Whither, IBP

By Gonzalo Duque

BEING a lawyer myself, I was disturbed by the apparent misuse of the national organization of lawyers, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the IBP, for short, in some public functions.

For one, I saw a banner among the leftist flags and streamers at a Mendiola rally recently in violation of a Supreme Court order declaring the area a “no-rally” zone.

Being a professional organization, the IBP must be safe from partisan activity, from political propaganda. Hence, Supreme Court’s order to preserve its sanctity.

When I saw on TV the IBP banner in the prohibited area, my thoughts swiveled back to home because the IBP president in Pangasinan is our dean of the College of Law, Dean Joven Maramba, afine, suave, very proper gentleman. I know that his chapter has filed a resolution stating that it will stick to the rule of law.

I hope no IBP member behaves like those red-flag carrying activists in an area that the local authorities such as the City of Manila have ordered a no-rally zone. As a lawyer myself, I will not hesitate to sue the IBP leadership if to my mind it breached the law. An organization of lawyers violating the law?  Que barbaridad!

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As expected, Press Secretary Ignacio “Toting” Bunye  was a hit in the local Rotary circles, especially our Rotary Club of Uptown Dagupan headed by Ms. Edna Torio-Gonzales, the shining jewel in Rotary circles in Pangasinan.

Toting came to town still suffering from a jet lag because he was with PGMA’s  party in Italy and Spain, but he was stunning.

A very intelligent man, Toting is gentle, dapper, articulate. One Rotary hen whispered to me that Toting looks like he can’t hurt a fly, but somebody whispered, deadly sa girls.

As a communicator, he is tops, and his loyalty to the President and the Republic is legend. Our club greatly benefited from his speech. Thank you, Secretary Toting for honoring our invitation, and hug Edna for Toting’s successful date with Uptowners.

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What is this report that the Sangguniang Panlungsod is incorrigibly suffering from chronic absenteeism? Boy Rayos, he with the eyes of a tiger especially on fraternity and local crimes, reported that the Dagupan SP has tripped again and failed to pass the much touted ordinance regulating frat wars in the city’s campuses.

At this point, I remember my friend Manny Roy’s witticism when he attributed to that august (sic) body  the description, cuarta-ticle. Kung wala pela, wala gawa! Wakanga!

Money, I mean, Manny Roy knows whereof he speaks, and I know our clown-cilors cannot see him eye to eye for reasons the general public is talking about in whispers.

Gone are the days when the city council  was the breeding place of  mayors, congressmen and other statesmen., having produced a congressman, delegate to the Constitutional Convention, mayor, vice mayor, ambassador, consuls, diplomats.

Today, the favorite preoccupation of the members is personal aggrandizement, not public service. Even its new members who were turned off by dirty lucre are now attracted to it. Respetohin  nyo naman ang ofis nyo ha?

Again, ask Money, I mean, Manny Roy, he will tell you in scandalous detail how some clowncilors behave when something is dangled before them.

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Don’t get me wrong, dear  readers, my critical stance vis a vis the city council is not out of any personal peeve against anyone. Fact is, each and every member of that body should be thankful because my regular dose of reminders regarding their accountability to the people is meant to protect their public decorum. Had we chosen to be silent over abuse of the public trust, there’d be no more check and balance, which is a road to perdition.

Earlier, I wanted to be tough (oh no, not again!) on Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez for the council’s frequent no-quorum record. But the whole issue is not about Alvin’s leadership or lack of it. It is basically the councilors’ failure to comport themselves as honorables.

 Need I say more?          

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A local weekly headlined last week the rampant thievery on our prize coastal lands along Barangay Bonuan Binloc. Former Councilor Rudy Fernandez and former Tondaligan Administrator Ani Lagao have recently unearthed this ongoing rape of our government patrimony with impunity. 

What is disturbing is that some local officials were being named as having cornered this government property as their own. How were they able to do this? Collusion, connivance, cooperative reciprocation, what else? I shall dwell on this at length next time after I discuss it with Speaker Joe de Venecia since it is going on right in his own backyard, Bonuan Binloc.

What do you say, DENR?

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