MANONG SETS TO UPSTAGE THE BRUSSELS CELEBRATIONS

By Rudy Noble, Philippine Associated Press - Paris, 26 December 2006

Manong would never let himself to be categorically let down or held back by anybody no matter who he or she is for as long as he must get or obtain whatever he wants or aspires for in his pursuit of his ultimate goals for the sake of his personal crowning glory at all costs. As a matter of fact, it is the realization of his most-cherished dream and ambition from a former domestic with hardly a title or a diploma to his name to become a high-ranking official of a well-esteemed international organization in the name of Rizal!

Inasmuch as his image has been blown up notoriously in his home base during the course of the last few months from a series of irregularities and scandals that he himself had instigated and perpetrated personally, he has devised a very clever and cunning strategy to upstage the anniversary celebrations on the occasion of the death of Rizal that is scheduled to be held in the premises of the Philippine Embassy in Brussels on December 30. Through the recommendation and official endorsement of his most intimate and influential connections with the top officials at the Manila Head Office, he practically mobilized the Philippine Ambassador to France, who is also a member of the knights under his command, to requisition the embassy premises at his full disposal and carte blanche in order to organize a parallel celebration in Paris which he would foresee to be more grandiose and spectacular than Brussels which will be arranged and presided by his second man in command and to be attended mostly by the Belgian and other European members.

Although his plan is held in strict confidence among his close collaborators and his spiritual adviser who will officiate the solemn thanksgiving ceremony in his honor, there was a leak that the event will be attended mostly by Filipino members, followers and some European sympathizers. The highlight of the program will be his official consecration as the supreme commander and his awarding of the highest distinction in Europe that he ordered and drafted personally in advance from his benefactors in Manila, supposedly for his valuable contribution to the unity of the Order.

In conclusion, Manong has cleverly devised personally such a Machiavellian plan so that he could save his face and integrity from further embarrassment and humiliation by upstaging Brussels in order to regain the full confidence of whole members and to report to the Head Office that he ended the year in full control of his area of command as a competent leader. Who does he think he is fooling all along?