A grave injustice to the masa

By Gonzalo Duque

THE l3th Congress ended with a dismal report that it didn’t act on a bill lowering the price of medicines.

Senator Mar Roxas whose sights are on the presidency in 20l0 is being blamed for the killing of the bill if only to please the drug multinationals with billions of funds for the country’s legislators, never mind if the millions of poor Filipinos couldn’t buy cheap medicines.

I know the Roxases personally, and this behaviour of Mar makes him unworthy of the tradition handed down by his lolo, former President Manuel Roxas, and his father, the late former Senator Gerry Roxas.

If this is true, Mar had better forget the presidency, because he has just caused a grave injustice to the Filipino masa.

*        *          *

Governor-elect Amado Espino, alyas Spines, will guest at LNU’s capping ceremony next week. You see, Spines is the type of leader who welcomes good ideas. That’s one reason I invited him to grace the university’s big event.

Being a former vice governor, I know the type of leader who can move things for the benefit  and welfare of the province. Spines is very much unlike his predecessor who kept his cards too close to his chest.  It seems that Spines, though a former military officer, is open to ideas, and therefore has a great potential for big achievements.

Join me to make Spines a good governor. He has the qualities and training for high achievement.

*        *         *

Incidentally, I wish to see how our new governor will deal with my unfinished regional drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Burgos, Pangasinan. Outgoing Gov. Victor Agbayani was a disappointment on that aspect. In Spines’ case, he, being a former police regional director, knows the value and urgency of a rehab center. Or, do you, Spines?

Good luck!

*         *          *

It is unfair for some Dagupenos – probably, outgoing Mayor Benjie Lim’s sympathizers – to be passing stories that with Mayor-elect Al Fernandez back at his city hall post, the city will abandon its sparkling look.

What they are saying is that Al is not tourism-oriented unlike Benjie, and so he won’t be keen in maintaining the clean and beautiful image of the city.

I strongly disagree. What happened during Al’s mayorship was that his emphasis was not on beauty but on the people’s livelihood and living conditions although he missed out on health, nutrition and human infrastructure issues. For instance I do not like his having saved Pl20 million because the funds should have gone to these essential needs.

*          *           *

Money Roy is always in the defensive whenever I tell him that, on the other hand, the days of councilor-transactions are over. This should be a welcome development because it will signal the return of integrity and accountability in the city, or at least, a high degree of it. Di naman natin maaalis lahat yan sa isang iglap e. But Al will be a big improvement in the management of city funds. Unknown to many, Al was a businessman before he became a government official.

Sigue Dagupan!

*       *         *

The fans and admirers of the late Mayor Jolly Resuello are feeling differently vis a vis his junior Ayoy, who was elected mayor with a big margin.

So, what of it? It’s also impossible that they would be the same.

Some media people tell me that unlike the late mayor who would go the distance to hobnob with media and the common folk, Ayoy would have very little time for them.

Jolly, when he was alive, frequented the media folk’s hangouts, that’s why he was very popular. He even had a notebook containing his friends birthdays and wedding anniversaries, and he did his best to be physically present to make them feel his friendship.

I said to these observers: nakikiramdam pa  naman si Ayoy. Pasasaan ba yan at magiging like father like son. Di ba, Jun V?

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

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments