By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

THE reported deplorable tirades of Presidential Adviser Sec. Raul Lambino against local broadcast journalists, describing the latter as “terrorists” and “prostitutes”, is worrisome especially for him… and he seems unaware of this.

While Mr. Lambino has every right to consider filing charges against specific broadcasters for what he considers as their malicious statements aired and posted on social media that maligned his person, he, too, recently opened himself up for possible prosecution for libel or slander if he named any one particular broadcaster as a terrorist or a prostitute.

He cannot think for a moment that if President Duterte can lambast a journalist for his or work and get away with it, that he, too, can. Nope. He can’t get away with it. Only the President is immune from any suit.  But even given that cloak of immunity, PRRD never called out any journalist as “terrorist” or “prostitute”. Some of my colleagues may deserve being called unprofessional and biased by the president but I don’t recall him describing anyone as a terrorist or prostitute.

Mr. Lambino may be a close ally of the president, but he is not the president. He should consider a public apology to blunt a possible libel/ slander case.

A rape case and a possible libel case won’t look good for him and the government he serves.

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E-SABONG, CITY’S NEXT ENEMY. A new surge in COVID cases in Dagupan City is not surprising at all.

Mayor Brian Lim has allowed a group to operate as consolidator of gambling bets for e-sabong in the city.

The consolidator operates a big TV screen to enable online sabong and gambling afficionados view cockfights and place their bets every hour. For the past months, the betting station located in Barangay Tapuac has been attracting huge crowds, and as gambling crowds would go, there is absolutely no physical distancing being observed in the area. Worse, imagine what risks to contamination are brought about by wild cheering during a match.

If Mayor Lim is true to his word in his report to the city two weeks ago, that the health of residents is his primary concern, then he should see what’s happening with the e-sabong betting station he authorized. Or was that a lie?

But that’s only as far as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic. There’s the factor of general peace and order and harmony in homes. 

 Seen regularly at the e-sabong betting stations are tricycle and jeepney drivers, market vendors whose families suffer when they lose their daily earnings for the day to gambling.

Worse, when losses pile up, the e-sabong addicts become vulnerable to crime syndicates. They are lured to steal from homes and offices, others to sell drugs in their communities. Others who could not face the daily harassment from loan sharks to pay off P200k loans they took out for their bets just end up committing suicide. Not a few have already been reported to have committed suicide in the city.

Meanwhile, the addicts can only wonder how much of the daily windfall are pocketed by the barkada at the city hall.  

Wonder of wonders, neither the police, barangay officials or city health officials are not the least interested to control the e-sabong activities inside the area that is becoming the COVID fast-spreader in the city and seat of crimes.

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NO VAX CARDS REQUIRED? I doff my hat to PNP Pangasinan director P/Col. Richmond Tadina for his uncommon strategy dismantling permanent checkpoints along the highways because these serve little or no purpose in the province, and instead set up mobile checkpoints for the effective implementation of the gun ban.

The two checkpoints in Malasiqui that utilized metal barriers even posed clear hazards to motorists. Thank God, they’ve been dismantled.

However, Col. Tadina should know that the border checkpoints are not complying with the provincial government’s policy requiring incoming travelers and motorists to present vaccination cards. I passed through the Carmen checkpoint in Rosales town upon exiting TPLEX last Thursday early morning and saw two police personnel who were seated inside the tent. They didn’t even bother to stand up to look at my vehicle as I passed by slowly. Weren’t they supposed to require me to present my vaccination card?

Still on the subject, what actions will be taken when travelers present vax cards that say holders are not fully vaxxed? And what of travelers returning to the province without vax cards because their vaccination have not been scheduled?

PDRRMC chief Rhodyn Oro must suggest the protocol.

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FINALLY, MARKET MARSHALS ARE ACCOUNTABLE.  Reports have it that the market vendors group that filed a complaint against members of the market marshals unit with the NBI regional office in La Union, have also already filed a formal complaint before the Regional Trail Court in Dagupan City.  

The market personnel named in the P20k monthly protection racket risk being arrested on the spot if they dare ignore the subpoenas from the court like they always did when summoned by the city councilors to committee hearings.   

Fortunately for them, the Supreme Court ordered the closing of courts until the end of the month. Meanwhile, the case will likely see the incrimination of some city officials once the trial starts. Will the city hall occupants risk being seen protecting and providing cover-up for the respondents in the middle of the campaign period?  Tsk-tsk.

Market supervisor Aguedo Sta. Maria is far from being off the hook, that’s for sure. Councilor Teresa Coquia is looking at a clean sweep of corruption and exploitation in the city’s market by the barkada.

Former City Administrator Vlad Mata was smart to get out when the opportunity presented itself.

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FALSE PERCEPTION ABOUT VAX CARDS.  The ‘No vax, No travel’ policy about to be enforced in Pangasinan.

The suggestion that the implementation is anti-poor cannot hold true in this case because vaccination is free. However, what is true is it discriminates against persons who don’t own private vehicles or motorcycles and they have no other choice but to ride public transport.

But that is neither the issue here. Personally, I see no justification for this policy to be enforced here. What should be considered more important instead is the continued strict enforcement of the minimum health protocols in the barangay level.

It is already a known fact that vaccinated persons still get infected and the reason could only be because since they’ve been vaccinated they have become careless and less conscious of the need to comply with the minimum health standards.

It’s easy to see vaccinated persons being comfortable with each one, without suspecting that either one could already be a carrier. So, putting all vaccinated persons in one room is as risky as having one unvaccinated person in the crowd.

So instead of focusing on who has been vaccinated and who’s not, government should adopt the stance that both vaccinated and unvaccinated must seek to protect each one from the other by strictly complying with the health standards, and to presume that the other is a carrier.

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