THE “EVAPORATING” BM — It’s not only in Congress where we don’t see congressmen in their seats.  In case they are present, they usually suddenly disappear after their attendance is checked.

In the provincial board, this member of that august body is doing a big disservice to his constituents. How? You might ask.

It’s like this. On many occasions in the past, this board member (by the way excuse me, this is not RRS), was either absent, or when present as a latecomer, he always was the first to “evaporate” through his “Abracadabra- Wala na” act.

The latest was last Monday.  The session of the provincial board started at around 10:00 a.m. Our honorable guy arrived at around 10:20 a.m.

By the time the clock struck 11 a.m., this public official was already nowhere in sight. Only his pile of documents were visible on his desk. To the gallery’s dismay, he did not do a “Mac Arthur.”  He did not return before the session ended at around 11:50 a.m.

So while his colleagues were cracking their brains during the deliberations doing what they were mandated to do, this official opted to be somewhere else and did something only he and his conscience know.

Kung sobra siyang busy sa ibang bagay, sana mas mabuting huwag na lang siyang magpakita sa sesyon. Konting respeto sa trabaho, mga katrabaho at sa mga tao lang, boss.

Dapat siguro masita siya ng mga magulang niya o sinumang nagmamalasakit sa kanya at ipakita sa madlang pipol hindi sila kunsintidor. Nakakahiya naman sa mga kababayan natin, di ba?

Can’t the provincial board do something about this? Imposibleng hindi nyo nakikita ang ganitong gawain ng miyembro ninyo.—Tita Roces

 

STANDING BY OUR STORY. Before deadline, we received a letter e-mailed by National Economic and Development Nestor G. Rillon clarifying some points in our story “No changes in TPLEX III’s original plan / COJUANGCO PROPOSAL JUNKED.” He claims that the last phrase  (we call kicker in journalism) ” author’s conclusion and personal view and it did not emanate from me.”

I have no quarrel with his impression about this but as a journalist, there is no other way to interpret his statement  – “TPLEX III will proceed using the old alignment.” It could have only meant that the new alignment that former Rep. Mark Cojuangco had vehemently proposed was not considered, therefore, junked.

We also had a previous story on this in the August 2-8, 2015 issue of the PUNCH titled  “Proposed TPLEx route realignment junked” The source of this story was Florelyn Fernandez, Engineer III of the Department of Public Works and Highways regional office whom we asked during an open forum in Bauang, La Union where Director Rillon was also present.   

In that story, we wrote” “According to Florelyn Fernandez, Engineer III of the DPWH regional office, the construction of the third phase of TPLEx is already ongoing finally closing the door on former Pangasinan Rep Mark Cojuangco’s proposal.” This was not corrected.

It is the alignment contained in the original plan after all that was being sought to be revised, isn’t it?

Thus, we are standing by our story in the September 6 to 12, 2015 issue and that we did not misinterpret nor tended to misinterpret what the good Director Rillon stated at the KBP Forum, in response to the query we posed to him.         

But to state now that the proposed realignment from Pozorrubio to Rosario, La Inion “is being evaluated by the Independent Consultant as shown in the DPWH website” is something else and a new information.  (Mr. Rillon’s email is published in our Punch Forum section).  – Leonardo Micua

(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)

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