Playing with Fire
No reconciliation without justice
By Gonzalo T. Duque
THIS columnist has been under severe attack by ailing Benjie Lim’s attack dogs because of our zealous support to Mayor Belen Fernandez.
They (we know them though hiding in a shroud of darkness) have been throwing all kinds of dirt, innuendoes, etcetera against our person . They said we have been paid something like P12-million by Belen!
Ok tayo diyan mga igan, mga abay! We love this kind of game, in case our tormentors think we’d be cowed. Like Senator Miriam, we love this clash-game, it makes our day.
We were asked to opine on the critics of Mayor Belen who are reportedly on reconciliation mode.
We said ok tayo dyan. But let us first talk about the terms. You see, even in the biblical reconciliation, we should have total sincerity.
In our worldly world, we’d suggest to Mayor Belen that a precondition should have to be made. That those seeking to reconcile should first abide by the rules of justice.
Ok ang reconciliation with justice!
What do we mean?
Let’s go over the hard issues muna, why we have a Mayor Belen Fernandez.
Hindi ba in pursuance of good governance?
Hindi ba binotohan natin siya because she has been espousing transparency, accountability and good governance?
Yes, sana iyong battlecry ni Pnoy na Daang matuwid ay masusunod dito sa Dagupan.
Otherwise, hindi pwede yong basta na lang” kiss and make-up” na hindi maitutuwid iyong multi-milyong pera na nilustay nila sa kaban ng bayan.
Even you, good people of Dagupan won’t like that, do you?
For ejemplo, how do we take the massive spending on useless projects, the cancelled tsunami hill, river cruise, the P16-million Awai robbery, the stinking P 105-million donations to NGO’s, etc.
Tama, how can we reconcile with grafters? Hindi makakatulog ang kunsensiya natin niyan? Besides, if what they mean is to forgive and forget, ano ba sila, sinuswerte?
Naman….naman….
We need to help Belen push her Good Governance advocacies at all costs. That’s why we should be very careful in dealing with crooks. Baka maisahan tayo? Reconciliation should be based on a program and dynamic to push progress, not otherwise.
* * * *
Mayor Belen’s more meaningful achievement was the total involvement of all sectors in fiscal management, including the barangays.
City treasurer Romelita Alcantara used to be glued to her seat in her airconed room barking orders to subordinates.
Now she has joined the mayora in asking people to pay their taxes.
Successful.
Example, Eagle Crest has pleaded to mayora to pay its taxes of P2 million in installment which was okd promptly.
We urge the Sanggunian to work out a condonation program “parang pabalato ni mayora.” Aratan! Ombalingit kayo ni.
We need to “humanize” the law, you know.
* * * *
On the barangay elections, we appealed to the candidates for chairman and kagawads to be serious in carrying out a development program for transparent and honest leadership.
Look at what happened to the SK?
It became a model of bad governance.
Pinalampasan da iray matatakken!
The youths are the Hope-lessness of the Land?
Kawawa naman si Dr. Rizal.
* * * *
NOTES: In Dagupan’s barangay polls, we hope to see these names in the winning column — Angel Gumarang, Ely Quinto, Julie Ann Fernandez.
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