Shouldn’t President Duterte be the one getting the most outstanding achiever award for that triumphant war he declared from out of nowhere in Marawi City?
Remember that Mr. Duterte was out somewhere around Moscow when he pulled the trigger and declared martial law in Mindanao. There were sneers after what was thought to be a silly move by the fighting Chief Executive.
After the martial law declaration May last year was accelerated into a full-scale war in Marawi, against Islamic State-backed terrorists, Duterte critics could only watch in awe at what the outspoken head of state would score.
It was a big, big win for his people, God, flag and country, the gold of golds if disputed out in the Olympic battlefield.
Anyway, on Feb. 27 at the historic Manila Hotel, the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) will honor the country’s outstanding athletes. The list of the “best and brightest in 2017” is headed by three world champions, namely pool wizard Carlo Biado (winner of the World Pool League 9-ball Championship), boxer Jerwin Ancajas (reigning WBO super flyweight titlist who makes a fourth crown defense on Feb. 3), and reigning world bowling queen Krizziah Lyn Tabora.
The PSA has also decided to toast one of its own by calling in Agriculture Sec. Manny Piñol, a former newspaperman, to be its guest of honor in the annual celebration of Filipino sporting greatness.
Of course, Sec. Piñol would be truly thrilled to rub elbows with old colleagues in the dead-line beating business.
Whether Pareng Manny would come in a Barong Tagalog or suit is beside the point. What’s sure is that he will show as his old dynamic, dedicated, determined self.
You see, the PSA may have been honestly unaware of this, but the oldest functioning media association in the country will be honoring Piñol on Feb. 27, more than a month after the peppery DA chief led President Duterte to order closure of all logging operations of South Davao Development Co. Inc (Sodaco) in Zamboanga del Norte after flash floods and mudslides at the height of Tropical Storm “Vinta” killed hundreds of people and damaged agricultural lands in four towns in the province.
At the Cabinet meeting on Monday, Sec. Piñol presented to the President footage taken when he conducted an aerial inspection of the areas where Sodaco operated in the Zamboanga provinces. After watching the video of the deforested area of the Zamboanga mountain range, President Duterte wasted no time and issued the closure order.
Count the presence of Sec. Piñol in the night of nights for outstanding national athletes as a big win for the PSA, Philippine media itself.