Are You Willing To Pay For Bembol Roco’s Trip To Cannes?

 

 

I do wish the government can send Bembol Roco to Cannes for the premiere of his movie Maynila Sa Kuko Ng Liwanag. #cannes #grant #leadactor

— Erik Matti (@ErikMatti) April 29, 2013

 

 

 

I hope this is a fair question to ask in this case and in any case when someone asks the government to pay for something. Why is this the taxpayer’s  responsibility?

Maybe I am just incensed that currently there is an inordinate amount of money being spent to promote candidates for the May 2013 elections. You can make all the arguments that is private money. Let me just say it is my personal belief that a big pile of private money is spent on elections to get access to the bigger pile of public money. It is also my belief that that the alleged private money in the current campaigns is just laundered public money. Just my belief.

 

 

I won’t pretend to know the internal politics of the Sampaguitas, Regals, Vivas and the Seikos. Who gets to go and who does not get to go and who gets to choose. I have given up on the local film industry ever since the sad, untimely death of Halina Perez.  Here is the one news item I did find on the Bembol Roco “snub”.  What I do know is if Mr. Roco’s appearance in Cannes will lead to increased revenue somewhere, then this will not be an issue. His trip will be paid for by some private entity and Erik Matti will have one less thing to tweet  about.

 

 

I don’t watch local TV shows but so as not to be a complete hermit I do spend time with other people as they watch TV that I would not normally watch. Oh that pinoy phenomena of political supporters  jumping up and down at a televised event when their candidate’s name gets mentioned. Does that fill you with pride when you see time and time again what these politicians do and fail to do when the spotlight is off? Do you feel sorry for these designated jumpers who I feel are paid off.  If they are paid off , ultimately with whose money?

If Cannes cared about Vice Ganda or whatever love team was in season here, they would be there. Believe me, I am not saying the pinoys should conform to Cannes. What I am saying is be so secure in who you are that the outside world does not matter. Granted that is never going to happen knowing the KSP gene that pinoys tend to have.

About a month ago there was some resentment on Facebook that every single pinoy boxer lost. Being a sports fan there is the distinct possibility that whoever these pinoy boxers were facing were better in the ring. People should get it out of their heads that being pinoy is not the ticket to superiority. For those who never read me, this view is further explored in the context of Cardinal Tagle and Jessica Sanchez.

 

 

Speaking of boxing, how many politicians make the trip to Vegas every time Manny fights? Is the expense coming out of their salary as public servants? I will never know for sure, I just question things and politicians rarely give anyone a reason to take them at face value. Or at least anyone who thinks.  I don’t watch local TV shows but so as not to be a complete hermit I do spend time with other people as they watch TV that I would not normally watch. Oh that pinoy phenomena of political supporters  jumping up and down at a televised event when their candidate’s name gets mentioned. Does that fill you with pride when you see time and time again what these politicians do and fail to do when the spotlight is off? Do you feel sorry for these designated jumpers who I feel are paid off. Again, ultimately with whose money?   To paraphrase  Alex P. Keaton if we could harness the collective cerebral energy in any political rally during a pinoy election, we could toast some bread… lightly.

 

 

Bembol Roco considering his alignment with Lino Broka in the 70s would have been similar to Robert Deniro and his alignment with Martin Scorsese  and Francis Ford Coppola. Mr. Matti’s tweet mentions Roco as a leading man.    A quick look at Roco’s  IMDB shows he has not exactly been associated with A movies in the last twenty years even by pinoy standards. He was in the movie U Belt nine years ago. A movie with the lowest rating I have ever seen (1.6 out of 10). Although to be fair with him, he has seen steady work. You go where the money is,  even if there is  no quality to go to.  Still if Cannes is so important to him   I ask the question why should the taxpayers pay and not him?

 

I believe the government should pay for infrastructure, national defense , natural disaster relief etc. Not for people making appearances in foreign location. What Matti is really saying when he says “the government should pay” is “you should pay”. Sorry but the movie industry forces its own crap to me every holiday season. That is like an edict by Stalin from the grave. With all these built-in advantages, you would think they could pay for Mr. Roco’s way to Cannes on their own. Colin Cowherd says “live in the is and not the was”. Newsflash to Erik Matti, Bembol Roco was a leading man. Private interests do not see him as a leading man presently and the Cannes trip not likely worth the expense to them. Why should it be worth it to Juan Dela Cruz taxpayer?

My contribution on this Labor Day is to think of all you out there. The people that contribute to our government coffers. Through your labor and through your profits. The next time you hear someone say “the government should pay for it”.   Ask yourself if you are prepared to pay for it.