Because this is what Filipinos wanted, joke time is here and by that, we mean the elections, what else.

We find watching television nowadays very hard to identify which is the real commercial and the political advertisement. One night last week, we mistook Mr. Latigo 50 as a senatorial candidate. Joke.

There are 12 seats at stake for the Senate but during the deadline for filing of the senatorial candidates last Monday, at least 80 beat the deadline. Yesterday, the poll body trimmed down the number by almost half.

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Mind you, Cesar Montano was not joking when from a pictorial he went straight to Intramuros, Manila last Friday to file his certificate of candidacy as a substitute for Gov. Jerry Petilla of Leyte.

Richard Gomez thought it was only a joke as he was made to believe that he had a sure shot in the administration's Team Unity when Petilla backs out.

Kiko Pangilinan may not be doing a comic act when he decided to run as an independent senatorial candidate despite the deafening howl over his brainchild Republic Act 9622 otherwise known as the Juvenile Justice Act of 2006 which in effect exempts minors from criminal liability. The grandstanding law is now a source of headache in the maintenance of peace and order in the country.

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We could not imagine also Tessie Aquino-Oreta and Tito Sotto in the opposite site of Erap's Genuine Opposition (GO). Gov. Chavit Singson felt the heat even before the so-called grand proclamation rally in Cebu City yesterday by Team Unity.

Well, there's only one senatorial candidate who is a serious and worthy occupant in a real Senate of the Republic of the Philippines, never mind his first name. He is no other than Joker Arroyo.

We don't know if 4th grader Manny Pacquiao could get the catch as he is set to run for congress in his home province. Just joking.

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ADVISORY. Lawyers from all over the province will converge here on Feb. 24 for the chapter elections and general assembly. Venue will be at the Bohol Tropics starting at 8 o'clock in the morning.

Outgoing IBP Bohol Pres. Salvador Diputado said assessment fee will be collected at P250 for each member.

IBP members here who are delinquent in the payment of dues or any assessment including surcharges owing 25 days prior to the election day shall be excluded from the voter's list, Diputado disclosed.

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JOKE OF THE WEEK. Still on lawyers, here's an e-mail from Hermes Quijada we considered as our joke for this week. Here it goes.

Lawyers should never ask a Southern grandma a question if they aren't prepared for the answer. In a trial, a Southern small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand. He approached her and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know me?"

She responded, "Why, yes, I do know you Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a young boy, and frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you never will amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you."

The lawyer was stunned! Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?" She again replied, "Why, yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. Yes, I know him."

The defense attorney almost died. The judge asked both counselors to approach the bench and, in a very quiet voice, said, "If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I'll send you to the electric chair."

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