Think about it
Spines is ill at ease with the media?
By Jun Velasco
ON our way to Dunkin Donut last weekend, a heart-wrenching sight moved us: groups of homeless, sorrow-stricken families lined the sidewalks in front of the University of Pangasinan and Insular Life building on Arellano Street.
A painful question hounded their minds. Where will they live now? How will they mend their broken lives after the shocking loss of home, properties and everything they had labored for for years?
Probers theorize two boys were playing with fire (pardonis moi, Gonz) that got out of hand. Those who have not known the pangs of poverty will simply dismiss the Aling blaze as cold news stuff, mere statistic, one of those things. But to Danny and Boy, our friends who live in the sitio, the fire has driven them farther to the test, daring their staying power in their struggle-battered lives.
It was touching to see and watch Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez and Councilor Alfie Fernandez in action. Belen, then acting mayor, quickly gave relief to the fire victims, not much of the goods that fill her malls, but her inspiring physical presence in a moment of great need; her words said more than the material aid she dispensed from her own and the city and her resolve to take care of their needs mollified their sorrow drenched souls. Mayor Al Fernandez and City Administrator Alvin Fernandez were in the US, and how much these poor souls pined for their politician benefactors for a few wads to tide them over, nothing at that time could fill up the thought of the cool papag, the old army cot, the flattened cushion of an old bed reeking of pomade, the four walls plastered with a Tanduay calendar oozing with a sexy model that heightens their anguish.
Call it tough luck, but life has a way of taking away some of our day lights. The poor folk were able to grab a morsel of temporary pleasure from the recent barangay elections, feeling nice with the victory of Lilia Yazar of Pantal and Angel Gumarang of Bonuan Gueset knowing them to be kind and always ready to heed their multifarious petitions. Multifarious petitions! Is this why they convincingly won in the irrespective multi-cornered fights?
Mayor Al and Vice Mayor Belen, tulongan yo pa ra yay apoolan, ta anggapoy panayaman da. Kaskasian met ira.
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Guv’nor Spines Espino denied to the local media he received any from the ballyhooed P500,000 or so cash gifts from the Palace for congressmen, governors and mayors last week. Amigo Rhee Hortaleza asked: Was it good for Pangasinan that Spines did not receive any cash gift?
It’s not the rightness of wrongness of the dole out that matter now.
Because the timing was bad. It happened right after the national outrage on the aborted National Broadband Network deal.
Spines’ remark should be a tongue-in-cheek reaction to an issue he is supposed to be a part of being a member of the administration in good standing. For if his remarks were meant to junk the doleout, he would be cross to the President.
If we know, our governor has an uncanny habit of doing a French leave if he feels he is wasting his time. This Espino character has its good and bad points.
Having acquired some mastery of Peter Drucker’s teachings, Spines was able to conquer his limitations and became good, nay, excellent in his new field, politics. But this virtue can be overdone which now reflects his seeming unease with the media. He has hired a brilliant wordsmith in Cesar Carpio, CC, but many feel that Guvnor Spines should be more open than smart. Spines have nothing to hide anyway, has he? Many believe his first press con made a headway on his old virtue that almost got lost, candidness.
We go back to the question: did he receive any doleout from the Palace? We are taking him for his word that he did not. He had left when the giving took place. Sayang!
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NOTES: The recent barangay elections portend an incipient crisis in our democracy. No less than the father of the Philippines local government code, Senator Nene Pimentel has shown exasperation over his own baby because of the many cracks in the facade. Defenders of the faith, therefore, have a lot of fence mending job if we are to sustain this democratic edifice. We wish to congratulate some friends who showed political savvy and won in the last barangay polls. Reelectionists Bert Dion of Barangay Tebeng, Jake Reyes of Barangay Tapuac and Marcial Rioflorido of Barangay Malued and new chairmen Angel Gumarang of Bonuan Gueset, Fred Quinto Jr., of Bonuan Boquig, Dado Torio of Bonuan Binloc and Lilia Yazar of Pantal all in Dagupan City, and reelectionist Rogel Dizon of Bantayan, Mangaldan. Their tasks ahead are tough in light of our shaky republic.
(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/think-about-it/ Readers may reach columnist at junmv@yahoo.com . For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)
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