What happens when an action star promises every Filipino a million pesos to solve poverty? Senator Robin Padilla's absurd presidential campaign pitch isn't just bad math (113 trillion pesos for a 6 trillion peso budget)—it's a symptom of Philippine politics' deepest problem: nobody has clean enough hands to point fingers.

Your Titos dissect Padilla's colorful past from jail conversions to senate floor fights, and why his populist play mirrors tactics from Elon Musk's Pennsylvania lottery to global technocrat oligarchies. But the real story is President Marcos Jr.'s four strategic bills—from blockchain transparency to anti-dynasty legislation co-authored by... a dynasty. The Marcoses are playing 4D chess while Sara Duterte watches the doors close behind her.

When everyone's compromised, who's left to demand accountability? 26 minutes of uncomfortable truths about power, corruption, and mirror images between Philippine and American politics.

When a Philippine government official suggested Filipinos could celebrate Noche Buena on a 500 peso budget, the internet erupted. In this episode, Manolo and Ricky unpack why this tone-deaf recommendation hit such a raw nerve with Filipino families everywhere. From the sacred tradition of the Christmas Eve feast to the reality of today's prices, we explore what happens when elite officials tell ordinary citizens how to budget for their most cherished holiday traditions. Is this scandal a convenient distraction from ongoing corruption investigations? And why does this feel eerily similar to what's happening in America with affordability debates? Join your favorite Titos as they break down the math, the outrage, and the deeper issues of delicadeza in Philippine politics.

Ricky and Manolo get deeply personal as they explore what it truly felt like when Ricky became a US citizen in 2019 during Trump's presidency. This isn't just facts and dates; it's raw emotions, complicated feelings, and the harsh reality of how many Filipinos voted for Trump believing the "model minority" myth that they were somehow "not like" other immigrants.

Both hosts dig deep into this painful irony: achieving citizenship under a president whose policies targeted immigrants, while some in their community thought they'd be exempt. They examine this false sense of exception and how personal milestones get forever tied to political moments. It's vulnerable, honest, and unflinching.

The flood control scandal just got personal. Zaldy Co drops a video claiming the Philippine President ordered him to deliver ₱25 billion in cash-filled suitcases! But is it even real or just another deepfake? Manolo & Ricky dissect the latest bombshell, questioning everything from the video's authenticity to why Bong Bong Marcos would launch an investigation he's now accused of orchestrating. They explore how corruption became entertainment, why Filipino-Americans can't look away despite having "no skin in the game," and the uncomfortable parallels between billionaire influence here and there. From Blue Ribbon Committee theater to Elon Musk, it's all the same show.

When President Quezon's grandson stood up at a movie screening and publicly ripped into Jericho Rosales and the filmmakers for portraying his grandfather as a corrupt, scheming politician, he exposed the raw nerve at the heart of Filipino identity: we're not ready to see our heroes as flawed humans.

The biopic Quezon—the third in director Jerrold Tarog's "Bayani Verse" trilogy—dropped in October 2025, right in the middle of the Philippines' biggest corruption scandal in decades. 421 ghost flood control projects. Billions stolen. And here comes a movie saying: This is how it's always been. He was the original "trapo."

Manolo and Ricky debate whether the family should have been consulted, whether claiming "satire" gives filmmakers a free pass, and most uncomfortably: If corruption is baked into our political DNA since Day One, what's the point of getting angry about ghost projects now?

Because maybe the real problem isn't one corrupt president. Maybe it's that Filipinos tie their entire identity to their ancestors' reputations—and we'd rather protect the myth than face the truth.

The hosts get personal about their own grandfathers' flaws, discuss why Americans are comfortable criticizing George Washington while Filipinos can't touch Quezon, and wonder if this viral confrontation was staged for publicity (spoiler: it might have been—this was the grandson's third viewing).

Two Filipino Americans. Two perspectives. One uncomfortable truth: dead presidents can't defend themselves, but their grandkids will try.