Punchline
Mayor Orduña’s Catch 22
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
LOOKS like Sec. Bebot Villar really had his ears glued to the ground all this time even as he plans daily to combat illegal drugs in his office in Quezon City. His “Political war is here” column this week was right on target, so were his reports on the involvement of mayors in the jai-teng numbers game.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer’s headline last Friday, “Pangasinan governor tied to jueteng” has a political ring to it no matter how one views it. And the “take-no-prisoner “mindset of the Braganza camp is becoming very evident.
That jai-teng is operating in Pangasinan is no news around here. That there is alleged conspiracy involving mayors and police chiefs is public knowledge. They issued the business permits knowing that the operation of jai-alai betting stations have no legal basis to operate in the province.
I had hoped to read something earthshaking in the PDI story that nobody in Pangasinan, including The PUNCH, has had no access to but I found nothing. It had no names of mayors and police chiefs who were on the take except the names of rumored jueteng operators already reported in the past
If Bugallon Mayor Rod Orduña was, indeed, the “trouble-shooter” and is now coming forward with his expose ostensibly prompted by his noble desire to stop jueteng in the province, then he must come forward with a lot more! He should not stop with naming Guv Spines, who was already tagged by Archbishop Oscar Cruz some eight years ago. He should name the mayors, the police chiefs, etc. who were and still are on the payola list! If he doesn’t or won’t, then one can only conclude that the PDI story and the plunder case were pure and simple demolition job crafted by Guv Spines enemies. (Speaking of the plunder case, since when was jueteng payola considered public funds? Am I missing something here?).
Here’s the irony of it all. Mr. Orduña, an ally of Gov-wannabe Nani Braganza unwittingly opened a Pandora’s box that can no longer be closed. As the self-proclaimed province’s new knight in shining armor in PNoy’s mold, he must name all the mayors and other officials in the LP slate as well who were and are still involved in jai-teng. He should make them face criminal complaints as well.
From where I sit, the naming of other political and police personalities in the payola will be his biggest legacy, not his naming Guv Spines being involved in jueteng.
So bring it on, Mr. Whistleblower. Name the mayors from both the Espino and Braganza camps involved in illegal gambling! Don’t cover up for anyone
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BLUE MONDAY. Too bad December 17 will be a Blue Monday for Dagupan Mayor Benjie Lim and his Judas 9!
The champagne bottles were ready to be passed around but the court’s temporary restraining order for the scheduled bidding of MC Adore properties spoiled it all for them. Tsk-tsk. After all, their hideous plot to stage a seamless daylight robbery on the city was supposed to take place in full view of everyone, and nobody could do anything to stop it. Or so they thought.
Had the court not intervened, the MC Adore property is supposed to be had for a song by “someone” chosen by Mr. Lim, the group that will be made to win the bid. (Why do people believe that Mr. Lim is actually the “group”?).
For the Judas 9, Monday would have been a perfect day for a drive to the bank. They had expected to be paid their P1.5-M worth of pieces of silver in full but now they must suffer another long wait, perhaps till after 2013 elections. Tsk-tsk. No fund for their reelection campaign. (Their sigurista patron simply refuses to pay the outstanding balance until the MC Adore is delivered colorfully gift-wrapped as promised).
But the relatives of Chito Samson, Jess Canto, Dada Manaois-Reyna, Karlos Reyna and Alvin Coquia can count their lucky stars that they don’t have to hang their heads in shame until further notice.
For Mr. Lim’s son, Brian, and his cohorts Red Erfe-Mejia, Chester Gonzales and Emong Vallejos, the suspension of the bidding will not affect them much. After, all there is the revenue from the city fiesta that they can look forward to, a kitty shared exclusively by BSL loyalists every year. (But here’s a fair warning to my relative Red, this year’s fiesta hermano mayor: Watch out if you don’t account for the fiesta funds, someone might just file a case against you before the ombudsman for failing to account for all the monies received and spent).
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IT CAN HAPPEN HERE. The devastation in Davao Oriental is perhaps the worst calamity that ever happened in this generation. It can’t even come close to the destruction caused by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Dagupan, Cabanatuan and Baguio in 1990 combined.
There is no reason for the same to happen here, not after the many deadly lessons learned from it and from past calamitous events. The most important lesson I can surmise from all these is to stop feeling detached and stop believing that it can’t happen to us – because it can and it will! It was this same mindset to led to the unprecedented losses of lives and properties in a sleepy province like Davao Oriental.
So stop kidding ourselves that it cannot happen here. It is time for us to seriously start fending for ourselves instead of merely feeling sorry for the victims in the past
We must demand of our local government leaders and agencies to strictly enforce ordinances and the laws that are meant to protect us.
Subsequent budgets of local government units should begin to include allocations for building dikes to divert floodwaters, clearing sewage pipes, dredging silted rivers, replanting trees and mangroves, relocation of families to safer areas as can be gleaned for geohazard maps now available.
LGUs should allocate for intensive training of more rescue teams in all barangays and acquisition of rescue equipment, planning of contingencies, etc.
It’s time we not only begin arresting and jailing illegal loggers including their protectors from the ranks of DENR and PNP but sack and file administrative cases against the provincial or municipal/city environmental officers where illegal logging was tolerated.
Above all, don’t vote for candidates in 2013 who have track records of misusing and stealing public funds that otherwise could have been used to safeguard and protect lives in the communities. If we keep them in office, expect 100% overpricing of items in all the above-listed “must do” activities.
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RED ALERT. Beware of the man. Gonz Duque is not only a columnist but already an accredited broadcaster as well! He will be to hazardous to a corrupt public official’s health.
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