FIRST, people are talking about...
* 'LA-MIAN.' The Cebuano-Bisaya word for "delicious" is not being used to describe food but for a cross-breed of voting preferences: Barug's Labella for mayor and BOPK's Mary Ann (de los Santos) for vice mayor. Barug bet for VM Mike Rama expectedly does not like it. He prefers LR, "law rules" (or Labella- Rama), which evolved from RL, "rule of law" (or Rama-Labella) when Mike was leading the team.
* DUTERTE TAKING MARIJUANA, which his spokesman and the president himself promptly corrected just a joke, they said. To fight boredom, to shake the tree, Digong explained. If it's illogical, spokesman Salvador Panelo said, don't' believe it. Wait for the explanation or correction, another Malacañang communicator said.
Duterte's controversial quote, "It's a killing activity and I think my age...Ako hindi masyado, kasi nagma-marijuana ko eh para hindi makatulog."
While marijuana mostly make people drowsy, effects differ, depending upon the quality and quantity of cannabis. Marijuana is also known for alleviating "long-term pain."
* MARIA RESSA'S BAIL and other numbers: Her bail for the charge of violation of the tax code is P60,000.
Representative Imelda Marcos's was P150,000, then raised to P300,000 after she was convicted and raised her case on appeal.
No substitutions
Thursday, November 29, the last day for substitution of candidates not caused by death or disqualification, was uneventful. "That day mingaw kayo mi," Cebu Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano told a Bzzzzz source.
The most-rumored-about, last-day switches that did not happen:
[] Winston Garcia taking over his brother Nelson's slot for congressman in the seventh district;
[] Benhur Salimbangon, for his daughter Daphne's slot for vice governor;
[] Sonny Osmeña, for the Toledo City mayor's slot warmed over by his top councilor and former acting vice mayor Marjorie "Joy" Perales.
Sonny's attempt
Among them, only Sonny's reported attempt to shift to the mayorship race came close to the speculated substitution. It seemed, the rumor goes, that Sonny's decision to file his COC for third district congressman was an impulsive move, caused by a "misunderstanding" with his One Cebu allies. Once the rage fled, Sonny wanted to go back to the mayorship arena, where he must have realized he would've an easier fight in his hands. He would've to campaign in a much wider ground in the third district, requiring more energy and stamina he might no longer have.
Comelec's Castillano said Sonny being an independent could not substitute Perales because, like Sonny, she filed COC as an independent. A scramble for a party member who filed reportedly sent Sonny flying to Manila on deadline day but negotiations failed.
A rumor says Sonny tried to persuade Vice Governor Agnes Magpale to have her party's Toledo bet give way to him but she refused. If true, one can understand why: Sonny once called the candidate for governor "aninipot" or firefly for her frequent and extensive travel all over the province. In a way, Sonny was proven right. Magpale has profited evidently from her "firefly" trips.
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