Mosquito Press

Willie Revillame is joining politics.

On a live telecast of his primetime variety show “Wil Time Big Time,” the host announced that he is turning his organization, the I Wil Serve Foundation, into a partylist group.

“Alam niyo ba nagtatayo ako ng partylist?” he told viewers. “Para sa inyo iyan. Hindi para sa akin.” (Do you know that I’m starting a partylist group? It’s for you, not me.)

The group will be called “I Wil Serve Partylist”. It applied for accreditation with the Commission on Elections in March, and already claims a membership of 3,000.

If accredited, Revillame says the partylist will be a multi-sectoral organization that caters to the poor, the elderly, women and even professionals.

Revillame stated that he will not be running for public office himself, and he has not revealed who he intends to field in next year’s elections.

Source: Interaksyon, Rappler

Mideo Cruz and his controversial installation, ‘Poletismo’

BY THE STAFF

“I am so much more than the Mideo Cruz that’s portrayed in the media,” Mideo Cruz tells Mosquito Press.

“I’ve been called blasphemous, heretical, an offspring of the devil… but I am so much more than that.”

The controversial artist, whose exhibit at the Cultural Center of the Philippines was recently shut down, continues to operate from a cramped studio in Quezon City. It is here that his next works are being shaped — works that, Cruz says, will finally let audiences understand him.

At the center of Cruz’s studio is a large portrait of a masturbating Cory Aquino.

Cruz poses in front of his piece, entitled ‘C*nty Aquino’

“This piece is a metaphor for loneliness. You know, Tita Cory was a widow. And she was President. Both are very lonely positions. One wonders, how often did she finger herself?” says Mideo.

Cruz continues, “This piece is about society, too. It’s about sexuality. It’s a critique of the Theory of Evolution. Also, if you turn the work upside down, the meaning changes. Upside down, the painting becomes a metaphor for hope amidst a world that is in violent flux, due to the effects of capitalism and neo-colonialism, especially in the wake of 9/11 and the so-called ‘War on Terror’.”

A seminal artist

In between sips of tea, Cruz turns serious. He says he is “hurt” by attacks on his craftsmanship — specifically, by National Artist for Literature, F. Sionil Jose, who has called him “immature.”

He brings us to a corner of his studio and holds up one of his latest projects — a collage depicting a penis ejaculating a bar of gold.

“The collage is a very difficult medium. One has to utilize scissors to cut a photograph, and then apply a precise amount of adhesive, or what is known in common parlance as ‘glue.’ What’s immature about this?” says Cruz.

“By the way, this is an actual picture of my father’s penis, and the gold here represents me, Mideo Cruz. It’s my expression of humility, because all my talents and skills, I owe to papa’s penis juice,” Cruz explains.

Respect

Despite the recent controversy, Mideo Cruz remains hopeful. All he wishes is that people respect his artistic expression.

However, when asked if respect begets respect — and if his shocking critique of how Filipinos worship deservingly stoked people’s shocked reactions at the way he does art — Cruz becomes defensive.

“Why? Would you prefer I only draw rainbows and smiley faces and pictures of bishops helping the poor?” Mideo asks.

“Because those are really hard to draw,” he concludes.

Malacañang held a press conference today to announce President Aquino’s intention to make an announcement about when he will announce a “mutual understanding” with a woman, whose identity will be announced in a separate announcement, which will come just shortly after the first announcement that the Palace announced.

Says Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa, ”We would appreciate it if the media just wait instead of wildly speculating about these announced announcements.” 

Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang then added, “Abangan!”