Thanks for the experience, Kuya Joe
By Gonzalo Duque

 

FLASH Report!  A trusted errand-man of former President Ramos told me that the old man is working clandestinely to topple Speaker Joe de Venecia from the speakership.
I didn’t believe it at first, but this FVR aide has been repeating the ugly yarn whenever he is drunk. 
Bunganga ng lasing? That’s it. They have an expression in Latin, “In vino, veritas.” (There’s truth in wine).
Is this true, Benjie?
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Let’s support the PRISAA, it’s our show window of Pangasinan leadership, hospitality and unity.
Again, as skipper of the national sporting events, I rely on your usual support and tried and tested cooperation we have all shown since time immemorial.
If her hectic schedule in Manila would allow, the President herself will be around to grace the opening on Feb. 5. She will be joined by Speaker Joe de Venecia, Com. Al Fernandez,  Sec. Pingkoy Duque, Gov. Victor Agbayani, Vice Gov. Oscar Lambino, Mayor Benjie Lim,all the Pangasinan congressmen and all the mayors of  our two cities and the 46 towns of the province.
Be there!
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I had an extra close view of the man who is about to become Prime Minister but is the new pet peeve of Mayor  Benjie Lim (watch out, BSL!, I  was like that  twice before!)  last Saturday. I was at Joe de V’s residence to follow up his pledge for the PRISAA.
Amidst several callers and police and fire officers of Dagupan who were to receive a modern fire suit, his aide Nelson Sotto called me to join the Speaker visit his tilapia and gourami ponds. Did you know that those ponds have been visited by top world leaders, ambassadors, presidents, prime ministers, including our President GMA, FVR and   almost every well-known personality around the globe?
While touring his fish farm, JDV told me that he has given from his CDF P80 million for BFAR Director Westly Rosario for aqua culture.  I teased him, ahh, so that’s it, Kuya Joe, that’s why Benjie is mad at you, because you don’t even help him daw to make his fish processing plant successful.
He smiled and then turned serious and said  (words to this effect), if only Benjie would identify his fish plant investors, and quote the exact amount he really needs   to implement it and not  play around  with confusing figures , he’d say  Pl00 million, then later Pl50 million, and  the next moment, P50 million, then Pl0 million! This is not a joking matter, you see, this involves millions, it’s a serious business! He must have misunderstood my being careful, but I thought I would be helping him if I am careful about how the people’s money is used.
Later he called me to a photo session. Then he turned over P350,000 for the PRISAA and said “initial lang yan.”
At the sumptuous lunch he tendered, I met the president of Asian Spirit, Archi Pu.  It was a delightful lunch of tilapia, gourami, hito, hipon, bangus, sinami, binurboran. . .
He turned to  the Asian Spirit owner and  asked if  he could make possible soon a Manila-Lingayen flight twice a month… because if it can be done,  flight would be increased  later and  it would be a tremendous boost to tourism in Pangasinan and Northern Luzon.
Pu observed that there’s a need first of all to upgrade the infra facilities leading to the airport. Now, Pu asked, which should come first, the egg or the hen?
 Should the flights be implemented to trigger infra development or do we first have to put up   modern airport facilities before we embark on regular flights for between Manila and Pangasinan? This development, I’m sure, will augur well for eco-tourism. Let’s go for it.
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I’m not pulling the Speaker’s leg. It was really my great privilege to have fought him twice in the congressional arena, which I lost twice, but was wiser for it. Knowing him after that – with all the confusing and various impressions I’ve got from every person everywhere, the guy, a citymate, friend of my late father and my older brother Dr. Ado, and from everyone including those who hate him (I don’t think BSL hates him; he just needs the funds for his fishery project released), Kuya Joe is one in a million. No wonder, he has worked with several presidents and there never was any moment he fell beside the seat of power.
His house which everyone including the plain folks visits everyday is open. I have yet to see someone who would not mind being invited to his house.  When we conferred an honorary degree for then Vice President Erap, he turned to me and said in a whisper, “if you are my friend, why haven’t you invited me to your house?”
Take a simple lesson from these two super politicians, their idea of friendship and home is indivisible!
Thanks, Kuya Joe, thanks for the experience.

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