Think about it
Spines-Victor face-off at Engkwentro?
By Jun Velasco
AT the press club’s recent “engkwentro,” Congressman Victor Agbayani showed that he was “game” in spite of leading questions detailing alleged failures of his administration at the Capitol.
Some of the “brutal” questions shot by Roland Hidalgo failed to upset him but instead gave him the best chance to lift the cobwebs from the minds of those who had made negative conclusions. Unlike Congressman Joe de V whom he considers “like my father,” Victor believes the May 2010 elections would be held as mandated. But he kept the media still guessing on what position he was eyeing – congress or the Capitol.
To questions involving Governor Spines’ much applauded renovation of the Capitol, he called attention to the need to restore or preserve the architecture of governmental institutions such as a provincial capitol. When he was governor, he said, he was careful not to redo the design of a historic building.
He was sad, he said, that his focus on countryside development over aesthetic touches on the Capitol and other buil-dings nearby failed to attract mileage.
On the recently uncovered “truckloads” of medicines at the provincial engineer’s office, he said they could not have been purchased by the provincial government and demanded another look on the ugly find because of conflicting reports that the medicines in one report could fill one truck and in another report, two trucks.
On Con-Ass (he is a member of the House committee on constitutional reforms), he tripped just like everybody else especially when someone put him on collision course with JdV, who finds the new Con Ass as GMA’s only vehicle to rule beyond 2010. Victor said: “Manong Joe and I have agreed to disagree” on the new Con Ass.
He won the club’s approbation when he turned to PhilHealth Regional Director Leo Douglas Cardona, who was present, to underwrite the members’ insurance coverage.
But Governor Espino regained the upper hand when Cardona reported that the province under him registered the highest number nationwide of PhilHealth members.
Engkwentro’s other guest, District Engineer Rudy Dion, made Pangsinenses proud when he doused the unflattering corrupt label against the DPWH because he said, “under Sec, Jun Ebdane, our department strictly plays by the rules.”
The DPWH’s completion of the Arellano renovation ahead of time is a tribute to his hands-on leadership, and, providentially, a birthday gift to Mayor Al Fernandez today, June l4.
Before the Engkwentro ended, Congressman Agbayani disarmed the newsmen when he hinted to return to the forum, hopefully with Governor Spines, “provided you put a safe wall between us.” But he hastened, “no, no need, we are cordial to each other.”
PP Ruel Camba, who describes the last engkwentro as “a big success for my boss” has started to egg on Allan Sison, club president, to start working on a Spines-Victor face-off next month.
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POLITICAL TIDBITS: Reports that Health Sec. Pingkoy Duque of Lingayen and Aguilar has shifted his eyes on Congress rather than the senate should confirm suspicions that Victor Agbayani has his eyes on the governorship. Ask the 2nd district folk. . . In spite of his fears that the scheduled May 2010 elections might not come to pass, former Speaker Joe de Venecia during the birthday bash of Kapitan Angel Gumarang and the induction of the IBP-Pangasinan officers sort of spilled the beans that it’s his wife Gina who will run for congress, while Joey for the senate.
It will be Gina versus LTO czar Art Lomibao in the 4th district, although a lot of people think Benjie Lim is finding it hard to shut off the congressional challenge.
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The maiden issue of The Gulf Times, an environment-education community newspaper, is expected to hit the stands this week, according to Ramon Santillan and Youssef’s elder, Jason, who has decided to turn his back on a government job, the country’s best school for aeronautics, in favor of community journalism.
TGT will try to match the norm set by this paper, which shies away from the “press release” syndrome.
Its banner story is about a big fishing and cannery project launched by Ranjit Shahani’s technical adviser Wilson de Vera “that will surely give Governor Espino a reason to smile,” the emerging son of Calasiao reported.
Its other interesting story, “Ferdie Calimlim dethrones Alfie Bince and Ranjit Shahani in the latest media poll for vice governor.”
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