Mayor Leo de Vera is unfazed

By Jun Velasco

SIGAW ng Bayan bossman Raul Lambino, loosely perceived a shoo-in for the senate if there would be senatorial polls this year, was devastated with the sudden demise of his young ally, Editor-in-chief Allan Maligpas of the Philippine Gazette, a new Philippine weekly published by Lambino nationwide.

Allan, only in his 30’s, saw a dentist due to an aching tooth early last week. When the “culprit” was pulled, a few hours later, Allan succumbed to a cardiac arrest and tetanus was blamed for it.

The grim incident shocked the Gazette staffers who were preparing the week’s Gazette edition. No less than Pangasinan’s newest constitutionalist confessed in a text message to this writer that he was too shocked to be able to give salient details about Allan’s death. Fine thing, the tragedy didn’t dampen Raul’s fighting spirit vis-a-vis the People’s Initiative drive.

We could only reach Allan’s wife, Annabelle, who could hardly divine the meaning of her young hubby’s sudden passing. She has been his Number One fan, beginning with the first day she was smitten by Allan, his natural if swashbuckling ways that soon ended up in marriage.

When the first edition of the new Gazette, now under publisher Raul Lambino, came out, Allan asked us to criticize it. We said it was “too lovely but lacked punchy column articles and hard news.”

His reply was terse, “I am only implementing what you and Manong Orly taught me.” Orly Guirao, also Allan’s journalism ninong , never ceased texting Raul for a series of meetings at “A Taste of LA”  on Roces Avenue in Quezon City on the pretext of  following up the  drive for  the People’s Initiative.

We called up some media stalwarts in Baguio City, where Allan’s remains had been brought Wednesday, to pay their last homage to the fallen journalist.

Allan was a dreamer second to none, a workaholic, brimming with unbridled idealism, all of which early on pushed him to a niche in Philippine journalism, an editor of a national weekly at a very young age.

Many will miss his boyish ways, his jocund company, his childlike faith, his humor and his infectious passion for advocacy journalism to ensure the success of People’s Initiative to revise – or amend — the charter.

His demise should spur believers in unicameralism or parliament to avenge Allan’s death by fiercely working for it.

Here’s a salute to a faithful friend and ally to the end. Requiscat in peace.

*           *           *

Mayor Leo de Vera of Bayambang informs this corner he would not be clobbered by stories that prospective congressional rivals in the third districts are already upfront with him as tail-ender.

He says “pound for pound, or any which way we collide they (congressional rivals, perceived or real), can expect a good fight. I will be there.” The stocky chief executive has earned the respect of the Department of  Environment and Natural Resources  for his  natural landfill, which will be developed to the tune of some P250 million, at the Cojuangco property, “where the future Bayambang City Hall will be built.”

We believe that if the elections were held today, Leo Boy would be a runaway winner. Why? He has been combing the district for more than a year now, starting yet when his original partner Cezar Quiambao, was rooting for him.

“Alam mo, kuya, I won’t be hurt by kuya’s departure so long as the godfather and kingmaker is with me,” he says with misty eyes.  He is referring to former Sto. Tomas Mayor Bebot Villar, now asst. secretary for local government in Malacañang with a rank of undersecretary.   

*          *           *

We extend our felicitations to Congressman Mark Cojuangco of the 5th district who just marked his 50th birthday last October 6.

How did he do it? No, there was no bacchanalian feast, says his admirer and  Eastern Pangasinan’s leading businessman Rosendo So, adding the solon rounded up his development and infrastructure projects on his natal day all over the whole district.

With his leadership style, a question rises: who will have the nerve to run against him?

 Oo nga ano? 

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/think-about-it/)