Sen. De Lima’s dilemma

By Gonzalo Duque

 

SAYANG NAMAN, Kuya Bing.

            Mayor Bing Arcinue of the idyllic town of Sual was so near the Gold Mine, but by what dint of luck, he did not bring up a juicy matter to President Digong when he was in  that town the other week.

We’re referring to the government’s   non-release of some P400M-plus in taxes that should have gone to the town for the use of a huge facility — the Power Plant.  The spoiler was Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa’s signature.

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             Flash! As we go to press, a sports headliner reached this corner. Our Dukes Team emerged champion in Dagupan City’s basketball championship beating  the St. Albert the Great School by 19 points!

         The games under the auspices of the city government headed by Mayor Belen Fernandez and the city schools division were meant to boost sports and youth development hereabouts.

          Being the Dukes’ organizer, we felt jubilant and couldn’t help crowing.

         But we credit the deserving: the players — Francis Bong Fernandez, Vincent Russel Manaois, Michael Angelo Salomon, John Enoch Valdez, Jayson Rosario, Herald Barbiran, Jonas Kier Razon, Alfredo Camara, Marco Soriano, Kyle Meneses, Edgy Tamayo, Aldrich Ampuan, Crenz Aquino, Homer Bautista and Ferdinad Celino.

         Coaching staff: RodJerick Tabucao, Jimmy Mendoza Obinna and beloved son, Christian lay leader Nestor “Nanoy” Duque of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, whose living motto is “In Jesus’ name, we coach and pray.”

        To God Be the Glory!

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         Back to Mayor Arcinue.

No less than former Councilor Robert Matias noticed this missed opportunity. Had Kuya Bing made “bulong” to us, we should have reached the ear of President Digong about it.

Nahihiya ba? Don’t think so, matikas na lider yan si Kuya Bing. Under his mayorship, and his son Jon, the idyllic town has risen several notches higher in socio-economic development.

Our province needs all the breaks in economic development. We understand another power plant is in the works between the Sual government and Phinma Group of companies.

Wow! Another one in the same town. Bingo talaga!

            Wait lang kayo ha? Baka matunugan ito nila Virgie Pasalo at Nick Melecio, mga environmentalists, who may be raring to investigate this partnership.

No, we are not against the project, but we should see to it that our province gets the best from it.

In this connection, we are happy to know that the nimbus clouds that used to hang over the heads of President Digong and former President Ramos has disappeared. Dapat lang ano? It’s for the good of the country at all times that personal differences be tabled or submerged.

Ayos, Pinas!

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            With Senator Leila De Lima’s admission of her love affair with former driver-lover, Ronnie Dayan, is there anything new?

            Alam naman natin lahat yan e.

            Kaya lang, parang taliwas sa stature ni Senadora na bar topnotcher pa naman (No.5). But we do not forget the saying, “love is blind.” Sana hindi siya masyadong nilunod nito. Leila is my co-alumnus at San Beda Law.

            Noong huling nagpunta tayo sa San Beda we saw Leila’s picture on the campus with the name Leila De Lima Bohol. Her husband is a lawyer, too, surnamed Bohol.

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            We heard from insurance executive Manny Santos that during his term as chairman and with Jun Velasco as president of the Tondaligan Blue Beach Subdivision Homeowners Association, a lot of projects in the village were done such as the putting up of a basketball court, holding regular sporting games, putting up of a “bahay kubo” office, regular detail of security guards, putting up of perimeter fence, cutting down of cogon grasses and round-the-clock security. In the association’s last meeting, someone called attention to a supposed solicitation by the association officers of P300 thousand from the CDF of Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr.  The supposed donation was never released.

Thru Manny’s and Jun V’s request, we want to help correct this unfair yarn. The Speaker’s office’s explanation expressed thru Rudy Ramos, former top honcho of the Dagupan Water District, donations could not be granted if the recipient is a private entity.

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NOTES:  We received this text message from Dagupena Miles Hombrebueno, classmate of Kuya Cesar Duque at the West Central Elementary School: “Hi Gonz, I was in Malacanang recently and saw your daughter Pebbles who is in charge of President Duterte’s Social Media, and Jun and Cathy Velasco’s son, Youssef who is in President Duterte’s Appointments Office. I also saw Ms. Mocha Uson, new columnist of Philippine Star. Hindi ba these 3 were regular Lyceum Northwestern campus playmates 25 years ago? Congrats and God bless!”

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