However, with Election Day less than a week away, I feel it my duty as a citizen of this Republic, with its warts and all, to make known to my readers at least that aside from the better known political parties and their candidates for the Senate, there is the Ang Kapatiran Party that has fielded three senatorial candidates.

They are Martin Bautista, Zosimo Paredes, and Adrian Sison. They are not politicians of the traditional mode. They stand four-square on the platform of the Ang Kapatiran Party and, as such, I would urge one and all to vote for them.

Here are some of the party’s objectives and advocacies:

• To bring to an end the politics of pork barrel, celebrity politics, deception, deceit, hypocrisy, patronage, pay-off, unprincipled compromises, expansion of political dynasties, and the politics of guns, goons and gold.

• Make it a criminal offense for anyone, except police officers and soldiers and licensed private security guards on duty to carry firearms or any deadly weapons in public places.

• Ensure transparency and public accountability in government activities and transactions; reinforce vigilance against graft and corruption, abuse of authority.

• Make representation before the Supreme Court to bring about the speedy administration of justice.

• Do away with laws, rules and regulations that give government personnel, like the BIR, the discretion to allow or disallow certain deductions or exemptions.

• Prioritizing agricultural development and attaining a high degree of self-sufficiency by encouraging productivity through the introduction of new technologies and support infrastructure.

• Uphold and maintain at all times the principle of civilian supremacy over the military.

• Make it unlawful for any member of the Senate or House of Representatives to run for another office without first resigning from his/her position six months before the elections.

• Submit to the Filipino people proposed amendments to the Constitution consistent with the principles, values and objectives of the party.

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One of the trade agreements signed during Ms. Gloria M. Arroyo’s brief and unnecessary sojourn to Hainan, China, recently has begun to stink like the durian. (I beg the forgiveness of durian lovers, but I simply find its smell repugnant, as many others do.)

No sooner than the ink had dried on the agreement signed between the Chinese proponent ZTE and Ms. Arroyo’s regime for the $365 million national broadband network (NBN) project, than the American ambassador, Kristie Kenney, urged the government to "avoid undue haste" in awarding the contract to the Chinese proponent.

It turns out that other firms had submitted proposals for the project long before the sudden decision to go to Hainan and sign what I suppose was a memorandum of agreement with the Chinese firm ZTE.

The chief executive officer of one of the American companies, Arescom, said that the Chinese offer of $365 million was more than double Arescom’s offer of $135 million.

Another company, Amsterdam Holdings, Inc. (AHI), expressed objection to the government’s handling of the project after its own proposal was rejected earlier. AHI submitted an unsolicited proposal in December 2006 for a build-operate-transfer scheme for $240 million.

I wouldn’t be surprised if an interesting tale lies beneath the Chinese figure of $365 million.

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The American and Australian governments have issued new travel advisories cautioning their nationals against traveling to the Philippines.

I used to rail against those advisories in the past because I felt they were unwarranted.

This time, however, I wouldn’t have a leg to stand on if I did, given the numerous political killings, murders, homicides and other crimes against person and property taking place nearly everyday in our midst.

A sad commentary indeed on the strong republic of Ms. Arroyo who aspires to be a "good" president. Duh?

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American actress Drew Barrymore of the famed Hollywood acting family was adjudged No. 1 in People magazine’s annual "100 Most Beautiful People" list.

Says she: "I just think happiness is what makes you pretty, period. Happy people are beautiful. They become like a mirror and they reflect that happiness."

Be happy and be pretty. Handsome too.