JDV did not deserve the presidential snub

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

President Arroyo’s State of the Nation address as expected turned out to be just another PR speech, an opportunity for thanksgiving and wishful thinking. I was disappointed that even as she went on with her “dedication program”, she actually saw it fit to cite only one notable Pangasinan institution for having accomplished something worthwhile under her watch since she was charged in congress for cheating lying and stealing the people’s voice in the last elections.

            She proudly cited the Lyceum Northwestern University for its initiative to introduce the experimental “ladderized” method in education. But I found it unkind of national media to attribute the feat to Health Sec. Pingkoy Duque, not fiery Gonz Duque. I know it didn’t make any difference to Gonz or to any of his family but I felt credit must be given where it is due.

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            Then there was clearly one omission that Pangasineses noticed about Mrs. Arroyo’s “dedication” speech. She was expected to lavish praises on two notable political bigwigs who manned the gates for her in Congress, namely, Speaker Joe de Venecia and Cong. Prospero Pichay, but she didn’t. 

Well, never mind about Pichay…but why relegate our Speaker to the sidelines while others were being lionized? Are we missing something here?

            If there was one person who deserved to be lavished with praises by her that can only be Speaker JDV. If canine loyalty would not be denigrating, it’s how I would describe his fealty to the queen. The only one Pangasinense perhaps who can closely approximate that loyalty would be new AFP chief of staff Hermogenes Esperon… and he was royally acknowledged.

            I can’t even say the omission was deliberate as a result of Speaker JDV’s gaffe at the start of the program…or was it?  

            I guess as the weatherman says – weather-weather lang sa Malacanang! 

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SIGAW’S PACT WITH SATAN. I was ready to ignore the full page advertisement of Sigaw ng Bayan published in two national dailies last week, obviously a retort to the series of ads of “One Voice”  denouncing attempts to amend the charter via People’s Initiative or Constituent Assembly, when a friend called my attention to a particular item in the statement.

It was premised with a question: “Are Atty. Raul Lambino and his group secret members of a Satanic cult? Is there one in Pangasinan? ” I wouldn’t know, I said.

Then I was asked to read the statement found in the center of the full page ad which read:  “Whose words do we hear when “One Voice” speaks?” where it impugns the special interests and the money behind their enemy…. We have never hidden our identities and out specific interests. We are local officials, professionals, small businessmen, office workers. Our name is Legion, for we are many” (italicizing is mine).

Not being an ardent Bible student for now, I was told that the quote “ My name is Legion, for we are many” is lifted from Chapter 5, Verses 1-13 of the Book of Mark in the New Testament.  So, Atty. Lambino chose to quote from the Bible to underscore his group’s claim, what’s the big deal, I asked. Mrs. Arroyo has already claimed that God talks to her and put here there, I reminded my friend. But not if we know who said what, she exclaimed. Oh?

She brought out a small Bible and asked me to read the verse carefully referred to as the Gerasene demoniac. It reads: “They arrived on the other side of the lake in the region of the Gerasenes. No sooner did Jesus leave the boat than he was met by a man with evil spirits who had come from the tombs… When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell at his feet and cried with a loud voice, “What do you want with me… for God’s sake I beg you, do not torment me”. He said this because Jesus had commanded, “Come out of the man, evil spirit”. And when Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”, he replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many”.

Oh boy, it was the voice of the devil, no less!

Sigaw ng Bayan is echoing the devil’s advocacy with a boastful claim: “We are local officials, professionals, small businessmen, office workers. Our name is Legion, for we are many”. 

Has Sigaw ng Bayan assigned its fate to Satan? Is this what it takes to join the Arroyo bandwagon for political survival? Make a pact with the devil?

So, who else are in Atty. Lambino’s “legion”? Who among the devout Catholics and Christians have already aligned with Satan to have the Charter changed by hook or by crook?

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MR. AQUINO’S ACCOUNTABILITY. This week is 23 days past the self-imposed deadline of Dagupan City Councilor Nic Aquino to account for the monies he and his committee members received and spent for the Bangus Festival. The deadline was announced by city hall Executive Ely Bamba sometime last month in a bid to prove us wrong.

            Well, Mr. Bamba, it will soon be August 1.  What have you and Mr. Aquino have to show to the donors and to the Dagupan taxpayers? We distinctly remember that the committee dipped its fingers into the city coffers and helped itself with some P2.3 million to promote the festival kuno! The amount does not even include the cash donations the committee received from corporate groups.

            Until Mr. Aquino and Mayor Benjie Lim fully account for the monies, all the members of the executive committee and the events committee chairmen will continue to be suspect as co-conspirators to defraud the city government.

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            If Mr. Aquino and his allies in the mayor’s office are having a difficult time accounting for the monies, perhaps they should consider another approach to their accounting.

            Why not simplify the procedure by just listing two items in two columns. Title them as “Deal” and “No Deal”. All expenses covered by receipts should be entered under “No Deal” column, while monies that disappeared and cannot be accounted for can be entered under the “Deal” column.

I assure you this accounting format can easily be understood by all. This way even the grade school kids and out-of-school youth will understand how their elders steal from the government.

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REORGANIZATION AND 2007 ELECTIONS. Nobody can argue with the objectives and stated agenda of the Lim administration in pursuing the reorganization of the city’s bloated bureaucracy. It’s the right thing to do and the only question that begs a correct answer is “how”.

            That Mayor Lim is bent on doing it right before an election year tells you that it’s a bitter pill to swallow, and must be swallowed. It’s a sign of a strong political will on Mr. Lim’s part.

            But some city hall insiders believe the mayor is playing a wild card with the employees precisely for purposes of the election. They believe that at the right time, all employees who risk losing their jobs will be asked:

            “Will you work for my congressional campaign if I stop the reorganization?” 

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