Because I am a Gloria hater, oops maybe hate is not the right word, I just dislike her because she cheated her way to the Presidency. So let’s change the H word to something else; besides hating someone is not good for our mental health. Now, because I dislike Gloria, I’m irritated to read this news that a sweet potato variety is being named after her cheating ass.

From GMA News:

A new blight-resistant variety of potato has been named after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Benguet University, Malacañang disclosed Saturday.The variety, sourced from the Centro Internalionale de la Papa (International Potato Center) in Lima, Peru, was named “Gloria Kamaptengan,” after “mapteng” meaning “good” in Ibaloi and Pangasinan dialects.

“‘Kamaptengan’ means ‘the best of all,'” Rogelio Colting, president of the Benguet State University (BSU) after more than two years of research from 2005-2007, told Mrs Arroyo during her visit to a vegetable trading post in Betag district.

Arroyo was in Betag to see off trucks laden with local vegetable produce bound for the metropolis.

Colting showed her the first-generation tubers of the potato variety, initially codenamed 13.1.1, and said the BSU “would like to name it in your honor.”

A Palace statement said the BSU chose the name “Gloria” because of “her commitment in the development of the agriculture industry in the country.”

The best of all? Huh, Rogelio. I guess the BSU President’s got to do what he’s got to do but I’m kinda hoping that members of the academic community don’t go about acting like politicians trying to please Gloria. You are intellectuals, for Christ’s sakes.

But then again, they are naming a camote variety after Gloria so maybe there’s an inside joke there somewhere. After all, we all know that the song most famously associated with camote goes something like:

“Eat camote, the musical fruit
The more you eat, the more you toot.”

Come on, Rogelio, fess up! What’s the real deal in naming this camote after Gloria? To honor her? Or to remind us that Gloria smells like something?

We’re just asking,you know. No offense meant. No offense intended.

UPDATE: My bad, we didn’t read the news carefully or our dislike for Gloria has clouded our vision such that we misread the story. They’re actually naming a potato, not a sweet potato, after Gloria. So maybe there’s no inside joke as we hoped there was. My apologies, folks.