Frank Malilong
Malilong passed in 1968 the qualifying examinations for staff members of The Visayanian, the college publication of the University of the Visayas, little did he know that he would be embarking on an equally, if not more, challenging career.
He first worked in 1969 as cub reporter for the Cebu News and Information Service, patterned after the then Philippine News Service, now the Philippine News Agency.
He joined The Freeman when Pachico Seares was editor and Juanito Jabat, associate editor. “They made a good pair, with Cheking as stern and as demanding as a Marine drill sergeant and Nito as kind as your grandfather.”
Frank’s career was cut short when Martial Law closed all newspapers. He pursued his law studies more seriously while working as a clerk in the Provincial Capitol.
When a number of The Freeman editorial staff members left to join Sun.Star in 1982, he was recruited to handle the sports page. He wrote a sports column, “Free Throw,” for more than a year until he was promoted to the opinion-editorial page. Thus, “Frankly Speaking” was born. Not long after, he briefly took care of the paper during weekends after its editor resigned.
In 2001, when his professional schedule became mercifully rational, Frank felt the itch to write again. After asking permission from The Freeman publisher Dodong Gullas, he spoke to Sun.Star’s Julius Neri, who spoke to editor-in-chief Cheking Seares, who asked opinion editor Bong Wenceslao to speak to him.
“We’re like Englishmen holding a reunion in New York, I remember Cheking telling me. He was right, as usual.”
Columns
Tommy O’s electoral protest
LOREN LEGARDA, Chiz Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano and Sonny Angara were big winners in the May 13 senatorial elections in spite of it. On the other hand, Mitos Magsaysay and JC delos Reyes missed the target by a wide margin (5 million votes?) also in spite of it.
In Cebu, political giants Reps. Pablo Garcia and Eddie Gullas tasted bitter defeat for the first time after so many elections, likewise in spite of it.
Empowered electorate
IN AN illustrious political career that spans almost half a century, Cebu first district Rep. Eduardo R. Gullas has lost only once: in the Interim Batasang Pambansa elections in 1978 when the entire Kilusang Bagong Lipunan slate was wiped out by the upstart Pusyon Bisaya. That shocker was repeated last Monday in a reversal that has left many keen political observers still shaking their heads in disbelief.
Nobody gave Johnny V. de los Reyes serious consideration as challenger to Eddiegul.
Voting
SUCCESS!
The city was still asleep when I headed for Pondohan, Boljoon, 110 kilometers southward. The roads were deserted save for a few proverbial early birds and Celing, the driver, had taken advantage of the absence of traffic. The speedometer hovered between 110 to 120 km/h but I paid no heed. I was determined to become the first voter in my precinct to insert my ballot in the PCOS machine.
Gubernatorial derby
AND the winner is…!
By late tomorrow evening, we should already have an idea on who is going to be our next governor. Will we see an extension of one family’s two-decades-old reign in the Capitol with a victory by PJ Garcia? Or will Junjun Davide succeed in his second attempt at capturing the province’s most coveted post?
Hunted but free
HE CAME, he saw, he escaped.
That is the story of the adopted son of Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez. Joavan came home to his father’s house, was arrested, saw jail and escaped from it. To that you can add, with a little help from his friends.
Comelec’s money ban
TOMMY OSMEÑA is going to die, no doubt about it. So are we, no doubt about it either.
The end is not a matter of “if” but “when.” And just because one doesn’t suffer from any serious ailment does not mean that he will necessarily outlive the other who has.
Group sponsors, individual endorsers
NEXT to the survey, the most popular thing to have emerged in recent elections is the endorsement. Iglesia ni Cristo should be credited for starting this phenomenon. Now, everybody who thinks he is popular or influential enough, is into it.
The Iglesia is known to vote as a bloc so its endorsement is still the most valued by politicians. Not surprisingly, the religious sect doesn’t give its blessings easily.
Need to dispose smuggled rice
NONE of the eight consignees of the 600,000 sacks of rice smuggled from Vietnam can be found. Authorities suspect that the names are fictitious.
Of course, they are fictitious. And it doesn’t take rocket science to understand why. These people knew that they were committing a crime. Why should they give away their identities?
Pro-lifers need to work harder
LATEST Pulse Asia survey has 17 senatorial candidates with a statistical chance of making it to the magic circle on May 13. They include six of the seven members of Bacolod Archbishop Vicente Navarra’s Team Patay, the local Roman Catholic Church’s Hall of Shame for politicians. The lone casualty was Bayan Muna’s Teddy Casiño.
Margot’s phone call
CEBU City Councilor Margot Osmena called last Friday to react to my column on the tempestuous relationship between the city council and Mayor Mike Rama. The column noted how the councilors seem to oppose the mayor at every turn for reasons that are suspect.
The observation was made after majority councilors agreed to have Rama investigated for entering into two multi-million-peso contracts without authority from the council.
