Dagupan City is OA

By Gonzalo Duque

CHRISTMAS is a few days away, folks. This is the reason why I am avoiding enemies, negative words, and the “attack” column variety.

Makakahinga na (for the meantime) ang mga paborito kong topics. Pasalamat sila sa panahon, at tayo po’y  Kristiyano.

Please don’t get me wrong. Somebody was making a joke that I love to play dart on my pet peeves. Far from it. It is with much discomfort that I cause hurt on anyone especially on known friends, cause I do it for a purpose, and always for the interest of the public.

We also praise when it is proper. Alam ninyo yan. But I believe in mission of a journalist, which is to “afflict the comfortable, and comfort the afflicted.”

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With Speaker Joe de Venecia’s praiseworthy act to bury the Con-Ass, I hope City Hall should also do something about the month-long festivities.

The country has been bombarded with several calamities and disasters, and here we are in Dagupan City parading our lust for fun and pleasure at the expense of our cultural values, common sense and propriety.

  Look around the city streets. What do you see? Naglabasan na naman ang mga pangit na retrato ng mga politico.

In every corner of the city, you see the pictures of you-know-whom, na kunyari nagwewelcome sa mga visitors but are actually campaign gimmick because the elections are just around the corner.

Do these politicians think the people are happy with their gimmick?

I tell you, I have talked to four, no, ten, no more than twenty already, and they said they are nauseated by those big, expensive tarpaulins. Our people have become sensitive, and are scandalized by a display of extravagance. How much does one tarpaulin cost?

They should have donated that much sum of money to the poor.  Or send them to the victims of calamities in Bicol. Nakakaawa ang nangyari doon.

Our clown-cilors are behaving like Nero who was indulging in pleasure while Rome was burning. Itapon ninyo na yan, mga ungas! Kawawa ang bayan!

Sorry, I got carried away.  I just said no attack this time in the spirit of Christmas. Nagslide itong ballpen ko e, sorry, ha, talaga atang incorrigible tayo sa tawag ng column writing. But this I assure: nothing personal. Ang inaatake ko hindi tao, but attitudes, mga kagagawa ng public servant na taliwas sa tama, wala sa lugar, abuso and so on.

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One more thing. The other reason I am criticizing this over-extended merry-making in our city is that many businessmen are already hurting from the many requests for donations, complimentary advertisements. Their hard-earned earnings are being exacted by solicitors. I have a department store owner friend who was gnashing his teeth at the nonstop letters he receives asking or requesting for donations and the so-called complimentary advertisements. Ay naku! Di na makahinga yong pobre. Kaya, kayo naman na nasa poder, please stop this solicitation business.

Diyan sa City High School, parating na naman yong Big Bang ninyo, December 28, and medyo quiet ata ngayon, di tulad noon na palagi ang drumbeating sa  kolum at radio. Mabutibuti kung ganun, nakahinga ang mga hinihingian ng advertisements.

Kayo naman, mga agagui, why did you start your alumni building na hindi nyo matapos tapos? Nagmumukhang kawawa tuloy ang eskwelahan ninyo. Yang inistart ni Ramon Reyna nakatiwangwang na parang nagsasabing, “please save me!.”

  Ano ba, mga agaguik irad city high, gawa yo la may alumni building yo. Maraming magagaling diyan, but why no can do? Ay, katawan!           

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With the interment of the Con Ass and the People’s Initiative in favor of the ConCon, I remember with pride that it was this columnist – among a few others – who had argued against the initiative and the Con-Ass.

But I sense another fireworks coming if those never-say-die Con Ass and the like people are insisting on appointing instead of electing the delegates to the ConCon.

I must warn them of another much bigger political storm.

Ikunsulta ninyo sa mga mamayan! Pag hindi kayo huminto, bahala kayo. Nagagalit na ang Diyos. The voice of the people is the voice of God! 

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/playing-with-fire/)

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