Editorial
Wanted: Gentlemen politicians
THE political scene in Pangasinan is not looking handsome these days.
In the different local government levels — big cities, small towns, and at the provincial capitol — there now seems to be a dearth in gentlemen politicians in our midst.
Former governor and congressional representative Victor Agbayani, for example, is acting like a very bad loser by pursuing the election protest he filed against Governor Amado Espino Jr.
While it is perfectly within Agbayani’s right in our democratic system to file a protest if he wants to, it is another matter to cry foul when you have lost by a difference of more than half a million in a province with a voting population of 1.36 million.
Agbayani’s action also brings to the fore a widespread syndrome in the Philippine political organism wherein as if nobody ever loses fairly in an election in this country.
It is also ironic that the result of an automated elections, with votes cast by computerized machines, will now have to be counted manually. So much for moving forward towards supposedly improved systems.
Bowing graciously to defeat and rising above personal resentments are some of the marks of a true gentleman. Pangasinan politics urgently needs them.
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P-Noy misses another one
P-NOY missed another shot at sterling leadership when he has not acted swiftly, decisively, on the Tony Leviste case. He is the President, he is expected to move with dispatch at all times.
Leviste, a convicted killer serving time at Munti, was caught roaming free in the Big City. Minus guards and handcuffs. Minus a prison trip pass.
A good leader – President if you will – should have immediately relieved, if not sacked, the top banana at Munti, Totoy Diokno, and promptly ordered a probe. But no, P-Noy remained mum, virtually xeroxing his no-show at the Luneta hostage crisis last year.
In the Leviste loop, Diokno escaped unscathed using a measly leave of absence to pull himself out of the line of fire. In case you have not heard, Diokno is a shooting buddy of P-Noy.
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