Playing with Fire
Remembering the late Paco
By Gonzalo Duque
SAN FRANCISCO, California—We missed a lengthy meeting with our Dagupeno politician in Milpitas City, Mayor Joe “Bogs” Esteves.
It’s election season in the U.S., and Bogs is busy as a bee running for mayor.
What Fil-Ams and the Americans are following here is President Barack Obama’s handling of the Syria crisis.
Methinks, Obama should stick to making speeches. Diyan sya maarte, artiticulate-ness, super magaling!
But Russia’s President Putin is deep, aralem, parang deep penetration agent, may bayag!
Let’s wish our “maarte” ally-president Obama the best of luck though.
Sometimes, we cannot choose our allies!
* * * *
September 24 is our LNU founders day, we will honor our founders—the late erpat Paco Duque and ermat, Florencia Tiongson Duque.
We are lucky because our venerable Archbishop Socrates Villegas, CBCP president, has accepted our invitation to be our guest of honor and speaker.
Our founders’ day will be highlighted by presentation of Awards and Recognitions to scholars and outstanding students.
Bishop Soc Villegas’ coming is significant in that he is expected to impart his thoughts on Good Governance. He is an inspiration to the young.
We sincerely hope his audience will help spread his message of instilling correct public service to the community. Why “correct public service?” Mayroon bang “wrong public service?”
Mayroon. It’s everywhere especially in the senate and the House of Representa-thieves (pardon the pun!).
At this point, we remember our late erpat, former Gov. and Health Secretary Paco. He was known to be allergic to graft and corruption.
When he was a student at UST, he was magna cum laude at his Associate in Arts and Cum Laude in Medicine. He was 9th placer in the Medical Board. Matinik yay tatay mi, gwapo la lanti (just like us he he!), marunong ni. He, too, was a Golden Heart Award recipient from President Magsaysay for pioneering in the country’s First Indigency Program.
* * * *
Though we were still in short pants when he was Pangasinan governor, we saw him absolutely despising dubious and devious issues. At the time—unlike today—politicians were decent, bihira ang corrupt. Politicians became poor, unlike today. It’s fun to recall erpat’s deeds in light of the Napoles-inspired wanton corruption cases bruising the nation, oh, yes, nationally and locally.
Nitan lay barangay polls la lamet.
By now, you must have known well the characteristics of your candidates for Kapitan and SK Chairman! Ha, postponed ang SK elections! We hope our people will observe carefully the barangay elections because they will have an impact and effect on the young’s future. They should have a confrontational attitude to issues, on health, budgeting, disaster preparedness, waste disposal, etc…..
They should not forget Rizal’s exhortation on them as the Hope of the fatherland.
* * * *
Up to this time—four months after former Mayor Benjie Lim was a victim of a massive stroke—nothing is heard about him….except the ballooning fund scam he has left behind the city coffers.
No, please, hindi natin idinidiin ang taong may sakit. We are only following up the paper trail of the millions that disappeared under his watch. Kwartay karaklan naman, amigos and amigas!
We want Benjie to live, to be back in good, normal health, that’s for sure, but the people’s money should be properly accounted for. Di po ba?
Agto kwarta tay nababalang; e.g., the P105-milyones earmarked for NGOs etc….anggapoy mangamin ya akarisibi ira!!!
We shall talk about this when we get back there next week.
What’s this we hear from Apring Dawana that only 40 percent of Dagupan’s fishpens most of which are illegal were dismantled by the city’s task force? Hmmm, nag warning na tayo tungkol sa matitila: they are thieves! Ag kumon tua ya!
See you soon and let’s revive the fireworks!
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