Pichay to serve public’s need for strength

By Gerry Garcia

KEY amendments to the constitution being pushed by Speaker de Venecia to constitute what he says is the mother of all reforms, are two-fold: shift from the bicameral presidential system which has been cause for the nation’s being enmeshed  in perpetual Third-Worldism and the lifting of economic restrictions to draw more foreign direct investments into the country.

Among his few dedicated peers in Congress sharing the Speaker’s vision is Rep. Prosperio “Butch” Pichay of Surigao Sur. Butch has been openly advocating of JdV’s moves in this direction and drawn support from a sizable number of electorate members including us in print media who are determined that Pichay and the rest of the Team Unity members win the May elections hands down.

Pichay is also one of the rare few in our current Congress who are truly convinced that infrastructure is the life blood of our economy and hence are bent on prioritizing and developing it, especially in the suburbs. Butch has eloquent samples in his home-town Surigao del Sur where rural road networks have been extensively improved and expanded enabling effective delivery and transport of products.

Greed for money rarely grips a man with means and such a man in government service finds no reason to dip his fingers into the government’s pocket to illegally fund a campaign for election. That’s why Butch Pichay is unrelenting in his drive against efforts by heartless politicians to source campaign funds from illegal drug tradce. He has  urged PDEA  authorities and the police to fast-track probes into illegal drug trade and ensure conviction of those found guilty.

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Despite his being an administration candidate, Pichay is not averse to meeting out stiffer sanctions to government officials who fail to speedily resolve the series of killing of mediamen and activists, including those  directly involved in the killing  itself.

After all, Pichay himself was a former newsman and is a newspaper publisher and owner of a radio station.

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Gen. Art Lomibao, retired young (57) man from the AFP, is now into politics, whether you like it or not and despite reported importuning from his children. Service, he says, is so ingrained in his system he could not resist the temptation to serve as congressman especially in the 4th district where whether he likes it or not, a Goliath of a man, Speaker Joe de Venecia, is ranged against an absolute neophyte in politics.

Art and Joe had already talked, the former admitted, and the talk was revealing of   Joe’s being good-natured, Art was really impressed with Joe’s everlasting smile and his admission of lack of challenge in the previous elections resulting from absence of opposition.

Art is not bothered, though, by lack of offers from Administration parties for membership or support saying his constant consultations with family and friends have been sufficient excuse for him to run in the May polls. Besides, previous and present poll surveys have shown him in favorable close rating with his other rivals, Joe or Benjie.

Up close, Art is the amiable type not capable of unleashing black propaganda or releasing statements against his rivals that would tend to be libelous.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/here-and-there/)

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