Gabriela: All sound and fury

Gabriela, an association that supposedly fights for women’s rights, is taking up the cudgels for actress Claudine Barretto, who claims I kicked her during a scuffle at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on May 6.

I respect Gabriela’s decision to side with Claudine, as I respect other people’s opinions that run counter to my own.

But I am amused by Gabriela’s move, which I may describe as an antic.

If memory serves me right, Gabriela did not come to the aid of Katsiaryna “Katti” Aleinik-Colet, a Belarussian woman who was jailed and faced deportation for defending herself against her Filipino husband, in 2005.

Katti said that while her husband, who was drunk, was beating her up, she grabbed hold of an empty soft drink bottle and hit him on the head.

Through my public service program, “Isumbong Mo Kay Tulfo,” I did everything I could to have Katti released from jail to the extent of even asking my friends to post bail for her temporary liberty and have her deportation stayed.

You see, Katti was fighting to remain in the country because she has a child by her husband.

She was in a strange country with no relatives to run to and was facing charges of frustrated murder filed by her husband.

In all those times when Katti needed help, Gabriela knew about her plight but didn’t lift a finger to help her.

Was it because Katti was a foreigner?

Deaf ears

When Gabriela says it fights for women’s rights, it should not discriminate on the basis of citizenship or race.

Our pleas at “Isumbong” for Gabriela to give us a helping hand in defending Katti fell on deaf ears.

I write this piece so people will know the real nature of Gabriela: all sound and fury.

No excuse for inefficiency

Budget airlines like Cebu Pacific should not sacrifice efficiency just because they charge less compared to bigger airlines.

The commotion at NAIA Terminal 3 which I got involved in was caused by the luggage of some passengers being off-loaded at their airport of origin.

I heard that the management of Cebu Pacific said its passengers should not complain of “minor inconveniences” because they’re being charged lower fares.

If that’s not insensitive and callous, I don’t know what is.

By the way, an airport official told me Cebu Pacific pays only a nominal fee for the use of NAIA 3, that’s why it can afford to charge lower fares.

Then President Gloria approved the nominal fee for the airline’s use of NAIA 3, my source said.

Wise move

President Noy will not let go of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala until 2016 when his term expires.

A very wise move on the part of the President.

You see, Alcala is the only agriculture secretary who has made a promise to make the Philippines not only self-sufficient in rice but also an exporter by 2013; that’s next year.

Making the country a rice exporter may be a tall order for other aggie chiefs, but not for Alcala who walks the talk.

Alcala has been going around the country convincing farmers and fishermen about the importance of their role in the economy.

Farmers and fishermen love and believe in Alcala, an engineer by profession and a politician (he’s a former congressman) by avocation.

Young life lost

When you drink, don’t drive.

One of La Salle’s baseball team ace players, 18-year-old Paolo Mallari, was killed in a car accident because he drove when he was drunk.

Liquor snuffed out the life of a very promising young man.