Joe de V comes home

By Jun Velasco

SPEAKER Joe de Venecia will — finally –be in town, with new and old friends, political allies, relatives and parents on Sunday, August 26.

It will be his thanksgiving party to Pangasinenses who have gifted him with thousands of triumphant votes in all his electoral battles, the latest on May 14 that catapulted him back to the Speakership, his unprecedented fifth term.

The thanksgiving party will be held at the new and imposing Jimmy Fernandez Convention Center in Barangay Lucao, starting at 5 pm.

This is a much awaited affair because most everyone has been desirous to hobnob with the Speaker; in  the same vein, he has long felt a profound wish to reach  everyone in  gratitude for their unswerving support.

Everyone will indulge in recollection of sorts. They will recall his first crack at politics in l965 when an upstart Joe de V, clean cut and brimming with a zest to change the world, first launched his congressional bid.

Lady Luck did not smile on him, then apologetically he said he had had owed a friend from Japan P1 million for his election campaign.

Four years later, he ran again, wiser, and logistically prepared. It was actually a second round with his two previous opponents, reelectionists Jack Soriano and Angel Fernandez. 

He won.  The rest is history.

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Because he is a lawyer, Colonel Isagani Nerez runs his Pangasinan Police Office with ease and aplomb. The soft spoken PMAyer from Baguio City is very courteous and polite to a fault, but no one doubts his leadership acumen.

Knowing the connection between sports and crime fighting, Gani has entered into a joint venture with former Tour of Luzon cycling champ Jess Garcia for the staging of a tour of Pangasinan also slated for August 26, which Nerez says, coincides with National Heroes Day.

Gani is impressed by Pangasinenses’ love for cycling. We told him the Tour was founded by a Pangasinense, the late Gerry Lacuesta, which partly explains why the local boys always dominated the tour races.

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Col. Dionisio Borromeo’s designation as Dagupan City police chief  somewhat restored whatever sheen the post seems to have lost, says  Juanito Lagao, who was dismayed by local police’s poor handling of his missing son’s  case.

There are persistent reports that Juanito’s son, Himmil, 28, has been liquidated by his own friends who were hooked on drugs.  Ani Lagao says he was virtually given a run-around when he went to police, adding “even the blotter containing my complaint was lost.”     

Let’s hope Borro will be different and views Ani’s complaint with grave concern. It’s more than meets the eyes.

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Our kin Jun Fuertes is dead.  The husband of Yoly of the PDI was an inveterate artist. His world often debates with reality.  We pray that he’d be in God’s kingdom for a well-deserved eternal rest. 

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/think-about-it/)

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