Think about it
Colonel Barba upstaged the press boys
By Jun Velasco
OUR new police Director Colonel Perceival Barba showed the local press boys led by Pangasinan Press and Radio Club prexy Jess Perez that he was “game.”
He “invaded” a PPRC meeting right in Jess’ newly constructed eatery and offered himself as willing “pulutan” of the boys who, having had one too many in a sing-a-long, poured out their bottled-up peeve over the other ladies-dominated PNP-press corps that has allegedly ingratiated itself “into the chests” of some police officers.
The amiable police officer, accompanied by community relations chief Policarpio Cayabyab and operations chief Wilson Lopez, carried himself with deportment and gamely parrying the newsmen’s candid questions with witty repartees in a free wheeling forum that besieged him for more than an hour.
What jutted out like a sore thumb in the get-to-know you’ affaire touched on the allegedly opulent lifestyles — like owning and driving brand new cars — of a few newshens and one or two barakos beyond their known source or sources of income. Everything is known in Peyton Place Pangasinan, you know, yes, including the color of your brief and panty.
Barba, who is related to the Marcoses in Ilocos Norte, endorsed Guv’nor Spines’ shotgun program “because the shotguns are to be used in enforcing the law and fighting the criminals.” A former subordinate of then Captain Amado Espino in the defunct Philippine Constabulary in Angeles City in the 80’s, Barba described Spines a disciplinarian of the first order.
We asked him: Is Pangasinan prepared for possible repercussions of the global economic meltdown that already had affected the US, the most powerful nation in the world? Poverty, you know, is a major cause of crimes, and the turmoil in Wall Street has already sent shock waves all over the world including the Philippines.
As this developed, our balikbayan friend, educator par excellence, Teri Hernaez, told us 90 percent of those she rode with aboard Northwest Airlines last week were a portrait of despair. This was confirmed by former Gov. Tito Primicias who also just planed in from Toronto.
Barba said: “There are no visible signs in the local scene yet of the global meltdown, but we are prepared to deal with it.”
We had wanted to ask him more questions, but the other guys were jockeying for space, and it was almost ll when Colonel Barba, along with Dagupan chief Sonny Versoza, received General Luizo Ticman, regional director, in a briefing for the Friday visit of Dasol native PNP Chief and Director General Jesus Versoza, who is now at the helm of the Philippine National Police.
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Barangay officials and LGUs should attend a regional Human Rights seminar slated at the Narciso Ramos sports center on November l5.
Our colleague Ani Lagao, a consultant at the National Security Council and a personal friend (or Ateneo classmate?) of Archie Intengan, also of the NSC, has invited unimpeachable authorities on Human Rights from Manila to act as resource speakers in the seminar.
Ani has tapped Medialink, now an institution in events management in Northern Luzon, to manage the seminar.
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We understand the ground-breaking for a new Dagupan police headquarters slated last Friday was graced by PNP chief Verzosa and Congressman Joe de Venecia, who had appropriated funds for its construction from his CDF. The city of Mayor Al Fernandez has been “pampered” by the congressman with several infrastructure projects, a phenomenon many Dagupenos are missing now after his break-up with President Arroyo.
Motorists who enjoy using the new the diversion or alternate Dawel-Lucao road and the Japan-funded landmark bridge – Dagupan’s Golden Gate — unabashedly call it “Joe de Venecia’s Legacy.”
That’s politics, you know.
(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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