Think about it
Press people find Jess Dureza ‘game’
By Jun Velasco
HEALTH Sec. Pincoy Duque showed last Friday his high credentials as a future senator of the islands during his memorable date with Rotarians.
He reminded most everyone about the late Paco Duque, his namesake, who moved about with the social elite and captains of civic clubs and the professions with much ease.
Pinkoy, who was elated by the Rotary District led by Gov. Jess Nicdao and RCDE prexy Boy Rayos and the Inner Wheel led by his “room mate” the former Nenita Tiong for committing full support to the DOH’s anti-dengue drive felt the affair as a homecoming, having been the club’s past president.
“Why did you not introduce him as a future senator?” his introducer Macky Samson was asked after he did a great intro. M S snapped, “mahal na yon.”
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We had a brief but lifetime of a chat with Press Secretary Jess Dureza at the Manila Bay Breakfast Club meeting last Friday.
A colleague at the Bulletin, Jess was a hardboiled journalist with long stints at the Manila Times and earlier in the Mindanao hinterlands where he edited a weekly that later became a thrice a week paper and much later, a daily.
Those who heard him have changed their minds about his fitness to do the job of a press secretary, left by his predecessor, now Monetary Board Director Toting Bunye.
Although bred in the hills of Mindanao, Jess finds his job articulating what’s in PGMA’s mind a natural. He has worked in government as chief of the Philippine peace panel and a little earlier, assistant press secretary under the Ramos administration.
He not only does his communications job with aplomb — as a writer and as a speaker. Many thought that our friend Toting was the perfect man for the job especially with a “client” like our media-embattled pangulo, until they met in person the new press secretary. The fact that they are debating on who is better between the two gives Jess an edge considering Toting’s high reputation.
Both are lawyers (Jess landed in the Top Ten), had active stints in government and journalism and believe that the client they are serving has much more positive qualities than negative. Both are excellent public speakers and former elective officials having served in congress. Many doubt, however, if Jess will serve beyond 20l0, PGMA’s last term.
Jess’ edge over Toting is his long and direct exposure to social issues because the new press czar had his baptism of media fire in the rural if not war-torn villages of Mindanao. This is why, we told our audience Friday, Jess finds his assignment in the government as articulator and defender of our spitfire pangulo easy.
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The idea behind the Julian Resuello memorabilia is commendable.
We should salute Ms. Delia Diaz, Mabalbalino school principal, for hatching the idea. Watching it, we were sandwiched by two Marilous who felt that Ms. Diaz should have been helped in a historic undertaking.
Later, Mayor Ayoy admitted that Delia’s kicker of an idea should be able to cough up a major work about a man whose greatness Carlenians have only started to feel. The mayor, who has metamorphosed into a good speaker, just like his younger brother, Vice Mayor Joceres, has invited the public – the legions of friends of the late mayor — to send whatever souvenir items, whether published articles, photographs, gifts from him — to a foundation his office has just organized to preserve his memory and document the many indelible feats he has left behind.
(Readers may reach columnist at junmv@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/think-about-it/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)
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