My Muslim Barber Toto Ali

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

A retired four-star police general and former Philippine National Police’s chief told me in our Face Book’s chats that the reason he was appointed by former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the top man of the national cops and bureau head because "Manong Max (Soliven) was fond of you that he always wrote about you in his column" the general and the PMA alumnus told me for several times.

He said PGMA, the sobriquet of the stringent lady president who speaks Spanish, Kapampangan, Ilocano, Pangasinan, Cebuano, and Ilonggo, had high respect for the Op-Ed.

BINATA STYLE. My Muslim barber 's Toto Ali (left) of rustic landlocked town M'lang, Cotabato giving me a wave haircut colloquially called binata-style.

I know it, her being a multi-language/dialect because I had a chance to talk in Ilonggo with La Presidenta and her Ilonggo Husband Mike in a Christmas Party at the luxurious Casino and Restaurant's Thunderbird in San Fernando City, La Union.

To those who did not know the Saluyot Soliven and how columnists like me was awed since college about his scintillating pen, look how powerful the nonpareil opinion writer who wrote with New York Times, Newsweek, Manila Times, Inquirer, and Philippine Star.

MANONG MAX: It was a mistake for President Arroyo to announce a "state of national emergency" Friday. Proclamation 1017 was not necessary. She could have cracked down on rowdy demonstrators, plotters, and conspirators without panicking the nation and sending a message to other countries that the Philippines is in a state of revolt. Half an hour later after she delivered her television announcement, GMA called me up on my cell phone to discuss matters I cannot reveal. I told her that I wished she had rang me up an hour or two before she made her national emergency declaration so I could at least argue with her and urge her not to do it. Since she had already done so, however, I asked her how long she intended to keep "emergency" status in place and she replied that she did not want to go beyond what she had already said on television.

***

I have a wave haircut or gupit - binata style cut today with my Muslim barber here in Cotabato town. He is Toto Ali who impressed me because he could laugh with a joke I told about Senator Manny Pacquiao. After I showed him photos in my android phone of stunner actresses Carla Abellana and Jasmine Curtis-Smith who flanked me where I wrapped my hands on their shoulders, Actors Coco Martin and Susan Roces, singer Freddie Aguilar whom he told me he witnessed his Muslim wedding with that 16 years old lass in Buluan, Maguindanao. Ali, not related to boxing icon Muhammed Ali, asked me how my interview with Manny Pacquiao. "Hindi pala magaling sa Inglis si Pacquiao". "Bakit naman sir?" Toto Ali asked me. "Tinanong ko siya how's the Peace and Order Situation sa Mindanao sabi niya "Many Fish No Order because of Corona Virus". Ali had a guffaw. I added: Sabi ko hindi Senator Manny hindi yung mga hito at tilapia ang tanong ko ung Violence. Ali butted in while he razored my head: Hahaha ano naman ang sagot ni Pacquiao? I said : He could not even play piano and I have the nerve to ask him about Violin!"

(You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pahngasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)