Drilon ignores Padilla’s braggadocio

By Alex P. Vidal

“The most luxurious possession, the richest treasure anybody has, is his personal dignity.” – Jackie Robinson

ILONGGOS were worried that retired former senator Franklin Drilon might be bullied by the bakya fans of Senator Robin Padilla if the Iloilo leader dignified the former movie action star’s braggadocio in reaction to Drilon’s concern for the “deteriorating” Senate prestige.

Padilla is the matinee idol of those who mistook the Senate race for an election for the most popular celluloid leading man, with due respect to his 26 million voters.

And they mushroom in the social media, the most powerful and brutal tool to make and unmake any aspiring candidate for a higher office.

Luckily, Drilon didn’t glorify the brat’s saber rattling. It was enough, as a moral duty, that he aired his concern for the Upper Chamber of Congress as an institution after some senators he didn’t name were supposedly lacking decorum.

Drilon had also lamented “a very noisy Senate session” as well as the use of expletives by some senators during committee hearings or sessions captured “live” on national TV.

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The Iloilo statesman had also appealed to Senate President Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and other senators to uphold respect and honor at the Senate.

But Zubiri, who has reportedly presidential ambitions, didn’t say something about the issue. Apparently he chickened out for fear of being lambasted by the social media hooligans who worship the former “Bad Boy” of Philippine showbiz.

Padilla argued that the latest batch of senators should not be dismissed as jesters since the problems inherited from so-called honorable senators are anything but amusing.

“Ang Senado po ngayon ay hindi nagpapatawa dahil ang minana namin na suliranin ng Bayan mula sa mga nagdaan na kagalanggalang at honorable senators ay hindi katatawanan,” he said. “Seryosong pamana ito na dapat hinaharap ng may positibong pananaw.”

Padilla, who spent years in the National Bilibid Prison for gunrunning, recently stirred controversy for combing his mustache while in Senate hearings.

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AIR QUALITY DETERIORATES ANEW.  I received an email June 28 from New York Governor Kathy Hochul which was also received by other New York residents:

Alex, Air quality is deteriorating very quickly in New York State as a result of the Canadian wildfires.

New Yorkers should be prepared for Air Quality Index levels ranging from ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups’ to ‘Unhealthy’ throughout the state today and tomorrow.

But as we saw a few weeks ago, conditions can change very quickly — with potential for temporary spikes to reach ‘very unhealthy’ or ‘hazardous’ levels.

As we continue to closely monitor conditions, we’re getting the word out to commuters from Buffalo to Brooklyn on air quality conditions and how they can protect themselves. From PSA messages on freeways to working with transit companies across the state to share audio and visual messages with riders, we’re making sure New Yorkers can get prepared.

Earlier this month, we made one million masks available for New Yorkers, and we are distributing these high-quality, N95-style masks again to make sure everyone can protect themselves from the smoke and haze. 

If you ride MTA, LIRR, or Metro-North, click here to find a list of locations where you can get a free mask.

If you live outside the New York City metro area, check with your county for more information on where you can get a free mask.

As we continue to closely monitor conditions, please stay up to date on the latest information and take appropriate steps to protect their health — especially if you are in a vulnerable group.

Vulnerable groups include children under 18, adults 65 and older, and those with cardiovascular disease (e.g., congestive heart failure, history of prior heart attach) or lung disease (e.g., asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).

How to keep track of air quality:

Use your phone’s weather app

Visit airnow.gov

Visit the DEC website

Call the air quality hotline: 800-535-1345

Take steps to protect yourself if air quality becomes unhealthy:

Limit time outdoors

Close windows

Consider wearing a high-quality, well-fitted mask

Stay safe, New York.

Gov. Kathy Hochul

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In a CNN report, doctors are questioning a study that suggests a link between hormone replacement therapy and dementia. Women in their 50s who use estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms had an increased risk of dementia within 20 years, a study found.

However, experts say the study is unable to draw a direct connection to later-life dementia and that the overall benefits of hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, outweigh the risks.

Women who have hot flashes, mood changes or sleep issues—all of which affect cognition—are more likely to seek out and use HRT, said Dr. Kejal Kantarci, a professor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “That means women who choose to use hormone therapies may actually be the ones who are already at risk for dementia,” Kantarci said.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)