By JESSE JOSE

A Cup O’ Kapeng Barako

If you are a Filipino and you dare say those words above, to another Filipino, you’re liable to get “murdered” by that Filipino.  Or, you can get ostracized and dubbed as an “unpatriotic” Filipino, who had turned his back on his “ethnic pride.”

Or, you can get cursed severely …

My dear Erapok, Bart T., in a mass e-mail, verbalized it in pretty words that red-hot Filipino anger, in this way:

There’s such a feeling we call “Ethic Pride.”  We all have to respect that feeling.  That’s probably why the Irish people celebrate and flaunt their St. Patrick’s Day in the USA, why Irish men still love to show their skirts on parades, why the Puerto Ricans or even the Mexicans trumpet their horns on US streets in exaltation of their independence back home.

If we cannot respect our own pride and heritage, we must not expect others to respect us.  If we cannot even love the triumphs of your compatriots, do not expect others to recognize your own talents or just even listen to your message.  (Signed) Bart

My reply to Bart:

Erapok et al,

I am a journalist/columnist, NOT a Filipino trumpeter.  I write the way I see things, NOT the way others would like me to see things.  If people don’t want to “listen to my message or recognize my talents,” as you put it, that’s their prerogative … and their problem, not mine.

Just like it’s also my prerogative na ayaw ko kay Pakyaw at hindi ako bilib sa kanya.  I think his last two fights against De La Hoya and Hatton were “fixed” by the Vegas MOB.  It’s all about money.  He’s a good boxer, but not the greatest in the world, as his Filipino admires claimed him to be.

Let’s don’t get overly sensitive now and get personal about our comments to each other when discussing Pakyaw and his fight against “El Kuto” this Saturday.  Boksing lang ‘to.  We are all just commenting and voicing out our opinions.  You’ve got your own opinion and I’ve got mine.  Many others, too, have their own thoughts about this matter, perhaps, similar to yours … or perhaps, different.  Be cool, Erapok. (Signed) Jesse

P erry Diaz, a friend and a colleague and a fellow MegaScene columnist had also verbalized his thoughts, succinctly.  Quoting an excerpt from his e-mail, he said: 

Pareng Jesse,

… In my opinion, when you put down Paquiao, you’re putting down yourself and all the Pinoys in the world.  I wouldn’t be surprised to hear a Redneck say, “Look at these people, one of them becomes the best pound-for-pound fighter and they pull him down!

Isn’t that what we call “crab mentality”?  (Signed) Perry

My reply:

Pareng Perry,

May I beg to differ with you?  I don’t agree with that opinion.  That’s putting all Pinoys in one “BOX,” where everybody MUST think alike, talk alike … and even look alike.  And that if you DARE think or say anything outside of that box, you’re “putting yourself down and all the Pinoys in the world.”  And that if you don’t align yourself with fellow Pinoys within that box, you’re a “cock-eyed” Pinoy.  That’s limiting and confining yourself within that Pinoy box … don’t you think?

We, Pinoys, or anybody else for that matter, should be free to think and talk and to voice our opinions freely on anything and on anybody, without fear, whether that person you wish to comment on is the ALMIGHTY Pakyaw …

That’s the American way!

When George W. Bush was still the President, many Americans laughed at him and put him down.  He was laughed at on comedy shows and he was fodder for late-TV comedians and pundits, print and broadcast.  And he was the President the most powerful country in the whole world.

Surely those fellow Americans who put him down did not feel that they were putting themselves down as Americans, do you?  They were merely voicing out their opinions and acting like typical Americans.

Si Pakyaw, boksingero lang, pare.  True, he’s got a lot of fans and Filipino admirers and … he’s one of our own.  He’s also a “public” person, and anybody who is a public persona, will always have plenty of detractors and critics.

If you remember, you yourself and several people on this list serve -- na mga community leaders pa kuno -- had also made fun of of Pakyaw’s Visayan accent and singing “talent.”

Nasa America na tayo, pare.  We have chosen this country now as our country and our children’s country.  And it’s a great, benevolent and generous country, may I add. 

We Pinoys should now think like Americans.  NOT as Pinoys within that proverbial box, thinking alike and talking alike and perhaps, even wanting to look alike.  Pare, it’s time to leave that box and join Mainstream America …

As to that “crab mentality” of Pinoys, unfortunately, that’s true.  We also possess a “monkey mentality.”  You know, as in “monkey see, monkey do.” 

Not too long ago, Mariah Carey, that famous and very sexy American singer, attended a concert in her honor, where our Philippine singers from that popular TV musical show, ASAP, imitated her.  I suppose they were able to ape her singing and stage antics so closely that she angrily called those Carey look-alike singers as a “bunch of monkeys.”

She was right.  Pinoys COPY and IMITATE everything and anything American.  We are talented imitators.  We are monkeys …  Alimango na nga tayo, chongo pa.  Que barbaridad! (Signed) Jesse

R omy Marquez of San Diego, Ca., another respected colleague and a prolific investigative journalist, chimed in, highlighting first what I said about “Pinoys within the proverbial box, thinking alike and talking alike …”  Then he said this:

Pareng Jesse … That is so profound, so enriching … something that could only come from you, or somebody like you who possessed the knowledge, the understanding, the tolerance, the experience and the talent to articulate one’s thoughts.  Thank you so much.  This one truly lives up to your reputation, fearless, barakong-barako!  (Signed) Romy Marquez

Well, someone likes me.   But back to Pakyaw, I dare say AGAIN, hindi ako bilib sa kanya and I think he’s gonna lose this time!  That’s all.  JJ