Independence Day Show
6.09.2005
Filipinos are glued to their TV sets yet again. This time it is the Juetengate Controversy, or whatever you call it. It is claimed that this illegal numbers game has creeped through the government bureaucracy, using a network of regulated, syndicated and systematic bribes to civilian authority, the military, and the police.
This can arguably be the best reality show on earth.
Unfolding before the Filipino eyes are daily twists and turns, a rashomonesque who-done-it plot, a battle of testimonies and a side reel of antics from the media, the senators, and the lawyers.
Jose Rizal could be cringing in his grave right now, mindful that his greatness in his novels is threatened by the big surprise that would be the finale to this show.
Or would he be shaking his head or shrug, "Hey, I won a small town lottery, too, in Dapitan...Tumataya din ako sa Jueteng!".
I wonder what happens on June 12. That would be our Independence Day. Would there be a happy ending in this soap opera? It is a disburbing thought though, that such a damning case of such historically significance is only regarded as a yet another show. Nobody knows who's the good guy or the bad guy at this point.
There always are winners and losers in this type of show. Filipinos love the melodrama of soap operas. Whatever happens, whatever the truth is the Filipino people are the losers. And the TV stations wins everytime.
I hear someone whisper... "At least we get to watch something new before we die of hunger..."
Labels: Philippines
posted by Jdavies @ 6/09/2005,
2 Comments:
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At 6/11/2005 11:27:00 AM,
said...
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hi Jardine,
i can only wish for the best for us pinoys and very hoping that this drama will soon end (with us winning the lot)
nice layout
Posted by bongk -
At 6/12/2005 02:54:00 PM,
said...
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In Jueteng, If my algebra is correct, (and my understanding of the game) --- the chance of winning is 3 chances out of 37 factorial, i.e. 37*36*35...: Say the winning pick is 4/7
Case 1 is n/n' - exactly as the winning draw of picking the two numbers in the right combination... 4/7 wins a "tumbok", or jackpot.
Case 2 is n'/n - the exact numbers, but reversed. 7/4 wins, but This will result to less winnings versus case 1. I think this is called "sakla(?)"
Or through "casas":
Case 3 , which is a three digit combination. If you any two numbers in your n/n'/m = the winning pick 2 of n/n', you win a certain percentage based on your bet. i.e. 7/4/8 wins.
I placed a bet when I was a kid and I did win once. P3.00 netted me P3000 way back in 1988, I think ;-) The kubrador (the man you placed a bet to) gets a commission, too. What we call as "balato".
We computed if Jueteng is a fair game for game theory in our math class in high school and it resulted to x < 1 chance per 1 chance. Means anyone is more likely to lose given all the combinations.
Bong, I wish we all win the jackpot in this drama. As you can see, games can be unfair but I sure hope life nor our leaders are fair enough to care for the people.
Posted by jdavies
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J.Davies
Jdavies lives in Quezon City, Philippines and has been blogging since 2002. A brand manager in a leading technology company and a freelance new media/web strategy consultant, he has refocused his blogging from personal, political & sociological observations, to marketing-related efforts and Internet trends that are relevant to his career and branding advocacies.
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