Gratitude is the best word in all languages. To the Filipino people, what matters most is not money. Just say thank you. God and humanity will be pleased to see you.

Happy New Year! If nobody else is willing to save it for us, let us save it for ourselves and our people. Notwithstanding the lamentations of Senator Franklin Drilon, the 30th Southeast Asian Games turned out to be a stunning success for our country.

Instead of talking about sports, Senator Drilon talked about the infrastructure project of President Duterte. With the acceptance rating of the President and the country’s economy soaring to the sky, he must have thought of a way to pull him down.

Hit him where it hurts. Destroy the flagship project with fake news! “Build, Build, Build is a dismal failure.”

When most of the foreign athletes were in town, Senator Drilon again voiced his mind. “Investigation” instead of inspiration. “Special audit” instead of physical regimentation to get ready for the competition.

Retired and senior auditors were saying that yellow Senator Drilon called on his equally “yellow friends” in the Commission on Audit to conduct a special audit of the country’s hosting of the Sea Games.

“Foul!” cried the retired and senior CoA auditors.

“Eighty-seven percent of the population of the Republic of the Philippines want CoA to post-audit first the DAP money released to the senators through the letters of Senator Drilon when he was chairman of the Senate finance committee to bribe the senators to convict Chief Justice Renato Corona, and thereafter all the accounts and financial transactions of the flagship projects of the Aquino administration,” said the retired and senior auditors.

“Subsequently, CoA may post-audit to find out how much the country spent for the cauldron and the rest of the infrastructure for the biennial Sea Games,” they added.

Together we put on a gala for our Southeast Asian neighbors and the rest of the world that showcased our distinct culture and traditions worthy of note and admiration.

We did it so well. The Rizal Memorial Stadium, Clark and the Philippine Arena left lasting memories of our hosting of the Sea Games. Our athletes competed with pride and honor winning an unprecedented 386 medals — 149 gold, 117 silver, and 120 bronze — more than the other Southeast Asian countries, cementing our overall dominance of the 30th edition of the Games.

At the opening of the Games, let us forever cherish the memory of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, who sat alongside Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, on his feet and shaking his hips as the national athletes paraded around the indoor Philippine Arena.

During the awarding ceremony at the Palace, the President said: “I am deeply honored to be in the presence of our athletes who have emerged victorious in the recently concluded 30th Southeast Asian Games held in our country. Your triumph showcased the athleticism and sporting prowess of our people to our neighbors in Southeast Asia.”

“The blood, sweat and tears that you have shed to earn this prestigious recognition are truly inspiring. I am really happy to no end. I want to cheer with joy always in my house here in Davao,” he added. (To be continued)