Even the Marines they politicize?
GOTCHA
By Jarius Bondoc
November 17, 2008
The Philippine Star
One sunny day in Aug. 2010 an old man approached the Malacañang gate. “I’d like to go in and meet with President GMA,” he told the Marine sentry.
The Marine looked at the man and said, “Sir, GMA is no longer President, and no longer resides here.”
“Okay,” the old man said and walked away.
The following day the old man returned to the Malacañang gate and said to the same marine standing guard, “I’d like to go in and see President GMA.”
The Marine again retorted, “Sir, as I said yesterday, GMA is no longer President and so no longer lives here.”
The man thanked the soldier and left.
The third day the man walked up to the Palace gate, telling the same Marine, “I would like to go in and talk to President GMA.”
Quite impatiently the Marine glared at the man: Sir, this is the third day in a row that that you’re asking to speak to GMA. I’ve told you already that GMA is no longer President and so does not stay here anymore. Don’t you understand?”
“The old man looked sheepishly at the soldier and said, “Oh, I do understand. I just love hearing it.”
The Marine snapped to attention, saluted and said, “See you again tomorrow, sir.”
Incidentally, it is the Palace itself that’s spreading the coup d’etat rumors. Note: the Marines never planned to stage one, only to let their sentiments be known against the lobbying by the usual interloper in the admin. They know they could get into serious trouble if they do anything political. Some of their senior officers, including two Medalists of Valor and a general, are still in the brig for their mass action in Feb. 2006. Thus, the coup talk could be part of a plot to condition the public mind for martial law part 2.