by Mon Tofu
Had the head of the Optical Media Board (OMB) not kept his cool, blood could have been shed on the sidewalk in front of Santi’s Deli on Timog avenue last night. Edu Manzano, known for his abrasiveness and short temper, had just come out of Santi’s when a crowd of dvd-mongers milled around him, murmuring “Davide, Davide, Davide.” But one of them recognized the OMB chief enforcer and warned his compatriots. They suddenly started chanting “Him pits j i m m y! J i m m y! Him pits J i m m y!”
At this point, according to witnesses, Manzano, who was with an unnamed woman in pink, appeared totally clueless. When he finally understood the situation, he gathered his wits and shopping bags, asked his companion to get into the SUV, made a face, and drove off.
The mongers use a diner beside the deli, whose customers they eye as patrons, as their base. Outside, you’d just see them carrying sheafs of dvd covers to hawk their wares.
Times are hard, one of the mongers told TPO. Prices have been slashed by 30% because of low demand. They say they are just eking out a living in Manila after escaping the violence in Mindanao. But they have to play hide and seek with the enforcers all the time.
Santi’s is just over a kilometer away from the studios of ABS-CBN, where Manzano appears in an early morning show.
As of presstime, Manzano had not reported the incident to police.
The Philippine Onion 