Playing with Fire
Belen has ‘balls,’ Benjie ‘fool’s pride’
By Gonzalo Duque
WE had an interesting exchange with Mayor Benjie Lim and Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez over the weekend.
Separately, of course. You might be imagining that Ashok Vasandani’s unity project is already working. Not yet.
Ashok, by the way, is now being dubbed as Al-shok and VasandaLim ha ha.
As objectively and impartially as we can, this is what we got in our latest encounters with the duo.
First, we invited them to the Pangasinan Press Club weekly forum.
Benjie: Game ako!
Belen: Ok lang if we face the media together. Marami yata akong isyu sa kanya.”
Later, Benjie did an about-turn.
He said thru text, “Si Belen and Brian na lang ha?
Hello, Benjie?
It appears that it’s Belen who has the balls huh?
When we asked broadcaster Orly Navarro, Benjie’s favorite commentator, why Benjie acted that way, Orly said “Maybe Benjie doesn’t want to stoop to her level.” Ha?
Ano bang stoop, stoop? They are both public officials with the same rights to speak their minds on public issues. Why should Benjie play pride chicken? That, dear readers, is plain and simple “fool’s pride” (or false pride, take your pick).
Belen’s Round, abet yoy ampeta petang a tipak.
Sika cumpadre Benjie, bawas bawasan mo tay fool’s pride mo ompiano onataguey ni inkasikat mo! Hmmm, anto la yan bilay! He even off guardedly confessed to us that he has a Hate List… topped by Ermin Garcia and Belen Fernandez.
We were looking for our name and those of Macky Samson, Joe and Gina de Venecia and Al Fernandez. Angapo.
You see, both Ashok and us were doing our bit to promote reconciliation among the warring politicians in our midst, particularly Benjie and Belen, para onasenson maong so baley.
And, for our part we suggested the pesky garbage problem as a logical avenue for their joint efforts. Earlier, Ashok reported that he made a modest gain when Benjie and his former mayoral foe, former Mayor Al Fernandez, were lately seen together in more than one occasion, enjoying themselves.
But this latest report about Benjie and Belen is a new stumbling block to the reconciliation and unity efforts. Lingwanan laya amo ha, Jun V?
* * * *
We had a great time with former Speaker Joe de Venecia and his beauteous wife, Rep. Gina de Venecia at the groundbreaking for dorm facilities of the regional drug rehab center in Bonuan Binloc.
In his speech, Speaker Joe recalled that it was this columnist – yours truly, ahem… ahem… who started the idea of a regional rehab center – but in the town of Burgos. The Burgos project had to be shelved, died a natural death, due to funding problem. Maong ta wala yay Kuya Joe ya may focus, kaya nagkaroon tayo ng drug rehab center.
In his speech, JdV thanked President Pincoy for approving the drug rehab center budget.
We learned that Chairman Bebot Villar committed Pl0 million for the dormitories. Salamat lamet na balbaleg, Manong Bebot.
In the same occasion, Nelson Sotto re-assured us that Rep. Gina has prioritized the solution of flooding problem in Barangay Tapuac and the construction of a police community precinct in the same barangay. Kapitan Jake Reyes is lucky for having us following up these projects.
Maong ya talaga yay Gina awa? Dakdakkel lay agawaan to, mga agagui! Agkayo alingon nanbotos ed sicato. Mabuhay si Gina! Mabuhay si Kuya Joe!
* * * *
We expect an all-night stand at the Pangasinan Press Club’s Christmas Party on December l6 at the city plaza. We’ll have stellar guests, of course, but the main thrust is fellowship and camaraderie.
During the affair, we’ll be inducting the charter officers of the Pangasinan Junior Press Club. Rizal said “the youth are the hope of the fatherland.”
Incidentally, we proudly announce that our publisher Ermin, he who has made us household names in Fil-Am communities abroad, has already paid his PPC membership fee.
Philippine press stalwarts taga Lasip, Dagupan Hermie Rivera and our columnist Mangatarem pride Al Mendoza have also formalized their membership in the club.
We thank our main sponsors – the provincial government and the Dagupan City government.
See you there.
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