A David in Gatchalian giving Goliath hell

By Al S. Mendoza 

 

PUBLIC service is a public trust.

That’s the backbone of democracy.

That’s looking at someone entrusted with power from the people.

That’s a saying as old as lightning and thunder.

But is that being followed to the letter all of the time?

Not really.

The first breakers of this battle cry are mostly politicians.

They make promises during almost every campaign sortie—only to break, forget, them once they win the vote.

Almost every asshole does it—from barangay kagawad all the way to the top.

They promise you access roads.  You get poorly paved patches fit for the medieval times.

They promise you bridges. You see them washed away at the slightest drop of rain.

They promise you the moon, so to speak.  You get mutt muck.

They promise you health care. You die without even knowing the taste of aspirin.

They promise you free education.  You cross mountains and rivers to get to the nearest school.

They promise you a good life.  You get hell.

You can fool the people once, but not the second time.

So, the liars are voted out in the next election.

But, alas, their successors will be of the same cloth—if not worse than their predecessors.  Most of them, anyways.

Liar for another liar, and another liar, and so on and so forth.

It’s a cycle as vicious as seeing victors voracious enough for the spoils of war.

The lust for loot is perennial.

Our liars, looters, are now sharpening their tools, the next election being just barely two years away.

Liars, like birds, begin early.

The early bird catches the first worm, remember?

But there will always be an exception.

If we say that in every forest lives a snake, then a good one creeps from a gang of goons

Rex Gatchalian is one example.

In recently suspending the business permit of NLEX due to the company’s RFID glitches that caused monstrous traffic jams at the gateway to the North, Gatchalian, the mayor of Valenzuela City in Bulacan, displayed bravery rarely seen from a politician.

His move was colossal because it meant he wasn’t afraid of the empire that owns NLEX.

That empire is none other than MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan), whose other corporations aside from NLEX include Meralco, Maynilad, TV 5 and a chain of newspapers, among others.

I do not know Gatchalian but I do know now that he’s got balls.

Fearless and steadfast in his resolve to serve the interest of the public, Gatchalian took up the cudgels a la David fighting Goliath.

He emerged victorious as NLEX apologized and quickly promised to institute reforms to fix the RFID hiccups.

Gatchalian’s imposed suspension on Dec. 8 was lifted on Dec. 16 after NLEX made a written promise for a smooth flow of traffic at the expressway, particularly in Valenzuela’s toll plazas.

For that, here’s a glass to Gatchalian, who, for sure, takes the “public service is a public trust” adage to heart.

He deserve reelection in 2022.

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