There’s a “news” item in a daily paper saying that the president was forced to keep his lighter in his pocket and his favorite Marlboro menthol sealed during his recent back and forth trip to the US. Thirteen hours per each.
The “news” mentions that P-Noy on his way home read the books he purchased to neutralize his nicotine addiction. Nothing is said how the president temporarily forgot his cigarette indulgence on his way to New York. An audiophile, he probably listened to his favorite music form his iPod.
Upon his return, we came to know his chocolate "pasalubong" for his sisters which they have to share with his nephews and nieces. There is also a secret pasalubong for his girl friend Shalani Soledad but sorry to Baby James --- the toy he wants is not available in the US.
(Pasalubong is a “gift from one after arriving from a long trip”. It is a Filipino custom to give one to close relatives or friends.)
I enclosed the word news with open and close quotation marks because any serious journalism student doubts if the story is indeed news in the real sense or not. What business does the public have when the president smokes or not? What business do we have about the pasalubong? The stories are not even of human interest. In fairness to the dailies, they should have put their stories on their showbiz section where the audience longs to know everything about the personal lives of actors.
Not all pieces of information are called news. Some are stinking garbage. -30-
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