaders who attended the opening rites was caught on camera, from United States president George W. Bush down to the heads of the third world countries.

“E pati nga yung leader ng Afghanistan pinakita,” said Jude, adding that he would make inquiries on the matter.

* * *

“Compared to the other countries, I also noted that the Philippine delegation was given very minimal exposure during the parade by the international broadcast unit provided by the Beijing organizers. The Philipine contingent was shown only very briefly on television.”

Jude said an interview with GMA and the Filipino athletes competing in Beijing by Solar will be shown over RPN-9, the station assigned to cover all the events where the Filipinos are competing.

* * *

Ateneo coach Norman Black will be the first to tell you how exciting the games in the UAAP are this season. “You can’t take any team for granted because anybody can beat you anytime. You have to prepare seriously for every game,” said Norman whose Blue Eagles are currently on top of the heap with 7 wins and one loss.

Norman is extremely pleased that Ateneo’s Rabeh Al-Hussaini is also up in the list of MVP statistical leaders.

That’s because he’s been logging in double doubles, according to Norman—15 points, 10 rebounds in the last game, 15 points 20 rebounds before that. The Fil-Kuwaiti is currently No. 2 in the MVP race next to Jervy Cruz of UST whom he is likely to overtake at the rate he’s producing those numbers.

The 6-foot-6 Rabeh is the half brother of Red Bull’s Carlo Sharma .

* * *

Because his counsel was not heeded, University of the East owner Lucio (Bong) Tan Jr. is not likely to watch a UAAP game again in the near future.

“Bong has a passion for basketball and he wants very much to be involved with the UE Warriors but certain quarters are doing everything to block his good intentions. More than anybody in the UE board, Bong is most knowledgeable about basketball. The person who pursued the UE protest after its loss to FEU got a severe dressing down because of the bad PR and the loss of P200,000 on the forfeited protest fee,” related Bong’s close associate. (The UAAP board returned half of the amount—Ed).

Bong has matured, he said. He is no longer as emotional about basketball as he was when they still owned a team in the PBA.

“But he still loves the game very much and would like to be able to help win a championship for his father’s team, if only they’d let him,” the associate said.

They who?

* * *

Ma. Sofia Cardona, two-month-old firstborn of MacMac and Carisse Cardona, was christened at the Christ the King Church in Green Meadows last Sunday. Talk ‘N Text teammates Renren Ritualo and Jun Cabatu stood as ninongs.