Barrita: Political oxymoron

AN enthusiastic freshman, Rep. Manny Pacquiao from Sarangani delivered his first privilege speech in the House of Representatives.

He told his colleagues of his desire to become a “good congressman.”

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Pacquiao, or his speechwriter, must have known a "good congressman" is a political oxymoron, otherwise, the modifier “good” would have been stricken out for being redundant.

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Congressman Manny said he is now in a position to help the hungry, the homeless and the hopeless, especially his constituents in Sarangani.

“It is clear to me that it is my duty to help them,” he said.

Maybe his colleagues will learn a lesson or two from Congressman Manny, who knows “what it’s like to be without a home, to be without food… to go hungry.”

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“It’s a puzzlement,” the King sang in “The King and I,” why four million Filipinos should go hungry when, according to National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Lito Banayo, “We are swimming in rice.”

At least we know we’re not swimming in a sea of garbage.

Well, rice supply is no longer a problem-–it’s the money to buy rice that is.

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President Noynoy Aquino’s Truth Commission drew flak even before it was officially formed.

Sen. Joker Arroyo, a lawyer, said it is doomed to fail for lack of a legal leg to stand on and having no subpoena powers.

“That will be a toothless commission. It would suffer from a legal flaw,” he said.

In short, a toothless tiger, all roar and no bite.

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Things are looking good at the Cebu City Hall even if they have neck-deep debts to pay courtesy of the South Road Properties, Rep. Tomas Osmeña’s baby.

Things are so good Vice Mayor Joy Young now wants to buy a more than 40-year-old plane.

It must be easier to travel by air than to drive on potholed city streets.