Think about it
Steve Simbillo, 64
By Jun Velasco
LAST night, we received a call from General Art Lomibao, who was with balikbayan friends in Boracay Island.
The “tourist guide” gave his guests A-l hospitality. His guests were his gracious hosts in the US last month, Dr. Fernando Estrada, a native of Calasiao town, and vivacious wife, the former Nancy Cornista of Hotel Boulevard, Dagupan City, who owns a hospital in Pennsylvania. Also in Boracay were General Dante Ferrer and his pretty wife, the former Lily Estrada (Fer’s sister and former nutrition student of Cathy Velasco), and close friends. They had great fun, says Nancy in another phone call to Cathy.
Why did Art call? Well, he thought we did not take his word that he was running for congressman in Speaker Joe de V’s district.
Earlier, the Mangaldan whiz kid was on collision course with his long-time partner in the military, Congressman Amado “Spines” Espino and the other gubernatorial wannabes Dr. Jamie Agbayani and Vice Governor Oscar Lambino.
Spines, by the way, had been salivating over Governor Victor Agbayani’s post ever since he was a provincial police director, and under the circumstances, common friends couldn’t believe Art and Spines would clash in the name of personal ambition. But, well, the world has turned upside down, and the words “personal ambition” could be reworded to “calls of public service.”
What else is new?
But Art’s latest play which is a run for the fourth district congressional pie takes the cake. Mayor Benjie Lim’s hungering for it at the height of Joe de V’s global popularity (he has brought the whole globe of top parliamentarians kissing his feet) was already unbelievable.
And here comes Art Lomibao, a de Venecia blood kin, ally and friend, doing a Benjie Lim.
Art says there’s no law barring brothers from fighting each other in the name of public service, but we caution that there are parameters the heart knows that escapes the mind, and this, JdV intimated recently, makes him sad.
Is JdV sad? Nope, interjects a nutty wag who quickly pulled our arm and said, “Don’t believe the Speaker is saddened by this turn of events because if Art and Benjie jump in the same congressional boat, Joe de V will just sleep and dance the cha cha.”
But Art is a serious JdV spoiler. He said, “If I run, Benjie will back out and support me.”
He adds Benjie will just run for reelection and affirm the fearless forecast that he will stay on where he himself comfortably is.
Is Benjie comfortable where he is? Last we heard was that Commissioner Al Fernandez would relinquish his juicy post to stop Benjie in his tracks. How’s that for a Benjie spoiler? The game is getting interesting everyday.
* * *
A friend who was introduced to us by then councilor aspirant Al Fernandez in the 60’s is dead.
Steve Simbillo, 64, succumbed to lung cancer at the Provincial Hospital in Bolingit, San Carlos City after almost two weeks of confinement.
Steve was a funny man and had a bag of stories and jokes that endeared him to several people in Pangasinan who would easily make it to a who’s who list.
There hardly was a week that Steve did not come to our home. The last time was three weeks back when he recalled Mayor Jolly Resuello’s gracious act of searching for him after arriving from his US trip. Why did Jolly look for Steve? Because mutual friends who are living in the US sent Steve some dollars and few goodies.
A “socialist,” Steve had many friends, including Speaker Joe de V, former Gov. Tito Primicias, brothers Dick and specially Johnny Primcias, Tito Cabuay, the Soriano brothers, the Cayabyabs, Samsons, the Posadas family, Mayor Benjie Lim, the Duque brothers, Tito de Venecia, the late Congressman Chris Mendoza, former Gov. Raffy Colet, Oscar Orbos, Vic Millora, Dagupeña’s Atchi Emma, most newspeople in Pangasinan and many, many more.
When we texted friends about his passing, brod Dante replied, “It’s sad, he was a real friend.”
May our friend rest in peace.
* * *
Over lunch with former Chief Justice Jun Davide last Tuesday, we were terrified by the accounts of a visiting bishop from Nueva Ecjia that the country is a potential vast wasteland or desert in a few years due to unabated forest denudation.
Makes us wonder why in spite of its known threat to our lives, especially to that of our children and future grandchildren, we ignore a real and imminent danger, an environmental holocaust.
We overheard Sunday Speaker Joe instructing a House assistant to mobilize Congress and the media to quickly implement the bill he had authored, seeking the plantation of l billion trees across the islands.
These little thoughts may not land on fertile ground as yet because the hour of reckoning strikes at different times. But is the global warming not enough?
Let’s rally the nation — especially the children — behind the slogan “Plant a tree today, and save the country.”
(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/think-about-it/)
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
