The Tulfo and Santiago camps both have their own sides to tell, but the incident can be summarized like this: Tulfo was recording Barretto’s tirade about their offloaded luggage because he felt sorry for the ground crew members who were being harangued and because he wanted to expose the bad behavior of some passengers. Someone informed Santiago that Tulfo was recording the altercation, so Santiago then approached Tulfo to demand that he stop and hand over the device. Tulfo refused, and that’s when details got murky. The Santiago camp and a few other witnesses say that Tulfo reacted first, kicking Barretto and causing Santiago to hit Tulfo, a fight that quickly turned into a brawl. Tulfo’s camp said Santiago attacked first and that he was ganged up on by Santiago’s companions. A video taken by someone present in the area caught the second half of the brawl, showing Santiago punching Tulfo, who was on the ground, Barretto entering the fray at some point, and security personnel being unable to put a stop to the fight. There were no CCTV cameras in the area where the altercation began, and so no one can really say for sure what happened prior to the events recorded in the video.

Naturally, people are having a ball with the incident, and took to their blogs, Facebook accounts, and Twitter accounts to chime in on the fight, some calling it the Thrilla in NAIA and others making humorous graphics of the fight. There were people who thought Tulfo deserved the beatdown, and others who felt sorry for him. There were people who thought the Santiagos were crass and uncivilized, some who thought it was only right for Raymart to defend Claudine, and a great deal of others who thought Claudine shouldn’t have bullied the ground crew member at all. The Tulfo brothers, being famously outspoken, promised to get even with Santiago if they ever came across him, even saying they may even hit his wife; such statements caused them to be reprimanded by Mon Tulfo and be suspended from TV for a period of time, a decision that is being contested by TV5.

I’m not going to get into who’s wrong or who’s right. Let’s just say again that there are a lot of lessons that we can learn from the incident, regardless of who started the fight or even how it started.

1. There are always two sides to every story. Okay, choose a side if you want to. Just remember that it doesn’t tell the whole story.

2. Video or photo evidence may be available, but that also doesn’t mean that they contain the whole story. Not only they recorded all the details of the event as it began and unfolded. Making judgments based on part of a video that didn’t cover the entire incident is unwise.

3. Public figures shouldn’t be treated like public property. Sure their lives are out in the open and open to scrutiny. Sure you can take pictures with them or walk up to them so you can tell them something. But that doesn’t mean that you should do this all the time, that you should demand their attention, or think that you as a fan have the right to accost them and get a few minutes of their time. They may be public figures but it’s a good idea for people to be courteous as well.

4. Security personnel in the airport seriously need to be retrained. They should have been able to break up the fight well before it escalated to the level it did. Based on the video, they were totally incapable of pulling the combatants away from each other. They may also have been hesitating to use force because the people involved are well known.

5. People set such store by fame and popularity. Jeering at Raymart and Claudine dahil laos na sila doesn’t advance the discussion, nor does their diminished showbiz stature make it right for people to mock them.

6. Cebu Pacific really should inform their passengers about offloaded luggage so as to prevent any inconveniences. Better service, people! That will win the day.

7. People are massively sexist. They cheerfully taunt Claudine’s weight as if that diminishes one’s personhood, and an online news article even suggested that Raymart “control” his wife, as if wives are some rearing, bucking animals that need to be restrained by men. I do not approve of Claudine’s actions, but I won’t suggest that Raymart control his wife. Expecting a man to discipline or control his wife is something that does not belong in this day and age. I’d rather suggest that Claudine learn to control herself, quit acting like a diva, and employ good manners. She and not her husband is responsible for her own actions.

8. People who are saying that there are two sides to every story and espousing objectivity will always get mocked by other people who will accuse them of being fans of one party or the other or of being wishy-washy. Tsk.

9. Good gods, NAIA cannot get its act together. Fast food restaurants are riddled with CCTV cameras, and it’s unthinkable that our airports can’t even spring for an adequate number of cameras. Bag and body scanners don’t prevent shit. You need cameras in key locations to monitor suspicious individuals, behavior, and items.

