Senatoriables Pingkoy and Joey 3

By Jun Velasco

WHILE the world outlook is dimmed by the collapse of the US economy, there is hardly any come-from-behind effort by our national leaders to cushion the coming hardship.

Worse, we tend to be like the ostrich that buries its head in the sand and allow things to just pass by and leave everything to chance. This behavior must be due to fatigue. We have been struggling and fighting for years. And there seems to be no ray of hope in our lives.

You say, this is not the time for worrying now that the bells have just tolled out the old and rung in the new. But, there is the big but a big storm is about to hit town, and we need to plan how to deal with its“Cosmic” blows.

Let us first mind our shores. Obama will easily take care of the US meltdown. There is widespread belief in his ability to turn things around. He enjoys popular mandate. He was voted Person of the Year by the prestigious Time magazine. And there is euphoria in his election. Here, our President is under siege. (We were wont to affix the adjective “dainty” to President). She has loomed large and foreboding with a steely hand guiding how the constitution should be changed without declaring martial law.

God forbid.

Over a cup of coffee in Manila, we were flatly told about a looming military take-over that would install Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile as an interim replacement of Gloria Arroyo. This seemingly incredible talk must be due (again) to fatigue and despair. Those opposed to the administration under Gloria have been inventing a lot of stories to keep their sanity.

With the advent of the New Year, we thought our officials would finally agree among themselves to just settle the power game in the 20l0 elections. The problem is distrust has gripped everybody’s hearts, and the alternative could only be worked out by means of force (military takeover) or democratic means, which is more acceptable but a long shot. This dilemma is bruising everyone’s patience, and let’s pray it won’t be further aggravated by the amateurish charter change talk, which is a cheap shot in power grab.

* * *

Our friend Don Pedro” Bal” Balingit missed inclusion in the Century Club of Justices Emilio Gancayco and Rodolfo Palatao when he died at 99 and five months last week. We told Justice Palatao a year ago that we had a candidate in Mr. Balingit, and he asked us to submit Mr. Balingit’s resume and other pertinent papers. The prize was to be Pl million cash.

In two of our more recent visits, we told Manong Bal to keep healthy so we could get the Century Club prize. But he just waved his hand and gave out a loud guffaw. We laughed a lot over his stories about Cong Dadong, who was like his brother, and Eva Macapagal.

One day, he say, the President asked Bal to advise Eva to come down so they could leave for the party, but the First Lady, snapped “tell him to come here.”

For several years when he was president of the local drug stores association, we were his public relations officer.

In his 96th birthday, brod Butch produced a video of his life which drew applause from the guests. He was, according to Gons Duque, “probably” the last of the original civic and business leaders of Dagupan to give up the light. The list included Sammy Samson, Ermin Garcia Sr., Pilo Goyena, Eutiquiano Nava, Victoriano Daroya, Dading Tan, Paco Duque, and others.

He was a model Rotarian and a very good man every Dagupeno should be proud of. Have a good time in God’s Country, Kuya Bal.

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Dagupan’s two “senatoriables” Health Sec. Pingkoy Duque and businessman Joey de Venecia of NBN-ZTE fame are scoring highly in the SWS’ public acceptability ratings.

Pingkoy was Number l among all Cabinet secretaries and his department, DoH, is also Number l among the government agencies in last quarter’s evaluation by SWS.

Joey, on the other hand, tied with Sen. Dick Gordon for the l4th slot in the senatoriables’ race. The two guys, just over their 40’s, are, however, in the opposite side of the political fence. Either one who gets to be senator is highly competent and makes Dagupenos proud. Let’s watch how their political futures unfold.

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Fr. Jerry Orbos, SVD, has agreed to officiate at the Tondaligan Blue Beach Homeowners Association Christmas Party, tomorrow, December 29 at 4 p.m.

We teased him about some groups eyeing him to run for governor, but before he could answer brod Oscar arrived and introduced a more crispy subject that transformed the meeting at Christ the King into a beery session with Rotarian Buddy Sison presiding.

He gifted us with books and DVD discs taken from his sermons and weekly column articles in the Inquirer. Fr. Jerry has the tongue of an angel, mellifluous words that could melt the heart of callous men. No wonder, even non Catholics love to listen to his homilies and speeches.

(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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