What’s the difference between President Aquino and the national football team Azkals?
They are certified warriors in their respective turf, the national political field and the Asian football front.
This was agreed upon during an impromptu birthday lunch among several barangay leaders and self-styled sportsmen in Poblacion, Mandaluyong City, on Tuesday.
The group likewise agreed that:
1) President Noynoy is waging a grim war against corruption;
2) The Azkals have just emerged triumphant from stinging challenges to their character as a team.
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By the way, before the gathering, now fueled by San Mig Lights and spiked by exquisite Torres 10 brandy and Black Label whisky, got hotly divided, a random poll was also taken on the Chief Justice Renato Corona impeachment case.
There was a near unanimous (80 percent) submission Corona would have to go, either by conviction or resignation.
The loose poll was done minutes before it was learned through text messages that a Pulse Asia survey showed almost half of the respondents (47 percent) said Corona is guilty, while only five percent believed he is innocent of charges.
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City Councilor Louie Espinosa, who loves to refer to former Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos as father, said all the national mess, topped by the Corona impeachment, was being caused by a lame, misguided leadership.
Trader Pete Tanyao, native of San Fernando, La Union who adores Ferdinand Marcos, said President Aquino should be supported by all in his anti-corruption crusade.
Through it all, while straying back to the Azkals’ adventure in the recent AFC Challenge Cup, nobody disputed the heart-warming fact that, yes, the national booters gave their all, fought tooth and nail, for flag and country.
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Not only that, it was also observed that the Azkals, stung not once but twice, sprang back like wounded tigers in the battlefield.
The first blow, an accusation by Cristy Ramos, daughter of former President Ramos, about an alleged sexual harassment, had the team losing its balance on the eve of departure for battle site Kathmandu.
Then out there in battle, after sensational wins over former champion India and classy Tajikistan, the Azkals suffered an abominable slip and dropped what had looked like a winning match against Turkmenistan.
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The Azkals refused to stay down and sink.
They instead rode—after having boldly overcome the sexual harassment accusation—on the stinging 1-2 Turkmenistan loss to nip Palestine, 4-3, in a grim battle for the bronze medal.
The German coach Michael Weiss said they deserved more than third place.
“We had some difficult things to overcome and some difficult times to overcome but we’ve managed it in a wonderful way,” Weiss explained.
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Meanwhile, himself stung by criticisms against perceived non-action on urgent problems, topped by galloping prices of fuel and daily commodities, President Aquino conveniently brushed off everything as impertinent.
“It does not merit attention, I have all the statistics,” P-Noy slammed back at critics, who had hit him for his “carefree” style (Noynoying) of addressing national problems.
When put to a vote by the birthday group, the President, in comparison to the near-unanimous jab at Justice Corona, received an overwhelming thumbs-down verdict.
Mind you, President Aquino had been “impeached” not only for Noynoying.
He got rejected for refusing to be stung by committed criticisms.
He got voted down for shameless insensitivity.
Hail the Azkals!