JDV, the real ‘Joe’

By Gerry Garcia

WE’VE long known Dr. Salvador “Ado” Duque as being anti-cha cha and averse to the proposed shift to unitary parliamentary system of government from the presidential bicameral one and it was a delightful shock to see him now drumbeating for Speaker JdV’s re-election bid.

Ado, out-going head of the Metro Dagupan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, together with incoming Henco Mauro Calaguio, has said, “(Joe) is a treasure we can’t afford to lose.” Ado and Mauro were referring to JdV’s contributions to the development and growth of Dagupan following the devastating ’90 earth-shaker.

Especially, the Speaker’s road infrastructure, like the De Venecia Sr. diversion highway from Calasiao to Lucao (Dagupan) and the soon-to-be finished Dawel-Pantal-Lucao which are seen to easily expand the city’s business climate.

Ado said that “as effective, brilliant and tireless champion of socio-economic development”, de Venecia should be re-elected and retained as House Speaker.

This may not sound like music to JdV’s rival in the 4th, Mayor BSL of Dagupan City who has admittedly been effective in helping enhance the city’s booming commerce.

Ado was further effusive in his admiration of the Speaker whom he described as a legislator of worldwide renown, being the president of the Asian Inter-Parliamentary Organization.

Aside from his being earlier commended by Dagupan’s Fil-Chinese community leaders  for initiating landmark infrastructure and development projects in the city  Speaker  JdV also revealed  several multi-million projects where  the Chinese on  the mainland and those in Taiwan have invested in the Philippines, including the “most  modern railway system in Asia”.

Joe was apparently referring to the proposed drive to revive the moribund Philippine National Railway (PNR) which had wasted away from politics-bound administration mismanagement.

The early first stages in constructing the “most modern railway system in Asia” are presently on-going in Pampanga area which would soon extend northward to La Union considerable part of which has been taken over by squatters.

Members of the 4th district electorate should not forget that the man seeking their votes in his re-election bid for Congress is no ordinary tradpol . . . but immensely more than that. He has been thrice Speaker of the House of  Representatives, firm  advocate of the mother of all reforms (shift  from presidential unitary government to something much better, whose fame as diplomat and congress  leader has claimed acceptance and admiration from peers in other countries not only here in  Southeast Asia but also in Europe and the  Middle East.

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

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