Advice to VM-elect Belen Fernandez

By Gonzalo Duque

ANOTHER good news for Pangasinenses: Our friend USEC Bebot Villar was recently appointed anti-smuggling task force czar by Malacañang.

Knowing Bebot, he will find his new job challenging and worth his time and interest.

Congrats! May you succeed and bring honor to those responsible for designating you – and the province, too. I know you can do it, brother.

Congrats too to former Councilor Jojo Guadiz for his appointment as assistant secretary at the DOTC.

Jojo would have made it to the council in the last polls, but demands for his time in Manila made him decide otherwise.

In case you don’t know yet, Jojo was a topnotch editor in high school and college, trained by someone I know.

Mangblowout ka la sirin, anto tan met?

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Governor-elect Amado “Spines” Espino might be interested to know that one of his big supporters, Congressman Mark Cojuangco, once intimated to me his desire to put up an airport in Laoac, Pangasinan.

  Mark’s idea jibes with what I aired here last week that the diminutive governor-elect could start one project like that. I’m not particular about the place, but let’s have one to promote tourism and movement in the province.

But Laoac would be good because of its proximity to Baguio and the Apo Baket Shrine.

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 Dakel so mankakantiyaw ed siak due to the admi senatorial bets’ defeat. I just smiled. 

Although I stand unchanged in my faith that the government under the present leadership would be a better one, I doff my hat to the opposition for their perceived victory in the senate.

This was the result of some presidential advisers  who acted more as persecutors than anything else.  Their underdog image gave them the winning votes.

But the admi will still control the House, and I’m confident that our kabayan Joe de V will bag the speakership for the 5th time.

Balansi so Kongreso under an opposition-administration control. That is good for democracy.

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Business and civic leader Belen Fernandez — the lady, er- the leader with balls, should not repeat the mistakes of some politicians who fell from grace because of arrogance and vindictiveness. I won’t dwell on particulars because we want to accentuate the positive.

Those two traits will unmake leaders, I told Belen.

In spite of her business success, Belen has remained humble. Tawag sa kanya ng mga mahihirap ay mapagkawangawa, matulungin, mabait and humble. Because of her and mayor-elect Al Fernandez, the logistical requirements of Joe de V’s congressional fight was diminished a lot unlike in Benjie Lim’s case where he  had to shoulder everything, almost, kasi mga candidates niya, panay pera (except for one or two) walang stature.

Keep it up, Belen, the mayorship won’t be too far from your reach if you continue to play your cards well. Sa totoo lang, kaya na niya ang lumaban sa pagkameyor talking of finances. But being humble, she just follows advice.

Good luck to your future endeavors.

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I had a recent visitor, nay, a balik Lyceum, Dr. Randy Oriel, whose brother Roger, publishes the biggest Fil-Am newspaper in the US. Balik Lyceum because he finished his dentistry here. On the occasion of his mother’s first year death anniversary, the family would want to pause and make the province, or at least, the whole 5th district aware of her, the memories she left behind.

Al Mendoza and Jun Velasco are his buddies hereabouts.

Best wishes to the family!  

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/playing-with-fire/)

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