WITH THE way Philippine officials explained the government’s decision to postpone the 12th ASEAN Summit from December to January 2007, one could not help but be skeptical about the official reason. It appears that President Arroyo feared international embarrassment in the light of the scheduled rallies protesting the House move to convene into a constituent assembly. The typhoon came as a convenient cover story.

Ambassador Marciano Paynor, chairman of the National Organizing Committee, said the decision was based on the “weather disturbance and on this disturbance only.” Paynor said he was not a “technically-competent person to discern weather maps” and that the decision to postpone was based on “official government or other data that come to us.”

JOCJOC BOLANTE, former agriculture undersecretary, may be having legal woes in the US, but he has already made a sound real estate investment there. We got a tip that he bought a unit in Chestnut Tower Apartments at 121 West Chestnut Street in Chicago, Illinois.

As you can see from the map, the condo is in the posh side of Chicago. It’s near the East Lake Shore Drive, known as the richest block in the city, and where Oprah Winfrey was reported in November to be moving into a posh apartment building.

WITH THE way Philippine officials explained the government’s decision to postpone the 12th ASEAN Summit from December to January 2007, one could not help but be skeptical about the official reason. It appears that President Arroyo feared international embarrassment in the light of the scheduled rallies protesting the House move to convene into a constituent assembly. The typhoon came as a convenient cover story.

Ambassador Marciano Paynor, chairman of the National Organizing Committee, said the decision was based on the “weather disturbance and on this disturbance only.” Paynor said he was not a “technically-competent person to discern weather maps” and that the decision to postpone was based on “official government or other data that come to us.”

This presidential wannabe is really awash in millions.

Once, his advertising handlers went to the office of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) to persuade the PBA to run an ad on his “advocacy.” Along with this request came a second: could the PBA, in one of its hot matches, schedule an interview with this candidate during the break?

This story wouldn’t occupy this space—so what if a presidential bet wants to be seen by PBA lovers—were it not for the astounding offer from the bet’s handlers. They told PBA execs they were willing to immediately shell out  two million pesos as advance payment. And, they added, “If you want it in cash, then we can give you cash right away.”

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo may be happy with the outcome of the US-led campaign in Iraq, but she is reportedly disappointed with her point person in Baghdad at the time of the crisis—Ambassador Grace Escalante.

Palace insiders say the President was not happy with the interviews given by Escalante’s children to Channel 2. What particularly irked the President were the remarks of the ambassador’s children that Saddam Hussein was able to modernize Iraq.