Random Thoughts

By September 18, 2016Opinion, Random Thoughts

NO MORE SURPRISES. The new and hopefully final list of narco officials, past and present, set to be released by President Rodrigo Duterte, numbering some 1,000, should make those who waltzed with the devils despite their positions in government (and had long gotten away with it), nervous, sick and sleepless.

We will not be surprised anymore if that list that had reportedly undergone long process of validation and re-validation by the intelligence community, would again include names of people from Pangasinan. Fact is, what puzzled newsmen no end before was the seemingly inexhaustible supply of illegal drugs in the province being peddled around by drug dealers up to the remotest villages.

The new list reportedly includes governors, mayors, judges, policemen and barangay captains who used their positions of influence to protect drug lords and pushers and became active drug pushers themselves, and in the case of policemen, they who recycled illegal drugs confiscated from suspects and put them back in the market.

I understand that among the reasons why the President sought the postponement of the barangay and SK elections till 2017 was his fear that drug money in the hands of a number of corrupt barangay officials will again be used to buy votes and ensure that they stay in power so that they can continue with their illegal activities.

They cannot do that anymore. They have finally reached their rubicon. In fact, we suggest that those who really expect their names to be in that list, must now prepare themselves for investigation and buttress the evidence that will be presented against them.

Meanwhile, what’s this we heard that only 36 barangays have so far been declared as drug free from among the drug affected communities in Pangasinan. Of these 36 villages, 10 are from Sto. Tomas, the only town in the province certified as drug-free.

There are 1,333 barangays in Pangasinan and of this number, 78 percent are said to be drug-affected based on the statistics released by the police.

Can the police, PDEA, LGUs and us all make the Philippines drug-free in less than six years more, if in two months and a half, there were just 21 villages cleared, with the exception of 10 from Sto. Tomas, which had been cleared drug-free long before Mr. Duterte came to power? – Leonardo Micua

 

WHO CAN OWN A MOUNTAIN? A mind-boggling revelation shocked me and my fellow reporters during a conversation with a mayor recently.

Read: A high-ranking, very popular Pangasinan official owns a mountain in Pangasinan, all 269 hectares of land!

“You can see it where we are standing right now,” the mayor said, pointing out the location. We thought it was only two hectares or 60 hectares but 269? “Are you sure mayor?” we asked in chorus.

The mayor said he is very, very sure because he has the papers, clear proofs of ownership of this official who loves to own properties in all the four corners of the province, albeit in a highly questionable manner.

How the property was acquired is a big question. It’s a timberland.

It was listed under a family corporation. The taxes are paid by a brother of the official, based on documents gathered by our informant.

“So what is the DENR doing?” one of our colleagues asked. The mayor said he had referred this matter to the DENR regional office but sadly was told that he would be fighting a very influential person.

In short, takot ang DENR. “So why would you not bring this matter to the DENR Secretary and the President of the country?” another commented.

“Yes, I’m going to do that,” the mayor assured.

“We only need a small lot when we all go and rest in peace. Why own hundreds of hectares of land?” he commented.

Greed… insatiable greed…. plus abuse of power! We all agreed in unison.

Everything has its end. Let’s see where this will end and when. I wonder if we will we still be alive to witness the day of reckoning for this supposedly honorable leader.

P.S. To local newsmen and other Pangasinenses, this area we’re talking about here is not situated in Bugallon town. —Tita Roces

(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)

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