Playing with Fire
Mar improves, but Duterte zooms!
By Gonzalo Duque
THE next few days will be crucial to Secretary Mar Roxas, the LP’s – and President P-noy’s – presumptive candidate for president.
He, Mar, was in town the other week to meet sectoral leaders. He also called on Archbishop Soc Villegas. He was accompanied by the De Venecias – former Speaker Joe and wife, Cong. Gina – former Cong. Rachel Arenas, socialite Cong. Rosemarie Arenas and Mayor Belen Fernandez.
Maganda naman ang reception ng mga Pangasinenses.
Last Thursday, his boys were back, led by Cong. Mel Sarmiento of Samar, the party’s secretary-general.
We heard from Jun Velasco that when he caught up with Mel at Le Duc Hotel, a short, snappy conversation went like this: what could be the implication of the case against Gov. Umali, the LP’s treasurer, which involves moral turpitude?
Quick on the draw, the Samareno legislator stressed that the people could see clearly that the president won’t lift a hand on the case and that he’d want justice served in line with Daang Matuwid.
Ok ngarud. Let’s hope Gov. Umali gets off the hook fast and clean – or else, apektado ang honest government mantra.
Like we said Mar’s boys were again all over the province again, their meeting at Le Duc, sigurado tayo ang nag-coordinate sina brod Cesar and Jovy Bengson.
Ok lang yan.
Mar needs to marshall his supporters to catch up with the SWS and Pulse Asia surveys.
No doubt, Mar is honest.
Kulang lang ng charm. Parang ang kanyang persona ay pang-elite.
We focus on our bet – Davao Mayor Rody Duterte. He connects!
His zealous drive against criminality clicks. Rody hates the drug lords—and this well known fact is making him an idol of the nation.
Btw, itong mga surveys, we earnestly suggest they should limit the choice to just four, say, Binay, Grace Poe, Mar Roxas and Duterte! Pag marami, mga “sabit” isinasama pa.
We were in Davao last week, and we could feel the increasing popularity of Duterte.
You say he won’t run for president? But there’s a clear and loud clamor for him to run… for president.
Don’t believe his denials. Just read his lips – and hips.
Basta take our word for it. Rody Duterte will zoom to the presidency in 2016.
* * * *
In our last meeting at the Dagupan Water District, we zeroed in on a World Bank-funded study in which more than 20 million Filipinos do not have access to improved sanitation. Corollary problems include: 1) many who have toilets do not have septic tanks; 2) Many who do have septic tanks have the kinds that have open bottoms; 3) Most septic tanks are not regularly dislodged and the septage is not treated and disposed of properly.
The same study says less than 10 percent of the Philippine population has access to piped sewerage systems. These problems translate into severe economic losses exceeding P78-billion per year and 55 deaths per day, not to mention the damage to our ecosystems and biodiversity.
Further, we observe that constraints to development of sewage collection and treatment systems include a low level of awareness and demand from the public, low technical capacity to develop infrastructure, lack of enforcement of regulations, limited resources of the water districts and local government units, and no national program or budget.
The seminar-workshop sought to promote behavior change and to facilitate a bottom-up, demand-driven development process.
* * * *
In the near future, we see a radical improvement in the water system in Barangays Carael and Pugaro.
We are happy to note that Maynilad has launched a program to control their operations losses. We are going to adopt their systems and formula in due time.
Salute to our indefatigable Mayor Belen Fernandez for taking a direct and fast hand in our basic potable water needs.
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