Playing with Fire
Hour of reckoning
By Gonzalo Duque
SAN FRANCISCO, California—The Philippines has no monopoly of natural disasters.
They are global.
What is sad about the calamities in our country is the face of massive poverty that typhoons and floods bring. We see rain-drenched people from the slums, children swimming on inundated streets, grabeee!
Nakakaawang mga kabaleyan. And then we hear and see on TV and newspapers these Napoles-sponsored graft and corruption that fattened her bank account and those of unscrupulous senators and congressmen.
Tama lang na may clamor from civil societies and the general public for the scrapping or abolition of the pork barrel.
Alabas la, kabaleyan! Graben takewan!
Kung hindi lang un-Christian, we’d advocate the shooting by a firing squad those criminally involved.
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Here in the country of the Great Apple, we are amazed at our US-based Dagupenos infos of news and tsismis back home.
Because of our sense of propriety, we could not write detailed accounts these chismises we hear here.
Everybody knows about the massive bankruptcy that presently grips Dagupan City because of the gross mismanagement by the past administration!
Kawawang Mayor Belen! However, in another sense, the tragic situation is a great opportunity for leadership. Marunong yay mayor tayo. Her business acumen which has been tried and tested in the arena of fair play has earned for her great fortune. We can’t say the same to the others. US-based Dagupeños are full of praises to our lady mayor.
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Someone suggested that the hour of reckoning and retribution has arrived. Many Dagupeños here want Mayor Belen to remain tough vis-a-vis wrongdoings and corruption. They say she showed her mettle as presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod. He should do it again now as mayor, they said.
They have one prayer for Belen: Sana mansiansyay panangaro tod Dagupan.
We told our kabaleyan here to remain faithful to Belen.
There are some who are impatient with the absence or lack of follow-up to the uncovered anomalies. But we re-assured them with what City Auditor Virgilio Quinto told us that “in 100 days, heads will roll.” Opps…don’t take us literally naman. What we are saying is the guilty will be punished, walang exception.
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How do we get our news? Well, there’re the ABS CBN and GMA news bureaus here. Many Pinoys here are incensed by the pork barrel scandal.
Many are in praise of Pnoy’s Matuwid na Daan which has wittingly or unwittingly uncovered a drum of worms. Our disgusted general public was not surprised by it—but the size, depth and magnitude of our public officials’ corrupt practices.
O yes, marami ring Administration officials and nadale ng Pork Barrel scam. Dyan sa local, may scam din dyan. Noong buhay pa sina Councilors Fred Sta. Maria, Conrad Guadiz at Reggie Ravanzo, marami tayong nalaman sa kanila tungkol sa pagdudoktor ng mga local resolutions at ordinances. Abayag la tay takewan ed SP in case you don’t know.
Ang Divine Providence nga naman! When the country was being battered by typhoons, our conscience was also being assaulted by these fund scams.
Let’s join our countrymen denounce this pork barrel!
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