Think about it
Guv to sire super pugilists
By Jun Velasco
“…. every city or house divided against itself will not stand.” — Matthew 12:25
FLASH! As we go to press, our old pal, lawyer Julius Magno of Mangaldan town called up to announce that he was entering the Fourth District Congressional race in 2013.
Is he slamming his head against formidable foes the likes of Rep. Gina de Venecia or hubby former Speaker Joe de V and possibly Mayor Benjie Lim?
Julius said, “the die is cast.”
Better luck this time.
We received a report that he ran and won in a provincial board member’s seat in 1992. He never got to assume the position.
If for that alone, he deserves support… to correct that irregularity. With the triumph of justice on the Renato Corona case, Julius reentry to local politics is timely and logical.
Later in our phone talk, he said he was committing the active support of the l.5 million card-bearing members of the Confederation of Ilocanos – a worldwide organization he founded — for the senate bid of Joey de Venecia III, son of former Speaker Joe de V.
Our friend sounds like the famous Chinese philosopher, Confucius.
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A lot of people are scratching their heads over a revelation aired by Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez at the local press club’s forum that the strained relations between Dagupan City hall and her city council has enhanced the check –and-balance principle of governance hereabouts.
But she winked at the media to say that there’s a lot of hypocrisy in our officials’ actuations. She cited the drafting of the so-called city’s development plan as “not a handiwork of many minds, but just one mind – the mayor’s.”
There’s no consultation, says she, and if there indeed is any consultation, she was not there.
Meanwhile, in his defense of the “new” Sanggunian’s action (new because the mayor allegedly won new five councilors to his side), Benjie in a taped interview, denied there was already a sale on the MC Adore thing, absolving the tainted hands from the P1.5 million bribe.
The manner Vice Mayor Belen would storm the heavens to deplore this disregard and contempt of the Sanggunian is an indictment of the fractured relationship between City hall and the City Council.
If the city were a ship, it has no rudder, coasting over troubled waters against a titanic wave of dissatisfaction that could end in disaster.
Belen says we should come out with solid and well thought-out projects fashioned by healthy debate, not just constructing projects here and there without the imprimatur of consultation.
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We were part of a captive audience to an informative exchange between two sports aficionados — Guv’nor Spines and PDI columnist Recah Trinidad—at the idyllic Chatanooga restaurant Thursday night.
Did you know that the 5’4” governor was flyweight boxer during his PMA days?
Recah had new ideas on how to firm up Spines’ grassroots boxing plan if only to sire future Manny Pacquiaos in these parts.
Manny Pacquiao? Not quite, said Recah. What is being envisioned is Olympic boxing based on science, philosophy and holistic sport.
The exchange recalled the glory days of ancient Greece where muscle and brains were developed for well-sculpted philosophers.
Under Guv Spines, Pangasinan will work like a new republic with a sports academy that will zero in on the young embracing the philosophy “ a sound mind in a sound body.”
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NOTES: Remember Fred Reyes, past president of the Dagupan Varsitarians?
We had a brief chat over brewed coffee at the Podium at Ortigas Center.
Now a consultant to San Miguel Corp., Fred admires people in public service but wants to distance himself from it for health reasons.
His kins were in politics especially in San Jacinto town. What he enjoys in his new job is its bias for young scholars which San Miguel sees as bringer of hope to the nation and the world.
Congratulations, Paula Blanca Ferrer Patungan, daughter of Tony and Lea Patungan, new CPA having passed the recent board. She graduated with honors at De La Salle University in Manila last February.
