IN THE days of travelling “karnibals” one well attended novelty act was the ventriloquist with a puppet that speaks in tongue.
At a distance the audience is amused as the dummy converses with the loquacious puppeteer who actually was himself in different voices. The showman made it appear that the puppet Kiko was talking for himself. He resembles the cartoon figure of Ernie in Sesame Street.
In our town the show was known as “Kiko-kiko,” an art form in theatricals which require exceptional dissembling skills.
For many years the Kiko show was a central event in the town fiesta karnibal. Farm folks arrived in town on their carabao-driven carts to be amused by the master showman. The act vanished when the new ventriloquist made Indian love calls to the daughter of the fire eating artist. The lovers disappeared along with Kiko and an unplanned pregnancy.
The last Kiko-kiko show that I remember was five decades ago. Imagine my great amazement when a version of the puppet show was held at the Press Club affair at Clark last week. Details and highlights of the event were reported by the peerless Tonette Orejas of the Inquirer.
From the looks of it, President Duterte will field his special assistant Bong Go as his personal choice for the Senate race. Like the famous artist of the famed Kiko Man, Pres. Duterte conducted a brilliant and side-splitting Kiko-kiko before the Club. Doppleganger (look alike) Elcias Bugsad was the President’s medium in the dramatic endorsement for Mr. Go.
Mr. Duterte’s public double will make it difficult for the CIA to get Mang Digong in the crosshair sight. With his tutored talents, Bugsad performed creditably as Kiko. Press club consultant and Punto editor Bong Lacson believes Bugsad must be well provided for including free rations of durian fruit all year long. .... The only guy in town who can do a kiko-kiko is pare Max whose imitation of his idol Blas Ople is flawless.
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Former Mayor Boking Morales upstaged Mabalacat City Mayor Cris Garbo during the event. He was shown with his canary grin in a photo with Bong Go. Garbo a Kambilan executive is bound to support Go in obedience to Governor Baby who is allied with Hugpong ni Sara. Followers of Morales do not give a damn against the reelection of Mayor Garbo versus the longest seating local mayor on record.
“Action Man of Angeles” is my unsolicited battle cry for mayoral aspirant Alex Cauguiran. He has established a track record of being active in reform movements, development efforts, and fearless initiatives. He has been an ardent partner of the outstanding global rated City Mayor Cong Ed Pamintuan dubbed as Pampanga’s Wonder Boy... Yeng Guiao’s new found popularity will soon diminish after NLEX toll rates increase soon.