AN EXCLUSIVE LP AFFAIR — Here’s one interesting eyewitnesses’ account (a media practitioner of a national television network and another from a government agency) about Monday’s visit of President Aquino III in Dagupan City.

Many wondered why Gov. Amado Espino III was not among the VIPs seated on stage with His Excellency during the program at the CSI Stadia attended by thousands of Pangasinenses, mostly from the 4^th district of Pangasinan.

One newsman said, “Sharing the limelight with the President on stage are some known LP bigwigs in Pangasinan. But why was the governor seated below the stage?”

Another commented, “Isn’t his camp barking and insisting that the governor is helping the LP? But why, indeed, was he not on stage?’

“Joke lang yung sinasabi sila,” a photographer commented.

The exchanges and speculations were aplenty. Someone said the governor was in a pensive mood throughout the program. Then surprise! As discussions went on, someone suddenly provided the answer to these questions after three days.

The source said they, who were positioned atop a mounted stage for cameramen at the center of the venue, saw what happened.

Here’s the information: Rep. Manay Gina de Venecia was delivering her speech when a man in khaki clothes, obviously among the Presidential Security Guards or the Presidential Management Staff, approached Bataoil who was seated beside Mr. Governor.

Bataoil, a Liberal Party member, naturally stood up and it was only PolBat who was later seen on stage. Naiwan si Gov.

The source said this scene drew varied reactions from those positioned on the mounted stage at the center of the venue.

Dagupan Mayor Belen Fernandez, Manay Gina de Venecia, former Mayor Al Fernandez, DILG Sec. Mel Sarmiento, DTI Usec Maglaya and Pol Bat shared the stage with the President

But the governor? He remained down there, in pensive mood.

This scene is puzzling. The President, in fairness, acknowledged the governor in his speech. That’s courtesy for the governor.

In sum, observers easily concluded, “Akala ko ba ok na sila ni PNoy! Anyare?”.—Tita Roces

 

HOG RAISERS NOT SOLID? Will the five-day pork holiday being hatched up by hog raisers work? Methinks it is doubtful if it is used to blackmail to force the President to sign a bill (approved by both chambers of Congress) into law without the benefit of a meticulous study if not discernment.

There is no debate that the reported smuggling of meat, although being vehemently denied by the Bureau of Customs outright that it exists, is hurting the hog industry. Many hog farms, including those in the backyard tended by housewives, have already closed shops in view of the proliferation of cheaper refrigerated meat from abroad.

But to force the President to immediately sign the bill into law and using people power against him, would be like dangling the sword of Damocles above his head, will be dismissed as a cheap political gimmick to embarrass him at this time when the election is now just few days away.

There is a debate that we would like to hear that has not happened–between Samahan ng Industriya at Agrikultura (SINAG) chair Rosendo So and Arsenio Merrera, a retired Bureau of Customs official who rose from the rank, of Binmaley town. Merrera continues to maintain that there is no such thing as smuggling in the truest sense of the word and has challenged So to face him and to prove it.

Then there is Fifth District Board Member Danny Uy, a commercial hog raiser himself, who said “Kalokohan yan” when asked what he thinks about the planned pork holiday of his fellow hog raisers. It appears the industry is not solid about the announced mass action. – Leonardo Micua

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

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