Jueteng‘s new face?

By Ermin F. Garcia Jr.

I hope that by the time this issue hits the streets, San Fabian Barangay Chairman Roland Villegas shall have returned to his family, safe and well.

At presstime, nothing is certain about Villegas’ whereabouts. What is certain is another family, not just the father, has been taken hostage. What is certain is our police force in the province continues to be inadequate in preempting the commission of heinous crimes, worse unable to solve them and bring criminals to justice.

While there is talk of a business deal gone awry as the obvious motive, still there is the possibility that it may have been just a kidnapping for old kidnapping’s sake, meaning just about “business”, nothing personal.

But what is talked about in whispers among local mediamen who have been part of the media payola is the possibility that it is probably the start of a feared jueteng turf war. (It is a well-known secret in San Fabian town that Villegas has been a major player in the town’s jueteng operations).

There lies a possible motive.

If this were true, then I would not be surprised if the shock waves have already began to hit home. For starters, distrust among small and bigtime players involved in jueteng would likely now be at its highest level.       

Indeed, if the business of jueteng is finally determined to be the motive, then the landscape for the corrupt police generals and chiefs of police, the governors, mayors, congressmen and media practitioners who happily dip their fingers in jueteng, shall have changed.

Jueteng would no longer be simply a moral or a legal issue that many can choose to ignore, but can now be hazardous to their health.

As in all matters of dirty money and greed, they know too well that life is worthless and dispensable.

***

HEARTBROKEN JOE DE V.  If there’s anyone who still doubts the break-up of our Joe de V with President Arroyo, then I suggest he should try joining any of the presidential visits to the province.

Where as he used to be the usual gracious host to the President, our Joe de V will not be seen today within 50 kilometers where Mrs. Arroyo would be. Ably filling in that role now is Gov. Spine, the first governor who won under the aegis of Mrs. Arroyo’s KAMPI.

And from where we sit, Mrs. Arroyo, who has made it a point to be here more often  the  past weeks, appears to be sending the message that our Joe de V is hardly missed.

Truly cruel. But that’s Pinoy politics. One is only as good as his usefulness at the time. 

***

While Mrs. Arroyo has everything all down pat to how she intends to survive the political storms that rages today in the direction of Malacañang, she cannot  be sure if she will survive it.

On the other hand, our Joe de V still appears to be tossing out in the sea of political uncertainty and does not appear to be committed to anything that could set a new legacy for himself. The way his ouster from the presidency of Lakas was played out, his last stand was deemed non-event and inconsequential. Many felt he had the opportunity to regain his composure and political status as a respectable bigwig. He could have resigned instead of being ousted unceremoniously.

But he lost it.

When he threatened to fight off the ouster move, many wondered what good it would do him. And when he finally walked away without a fight, this left many to believe that our Joe de V’s heart was still pining for a return to the good old days but alas he knows he’s beaten and out in the cold.

His was the chance to make his imprint for a moral revolution if he had resigned before talks of his ouster made the rounds. He could have seized the initiative in establishing himself as the new, no-nonsense watchdog of his erstwhile allies when most everyone knew he was going to be ousted whether he fought it or backed off. Alas, he didn’t.            

I pray our Joe de V will soon walk in the light without hesitation.

(Readers may reach columnist at punch.sunday@gmail.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/punchline/
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