_{* I also find it interesting how people associate “going to a bar” with “looking for sex”. Rather unfair to the people who simply enjoy dancing or having a drink to unwind.}

Years ago, I planned to join the Palancas myself, having harbored the idea that I was a writer. I think many people here who write for a living dream about doing the same thing. It wasn’t long before I figured out that I wasn’t meant to do fiction, and after that, I realized that I wasn’t one for contests anyway. Still, you never know where moods and your mind can take you, and perhaps at some point, I’ll end up submitting something for the Essay category just for shits and giggles.

It almost seems a stretch to ask these people how they would feel if they were the ones targeted by racist remarks or acts and if they wouldn’t be upset about them, thinking instead that, “Yeah, maybe I deserved that.” I can’t even understand why being an activist means you deserve whatever negativity is thrown your way. While it would certainly help to get more details on what happened, it still seems wrong to pin the blame on a person for inciting rage in a foreigner, just as wrong as blaming a woman for getting raped or blaming a person for getting into an accident*.

It reminds me of a time around 10 years ago when my sister and I were walking to a shop in Queens. There was this white guy who suddenly shouted at us, “And where did you come from, demon country!?” I don’t think we were doing anything to deserve that comment, apart from being non-white individuals, which is really all the reason that most racists need to, well, be racists.

* _{I’ve actually heard that before. “If you didn’t go to that place today, you wouldn’t have gotten into a car accident!”}

The Philippines isn’t among the world’s most disrespectful countries for travelers and is in fact at the bottom of the list of nations whose people never smile and are particularly unfriendly.

I dunno about that, but in all my years of being, oh, I dunno, a Filipino, I think I can safely say that Filipinos aren’t really very friendly and polite. Sure, we smile a lot and say po and opo, but that’s not necessarily a sign of inherent courtesy. You can’t believe the number of people who stare blankly at you when you ask them something, salesladies who avert their eyes when they deem you unwealthy and therefore undeserving of their attention, and people who don’t hold doors open even when know you’re coming right behind them. Oh, this list surveyed foreigners? Oh, that makes sense now. In that case, I completely agree with the survey. People would fall over themselves to treat foreigners like royalty.

Didn’t want to read all the descriptions of the finalists, but this one caught my eye: “(Princess Armillos) describes herself as a model, actress, and dealer”. A dealer of what, I wonder *suspicious, thoughtful chinstroke*

1. It has to have at least two (named) women in it,
2. Who talk to each other,
3. About something other than a man. (Not limited to romantic relationships, for example two sisters talking about their father doesn’t pass)

Thank you, Wikipedia.

I’m not sure if the test can be expanded to mean a conversation that lasts beyond two sentences and to indicate repeated interactions between the two named women, but it probably should be. I’m sad to say that the Harry Potter movies seem can’t claim to pass the test spectacularly. Off the top of my head, I can think of the following girl-to-girl conversations from the movies.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

1. Ginny asking her mum where her jumper was and Mrs. Weasley answering


Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

1. Hermione commenting that Luna was wearing an interesting necklace and Luna replying, “(to Hermione) It’s a charm, actually.” Then to everyone, “It keeps away the Nargles.”
2. Hermione duping Umbridge into going with Harry and her to the Forbidden Forest

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

1. Molly Weasley says to Bellatrix Lestrange, “Not my daughter you bitch!” and Bellatrix cackles in response…which probably doesn’t count.

Tut tut, Kloves. KLOVES!!!! *shakes a fist at the heavens*

Here in the Philippines, there is no lack of female characters in movies and TV shows.* As a result, there are numerous interactions between these female characters. Unfortunately, some of the things they discuss cause them to fail the test. For example, the antagonist talks to her best friend about ruining the life and reputation of the protagonist, which should satisfy all three requirements. However, this proposed ruination of the protagonist’s life is spurred by the antagonist’s anger over the fact that the guy she likes is in love with the protagonist. Also, is it a positive thing that the antagonist and the best friend are engaging in a substantial amount of woman-hating? So does this type of interaction still meet the third requirement?**

_{* The only problem is what kind of characters they are and if they are positive ones. This has nothing to do with whether they’re protagonists or antagonists, but whether they are stereotypical characters that merely fit the mold created for female characters.
** Why yes, I do have a lot of time on my hands, thank you.}