Don’t shoot the messenger

By Leonardo Micua

 

THE manager of radio station Aksyon Radyo Dagupan, Violy Valdez, is in rage over the alleged bad-mouthing of one of her staff, Dante Cera, by the town mayor of Mangaldan, Marilyn Lambino.

Dante got the goat of her honor when he read in his radio program (with perhaps a few side comments) the column of Ramon Tulfo in the Manila Times, about Secretary Lambino’s alleged corruption as CEZA administrator.

Without touching on the explosive contents of Tulfo’s column, as Secretary Lambino already refuted this in a lengthy three-part series in the Manila Times, the bad-mouthing of Dante by Mayor Lambino to me appears uncalled for, tantamount to shaming him in public for an act he performed that is related to his calling as a media man.

Violy, in her own radio program, asked the mayor a mouthful: “Why, bakit kailangang pagalitan mo ang tao na binasa lang naman niya ang banat ng isang Mon Tulfo kay Secretary Lambino?”

She could not imagine why Dante had to be roughed up verbally in front of so many people when she could have directed her anger at no other than Mr. Ramon Tulfo himself.

“Bakit ba ganyan? Bakit para namang walang karapatan ang isang mamahayag na ipahayag ang kanyang nalalaman?, the fighting Violy asked Mayor Lambino.

She maintains that it was Dante’s call to read that column in his program as it is of interest to the people of Pangasinan considering that Secretary Lambino, like the mayor of Mangaldan, is a public servant.

It was too bad that the mayor’s ego was piqued by Dante’s action. We are sure that many others also read that particular column with more amusing side comments because of the scale and magnitude of alleged corruption raised by Tulfo but the mayor chose to pick a fight with Dante.

But methinks Raul’s problems did not end with Marlyn’s rant as I saw another item in the PDI online about an alleged questionable deal at CESA with a supposed to be “favored” contractor.

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We saw two days ago, while hailing a ride to Bonuan, that the PIO of Dagupan City has been relocated to the Product Center, from its former location on the second floor of leftwing of the city hall.

What a place to stay for the information arm of Mayor Brian Lim. I understand that the building was put up by the former city administration as a display center of Pangasinan-made goods and products.

 I think this space was passed on to an accredited cooperative whose business did not fair well in the end. 

 I know that is a better place than the old for Ging and his men but they have to contend with the daily hustle and bustle of people and jeepneys passing through Galvan Street from morn till dark.

 In the case of the Pangasinan POI headed by Butch Velasco, it is transferring to a new building at the back of its present location. It will occupy the first floor of the building with the second floor allocated to the Records and Archives Office headed by Administrative Officer Dr. Mina Francisco.

I understand, Butch’s new office will be provided with a media lounge for the media men covering the capitol to use.

 But Insiong Tamayo insists that the regular Talakayan sa Kapitolyo being hosted by Butch, should still be at the social hall of the Urduja House.

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A day after Dr. Rhuel Bobis, medical officer IV of DOH region 1 announced that Region 1, particularly Pangasinan, remains COVID-19 -free, two new cases of the disease were confirmed by the DOH.

The two were among the repatriates quarantined by DOH at the New Clark City in Tarlac, which means those persons infected with COVID-19 are not from Region 1.

We noticed that cases of COVID -19 in China where the virus originated, are now on a downturn but has since spiked in South Korea, Italy, Iran and even in the United States.

So, there is, indeed, a chance for the virus to be defeated as long as we follow the proper hygiene and refrain from mixing in large crowds.

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