Playing with Fire

By November 9, 2009Archives, Opinion

Jun Ebdane for president? This guy is good!

Gonz Duque

By Gonzalo Duque

OUR brilliant friend Bishop Oscar Cruz, 76, has been replaced by a younger prelate, the equally brilliant and affable Rev. Socrates Villegas, who is only 49.

A close friend of the Aquinos — no wonder Senator Noynoy and his sisters were present at his installation last Wednesday — Archbishop Villegas will try to fill in the large shoes of Bishop Cruz, who is known throughout the country as the nemesis of jueteng, hence, not in the good graces of our local officials who are mostly on-the-take.

It’s true we at times cross paths with Bishop Cruz, but deep inside we admire and love him who lifts our sagging spirit. We want to thank him for donating a handsome sum to the cause of drug rehabilitation. We hope his successor, Archbishop Villegas, will emulate his example on this account.

We all know the poison that drugs wound bring to people. Let’s not forget that in the l7th century, the British government exported opium to China to weaken its people. Yes, opium made the Chinese people weaklings in those days.

Not anymore. Today, China has risen with the highest growth rate in the world beating the United States by a mile.

China has rebound from stagnation when the government eliminated the drug lords and instituted fiscal and intellectual reforms.

We hope Archbishop Villegas will go out of his way to contain the drug menace in the country especially in our beloved province.

* * *

The report that former Public Works and Highways Sec. Jun Ebdane is gunning for the presidency earlier struck us a political strategy for a senatorial slot.

But reports have not stopped reaching us that the guy is dead serious at it. And so it got us into thinking, is he serious? We know Jun Ebdane to be a no-nonsense guy, a much-admired former national police chief, national security adviser, and public works czar. We know that under his watch the longest mileage of Philippine infrastructure has been constructed that added a nice scent to the national leadership.

And so we thought that this is no longer a joking matter. Jun is not the type of guy who won’t be taken seriously. We can only wish him the best of luck. We know his track record and work ethic. He will make a good president. Jun, don’t forget us when you are already in paradise.

* * *

The Punch’s publisher — our very own Ermin — took a dig at the city’s ugly, obnoxious fishpens. Bravo there, Ermin!

We have started this crusade because right where we are typing this story,  at the residence of sister Grace in Atlanta, fellow Dagupeños would squirm whenever they talk about our world-famous bangus. The reason is those ugly fishpens. They pollute our fishing grounds. Worse, they cause fishkill.

These fishpen operators try to hide their fishkill problems because the authorities might have the good sense of running after them. It’s better that they have fishkill at times than remove the fishpens. It’s a lesser evil for them — but a bigger evil for the city because the produce from the polluted fishpens taste badly and give our bangus industry a black eye.

Every time we pass by the De Venecia Diversion Road at the intersection of Pantal and Lucao, we feel nauseated by the sight of the ugly clusters of sticks jutting up into the sky in defiance of our ordinances and our sense of beauty.

Let’s hope these greedy fishpen operators will now be bothered by their conscience, if any.

* * *

How true is the report that in the Comelec candidates’ list, the names of the following congressional candidates are listed thus: Antonio “Solo” de Venecia, Arturo Lomibao, Georgia de Venecia, Liberato Reyna Jr., and Julius Magno? In that order? Yes, my dear.

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