It is a tale … full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. – Shakespeare

A nd I believe what Shakespeare meant by that is that time spent on overheated rhetoric and debates don’t mean nothing at all.

The other night I dreamt that a pack of wolves was circling me.  Then just when the wolves were about to devour me, I woke up.  Hmmmm, I mused.  Why did I dream that?  It’s probably just a “tale” concocted in my subconscious mind while I slept, “signifying nothing.”

But, let me tell y’all that the “sound and fury” of the comments that I received when Pakyaw won his fight against El Kuto did not “signify nothing.” 

It signifies SOMETHING. Many things. Even “ism” things, if y’all follow my drift.

Let me quote another well-known writer, a Filipino, this time: Conrado de Quiros, of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.  Y’all know him, right?  The most fearless, I think, and one of the most-prolific columnists that the Motherland has today. He wrote of the Pakyaw phenomenon in this way:

“There’s always SOMETHING disquieting when a country (and the Filipino people in all parts of the globe, if I may add) pins its hopes, its future and its destiny on the outcome of a sports event …

“Having NOTHING to be proud of, having everything indeed to be ashamed of, we look up to Pacquiao as SOMETHING to prop us up, as a source of replenishment …

“He isn’t just a hero (of the Filipino people), he’s the savior ...”

C an you imagine that?  Pakyaw is the “SAVIOR” of the Filipino people.  No wonder I dreamt of wolves devouring me because I chose to differ in my opinion about the ALMIGHTY Pakyaw and said blatantly in my previous column that “Hindi ako bilib kay Pakyaw.”

And these “wolves” in my SURREAL dream, turned to be, in reality, my friends and colleagues that I usually have vigorous debates with. What follows are some of their e-mails.  PLEASE don’t get me wrong. Because, you see, I love them all to death!  Along with these good people circling as wolves in my dream, are also the hate mongers, who wish my demise from this earth. I am not gonna include their hate e-mails because what they wrote me and the language that they used are unprintable.

The first e-mail came from Pareng Don Azarias:

“Per Yahoo Sports: Pacquiao’s performance was so good that no one laughed when promoter Bob Arum said he believes Pacquiao is the best fighter he ever saw. And yes, Arum included Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvelous Marin Hagler in that group …” Then Pareng Don quipped, “No doubt about it!”

Then, my Bestpren, Yoly T. and my Erapok, Bart T., followed, saying: “Long Live Pacquiao, the pride of the Filipinos!”

Then my good friend, Joseph Lariosa, came in and said: “I hope the cynics, the whiners, sour grapes and all anti-Pacquiao fans should now give Pacquiao the credit he truly deserves ...”

I love to argue with Joseph, so I wrote this: JGL, my friend … First, congratulations to your hero.  I am happy for Pakyaw and for all Filipinos in the world, who hero-worship him.  He should be installed now as a national hero.  The Philippines is so hard-up for a hero, and to me, that’s a damn shame!

I am neither a sour grape nor a whiner.  It’s you who’s whining.  Whinnying and gloating; drooling and groveling at the feet of Pakyaw….  Now that Pakyaw won the fight, and you can gloat about it, does that make you a better person?  You ever heard of the word, “MAGNANIMITY”?  I can only feel sorry for you, my friend, if you haven’t.

Because I think, people who gloat in their little triumphs possess a glaring defect and a shallowness of character.  (Signed) JJ

F rom THAT reply, Ting Joven, another friend that I love and respect, fired her own e-mail:  Jesse, my friend … Just take a bow. PERIOD. No need for sarcasm. You had your time to gloat on your “heroes.”  It is our time to gloat.  No need for personal attacks on anyone’s character in this list serve because the current topic is all about Pacquiao’s (and his supporters) HUGE victory – nothing else.  And by the way, “little triumphs”???  C’mon, my friend, be a sport.

Don’t feel sorry for Joseph because he’s gloating with us and the whole world!  Tsk, tsk, tsk.  How ironic, because after reading your posting, I actually felt sorry for you, my friend … BUT I AM STLL GLOATING!!!!  LONG LIVE, PACQUIAO!!!!  Take care now.  God bless.  (Signed) Ting

My reply to Ting:

Hello Ting, my friend, and all my other friends and all my foes, et al … I took a “bow.”  I said, “Congratulations to Pakyaw and to all the Filipinos in the world who hero-worship him.”  And I also said that I am “happy” for Pakyaw and for all his fans and admirers.  What more do you want me to say?  And what more do you want me to do?  Do you also want me to grovel at Pakyaw’s feet, just like what you are all doing?

No, thank you.

Also, I didn’t start the sarcasm and the personal insults as you said … words, like, “whiners” and “sour grapes” and “shameless” and “anti-Filipino” and a “Filipino without an identity” and several other hurtful words.  I am the one being deluged now with personal insults and all kinds of sarcasm.  I merely tried to deflect all your collective blows and all your kicks to my gonads and countered to the best that I know how, you know, just like Pakyaw’s celebrated “kumbinasyon” ….  (Signed) Jesse

B en Giovanelli, who I thought I’ve lost as my only “paisano” in this world, because of my radical views that he considers as abomination, also chimed in: My friend … You seemed to be the center of controversy.  You’re like an investment company, with a slogan:  WHEN JESSE SPEAKS, EVERYBODY LISTENS. 

It takes a real man to admit SOMETIMES to the main consensus that we disagree with … and lose!  As a journalist, that is your role, so I can understand where you’re coming from!  Taking the so-called temperature of the “mainstream” is fun for you!  I am sure, in most cases, you’re laughing at all the attention that you stir up!  Being we’re both retired, what else is there to do?  Have a good one, my friend.  No harm meant.  (Signed) Brother BG

"BG, I love you, too, my brother.  Thank you so much for your gentle and kind, and wise comment …”  There were several other comments, too, gentle and kind, and others that were “full of sound and fury.”  But I can’t fit them all.  So, that’s all.  JJ  # # #