Random Thoughts
The dreaded narco-list
By Leonardo Micua
FROM all indications, it looks like
the government is all set to make public the names of narco-politicians in its
secret list next week .
This despite calls from several quarters that it should exercise a minimum of
restraint and recognize the dictum in law that one is presumed innocent unless
proven guilty by the court. So it looks like that at this stage, only a court’s
temporary restraining order can stop the DILG from disclosing names of the 82
persons working in government in that list.
If you recall, President Rodrigo Duterte already made the list public
twice in the past: the first in Davao City when he was yet barely a month in
office and another in a speech before soldiers in his visit to the Army camp in
Gamu, Isabela.
So, what else could be new, except the same narco-politicians already bared in
the first and second disclosures.
According to reports, of the 82 narco-politicians in that list, 64 are running
for reelection and the rest opted not to run anymore. Those in the list, the report
said, included governors, vice governors, mayors, vice mayors and
congressmen.
Perhaps, we will see if the name of Cong. Jesus Celeste was already excluded as
sought earlier in a resolution of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC)
sent to the National Peace an d Order Council (NPOC), headed by President
Duterte.
Note that also recommended to be excluded are of two La Union mayors–Reynaldo Flores of Naguilian and Eulogio Clarence Martin III of Bauang.
Recall that PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino clarified in a radio interview and in a video clip posted on social media that the only institutions that can recommend to the
President the removal of an individual’s name from the narco list are the PDEA, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army.
But we are still hoping that Congressman Boying’s name will be finally deleted from the list since it does not speak well of the province that we have one narco-politician in our province. Besides, the accusation leveled against him remains to be proven in court.
In this election, Boying opted not to seek reelection but his brothers and other relatives are running for different posts.
* * * *
Mayor Belen Fernandez took time out from her busy schedules
in Dagupan to be with the Balon Dagupan delegation when the 2019 Region 1
Athletic Association (R1AA) Meet opened on March 6 in Laoag City.
Her presence there not only gave them inspiration but assured the needed moral
and financial support in their first defense of their IRAA meet title which
they won last year in Alaminos City.
Yes, finally Dagupan became champion in the 2018 R1AA meet, after successive
two first runner-up finishes, all during the term of Mayor
Fernandez compared to the “best in uniform” citation won by the
city during the last year of the past city administration of then Mayor
Benjamin Lim.
Under Mayor Belen, sports was not relegated to the back seat as previous
administrations did. She provided more funds for the training and equipment of
athletes, hiring of topnotch coaches for different events.
Instead of doing away with the Olympic-size Dagupan City Swimming Pool, which
the past city administration neglected and wanted to demolish, she improved it
to be the venue of training members of the Balon Dagupan Swimming Team and for
other children interested to learn how to swim.
Then, noting that Dagupan had no entry in archery in the past, she ordered
the purchase of archery equipment and hired coaches from Manila to teach local
archers. After only few months of training at a vacant lot owned by the
Fernandez family, Dagupan produced champions in archery in R1AA, in the
Batang Pinoy National Finals and in the Southeast Asian Games.
No city mayor achieved what Mayor Fernandez has done for local athletes,
enabling them to excel in their own fields and win laurels for their families
and the city. That’s a fact!
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