Kilalanin Si Eddie at si Patti

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I wrote on my column several years ago about a Philippines Congressman who was a Korean.

“Korean? Paano naging Korean iyan e kilala ko iyan puro Filipino ang mga magulang,” I emphatically told a broadcaster.

He told me that the solon was unabashedly corrupt: Every time there was a contractor who would offer his service to his more or less one billion pesos allocation of projects yearly from the national government he would ask a poser: “Magkano Korean”. A play of words of "magkano ako riyan' as his cut to the project.

I thought many elective officials in the Philippines are Koreans but I was mistaken when I met the other day a contractor, a mayor, and a vice mayor of a town.

I learned that aside from a Korean, the Philippines coffer is being raided by miscreants and scoundrels like “Eddie” and “Patti”.

Here’s what ensued that I finally learned to know these two first names:

A contractor offers his service to the Hizzoner and the female Veem.

“Paano si Eddie, Mr. Contractor pag na finalized natin itong kontrata?” the mayor asked.

“Sino po si Eddie, Mayor?

“E di ako (Play of words of Eddie!” the hizzoner bellowed.

“Ay oo nga pala, okay na iyong 20 percent niyo Mayor”.

“Paano naman si Patti? the VM asked.

“Sino po si Patti? Iyong jazz singer na si Patti Austin?”

“Hindi. Patti ibig sabihin “Pati Ako!”

“Ay oo nga pala, meron kayo diyan Vice,” the contractor said embarrassed.