Why worry about Bongbong
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
SOMETHING real worrisome about the prospect of having Ferdinand Marcos Jr as next president of the republic.
Last week, he publicly campaigned for Jinggoy Estrada, touting him as a good friend, an able ally and performer in the senate. I thought that was par for the course – to boost the ego of your friends in a political sortie. Then he dropped the bomb that I least expected.
He defended Jinggoy from the pending plunder case before the Sandiganbayan. Bongbong not only absolved Jinggoy, presently out on bail, of any guilt but maintained the plunder case filed was politically motivated. Duh? How could he set aside the preponderance of evidence presented against his barkada which was the reason why his case went on trial.
Was it about a simple pakikisama? May pinagsmanahan?
Jinggoy’s cases can hardly be considered politically motivated but FM, Jr. cleared him without any thought of the implications of that act.
Why worrisome? His parents are the subject of series of still unresolved plunder cases, of ill-gotten wealth. Was he projecting himself and that of his family when he said the plunder case against Jinggoy was politically-motivated? Was he actually telling us that Jinggoy’s case is no different from cases his family is facing?
Given his predilection to pooh-pooh plunder cases, if elected president, can he still be expected to stand steadfast in his campaign promise to stop corruption? Will he have the courage and the mettle to encourage anti-corruption/good governance advocates to file plunder cases against his political allies with evidence of misuse of public funds?
After hearing him talk in his comfort zone, in front of a dear friend charged with plunder, I am not optimistic, neither can I easily believe him if I hear him say massive corruption will not happen under his watch the next time.
Questions and more questions ramble through my mind about what he would likely do when confronted with corruption cases involving his friends and relatives of cronies of the Marcos family during the Marcos administration in the 70s-80s.
Will he likely influence court decisions to go easy on corruption charges against members of his barkada and Marcos cronies? Will cases of those guilty of tax evasion be made to disappear because he considers these as flimsy attempts at harassment? Will his campaign contributors get preferred treatment from BIR?
How can a President Bongbong think of trivializing plunder charges?? Could that be the reason why he’d rather not engage other aspirants lest it opens a Pandora’s box?
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BE PROTECTED, PROTECT OTHERS. It is, indeed, comforting to read news that we are seeing less active cases in the province, and in the country continuously.
Even the news that while the Omicron variant is fast transmissible, faster than earlier identified variants, there are still no deaths attributed to it.
Without a doubt, the ramped-up vaccine rollout contributed to the descending trend of infection. For this reason, I, an early doubting Thomas and a disbeliever, maintain today that those holding out who insist that the pandemic is merely a media hype to serve a suspected worldwide conspiracy are doing serious injustice to their communities.
How can anyone still deny that more than 5 million individuals across the globe have died from the symptoms of COVID-19? Even debating who and what started it is no longer relevant, not after more than 21 months! Let the developed countries decide that with their resources while we focus on our individual survival.
Hopefully, the Omicron variant will simply be tagged as another flu type that can be healed with medicines accessible across the counter.
Our situation in the next 6 months will be crucial. It’d be prudent if everyone helps in reminding all that continued wearing of the face mask is essential, and crowded places must still be avoided.
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MEET DR. MINGUITA. May I take this opportunity to introduce a relatively unknown senatorial aspirant but whose strong advocacy for state of public health is unmistakable and tenacious, unforgiving and uncompromising about corruption in government service.
Her name is Dr. Minguita Padilla. She was introduced to me in 2004 as the one medical practitioner irrepressibly outspoken about the need to have someone like Sen. Ping Lacson as president to introduce needed reforms in government. (I was then helping Sen. Lacson learn to work with media, whom he avoided like a plague after the series of black propaganda levelled against him by the Arroyo administration in media).
Dr. Padilla is not your ordinary medical practitioner. She is well conversant with government policies on public health and never hesitated to call out suspected anomalies in the health sector, from the dengvaxia scandal to delivery of health services in calamity-stricken areas, and today, unrelenting in making certain that medical frontliners get what’s due them for their sacrifices and willingness to face the risks of infection.
She’s not your timid doctor but an articulate activist. She joined me in several protest marches against corruption and there were, indeed, times I feared for her own safety and discouraged her from going to the frontlines, but she won’t hear of it.
Her heart is with those who have less in life. Watch her give you the hand sign for heart! You can bet this workaholic (and beautiful, too, may I add) doctor will make the best performing senator if given the chance.
Check her out when you come across her on mainstream media and social media. Isn’t it obvious that she’s running under Sen. Lacson’s slate?
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THOSE DAGGER LOOKS. As many Dagupeños had expected, the head of the corruption-ridden public market division under the Brian Lim administration, Aguedo Sta. Maria, failed to appear before the Sangguniang Panlungsod last week for the 11th time.
The guy has succeeded in doing everything to make the integrity of the city officials led by Mayor Brian appear like a curse. Each time he snubs the city council, he brings one department head down who’s ordered or suspected of covering up for him.
How can anyone cover up for him and his team when there are records that incriminate him, his marshals and collectors, from the P25k monthly protection money to illegal collection of fees beyond what’s prescribed in the city ordinance?
Mayor Lim must have realized by now that he created a bigger booboo and scandal for his administration when he ordered Mr. Sta. Maria not to appear at the city council’s hearings and expected the latter to make the messy scandal to blow away. Surely Mr. Sta, Maria senses this regret painted on his boss’ face.
I wonder how anyone can survive the dagger looks he gets around and behind him at the city hall and from the exploited vendors he’s tasked to supervise. His friends in media can only humor him but what’s there to say when his own friends know the truth about him and his operations.
The city councilors who regard their self-respect highly must stand firm in making Mr. Sta. Maria be held accountable. After all, Mr. Sta. Maria had no qualms spitting at their images as public servants each time he snubs their invitation. I’m glad this is not lost to Councilor Tess Coquia whose frustration only served to strengthen her resolve to make the Lim-Sta. Maria duo accountable for the inhumane exploitation they made vendors suffer.
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