VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Although most of them have been living in Canada for the past 20 to 30 years now, some Filipino-Canadians are very much aware of showbiz and political events in their native land in the Philippines; they are shoo-in in every no-holds-barred discussion about current events involving sports, entertainment, business, and political figures. They know that a showbiz matinee idol is a closet gay; that the former girlfriend of President Nonoy Aquino will soon marry a congressman; that a mestizo football player linked to a popular actress is a “mama’s boy”; that the daughter of a defeated presi­dential candidate has nixed the proposal of a former congress­man jailed in Hong Kong for ille­gal drugs for a romantic reunion, among other juicy tidbits.

Here are some of their thoughts about the ongoing impeachment case against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona:
“It is a waste of taxpayers’ money because the main prob­lems the Filipinos are facing to­day are poverty, unemployment, calamity, graft and corruption in the government, not whether the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is evil.” SAMANTHA ILUSTRE-FOUCH, 44, Fouch-Juab Realty general manager, Abbots­ford, B.C.

“President Nonoy Aquino’s policies and programs to rid the government with undesirable characters must not end with the impeachment of Chief Justice Corona. The Bureau of Customs, DPWH, DepEd, PNP also need a major shake-up.” A CERTAIN “GENERAL”, 68, a former Army major and Vietnam War combat­ant, Surrey, B.C.

“The impeachment of Chief Justice will set a bad precedent because it is common knowledge that it was instigated by the Presi­dent of the Philippines who does not see eyeball-to-eyeball with the Chief Justice. Who will stop every President at odds with the Chief Justice in the future to do the same thing?” RICARDO AMA­MANGLON, 39, Thrift Store staff, New Westminster, B.C.

“No comment. My mother is a clerk of court (in Malolos, Bu­lacan) and she might not like my statement.”JOSEFINA PAGDI­LAO-TAMOR, 32, a nurse, Van­couver, B.C.

“(Chief Justice) Corona should be impeached because he is a thorn in the throat of the Aquino administration and he can never have a good working relationship with the executive branch.” RIZA­LITO GEMORA, JR., 30, Tim Horton staff, Burnaby, B.C.

“The political crucifixion of the head of the Supreme Court will give the Philippines a bad image abroad. It will scare the investors. This is purely a political maneu­vering. Nothing more, nothing less.” REBECCA ANGELES, 54, a nanny and passenger of SkyTrain in Nanaimo Station, Vancouver, B.C.
“I will just watch Tom Cruise’ latest movie where he climbed the tallest building in the world in Dubai. I’m not interested about Philippine politics. Sorry, brod.” ALEJANDRO “ALE” SEVILLA, 48, a caregiver and member of secu­rity in the “Damayan Concert” for typhoon “Sendong” victims in the Philippines, Surrey, B.C.
“Hindi kita maintindihan (I don’t understand you).” AN EL­DERLY MALE PASSENGER on corner Main and 12th Streets, Vancouver, B.C.

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