THESE New Year resolutions were pried out of sources who reluctantly disclosed them on condition of total anonymity until death, the source’s or the public figure’s (whichever comes first). Not one guaranteed absolute truth.
PRESIDENT NOYNOY AQUINO will exert “best efforts” to get married while he’s still in Malacañang. With barely two years left, that’s tough. The next best thing he might pull off: not to grin publicly at the site of tragedy.Since the Luneta hostage-taking, he has been practicing “the serious look” before mirrors at his residence and in Malacañang.
VICE PRESIDENT JOJO BINAY had long given up skin-whitening products and practices, since 2010 when he won the VP post over fair-complexioned Mar Roxas, reenforced when his daughter, who’s as dark as her dad, also handily won a Senate seat in 2013.
He has been holding a weekly drill though,for his mayor son and senator daughter how to behave when confronting village security guards and other mortals with less authority. He has also hired p.r. specialists to watch out for similar situations fraught with risk of getting bad press.
MAR ROXAS has commissioned a panel of make-over experts to improve his image as a presidential timber in 2016. He realized it’s no longer a case of changing propaganda devices like “Mr. Palengke” or trisikad.
He’s also watching out for potential rivals to the LP top slot in the next presidential race. With lackluster showing since he signed up as DOTC head, then as DILG chief, he has been having insecurity jitters. LP could be looking for other 2016 material, not excluding newly named rehabilitation czar Ping Lacson who might not have junked presidential dreams.
CEBU CITY MAYOR MIKE RAMA may no longer call a meeting of businessmen or any other group without specific agenda. He will strive not to make them wait in his office where they’ve nothing to do except fiddle with their iPhones or tablets or watch framed photos of the mayor’s fabled ancestors on the wall.
He has passed the phase where communication experts bombarded him with lessons on brevity, clarity and substance. He’s long over that ,though he hasn’t given up singing practice, which he does every chance he gets, preferably when there’s an appreciative audience.
TOMAS OSMENA, former mayor and former congressman, has given up hopes of reducing his waistline (what with his passion for good food and hearty drink) but he could work on his temper and arrogance, which critics said cost him the last local elections.
He won’t go to a plastic surgeon to increase capability to smile but he might use jokes about his rival to make himself laugh more often and thus relax muscles for that smile politicians would kill to learn.
More difficult would be under-sizing his ego, which includes the mantra that only he could run the city efficiently and well.
[bzzzzz@sunstar.com.ph]