I have a copy of a document, the contents of which could determine whether our mga kasimanwa will die in penury or in ill-health in the next two years. Whether it’s the former or the latter, there is no choice, really, but to die for reasons I shall shortly explain.
This document is Sangguniang Panlalawigan Resolution No. 07-2008-66 dated July 8, 2008 granting authority to Governor Natalio Beltran III (God help us if there would be a Beltran IV) “to secure and negotiate a loan agreement with any private or government financing and/or banking institution for the construction of a new provincial hospital, including the purchase of hospital/medical equipment and supplies”.
Earlier, the Romblon Sun has headlined a story about this, but I am not sure if the paper’s reporters covered all the details. I will comment on it, though, by reading the fine print of the resolution.
It can be recalled that on February 22 this year, Gov. Beltran sought from the SP authority “to enter into a loan agreement, and to further negotiate the terms and conditions of the same, with any private or government financing and/or banking institution purposely for the construction of a new provincial hospital”.
The SP may not have acted on this first request and Gov. Beltran, for reasons known only to his sacred heart, wrote again on April 22 to “request for the revision of the earlier request” for authority. Notice the intention of the letter?
In his April 22 letter, Beltran said: “After a brief assessment of the foregoing request, the undersigned finds the need for the revision of the requested authority and to read: authorizing the undersigned to secure and negotiate for a loan agreement with any private or government financing and/or banking institution for the construction of a new provincial hospital, and to include the purchase of hospital/medical equipment and other supplies, and if an whenever a loan agreement has been reached, the same shall be subject to ratification by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan”.
On this basis, Gov. Beltran got the authority, and even as I write, he may already be on his way to the bank, laughing at the gullibility of his SP.
There is no news from the capitol as to what Gov. Beltran is doing with the authority now. Is he securing and negotiating for a loan agreement? If yes, with which private or public government bank? I don’t know. We all don’t know.
Going back to the SP, whose members could be so afraid not to give in to Beltran’s remonstration, we can safely narrate what they did to the governor’s letter when they received it.
First, they referred the letter to three SP committees—Legal Affairs, Ways and Means, and Health. This is to say they referred it to themselves. Got that?
Next, they issued a joint committee report. After that, they debated and finally, approved a resolution giving Gov. Beltran the authority.
It would be interesting to know what the SP members debated about. I’ll tell you.
They debated about Romblon’s existing debt with the Land Bank of the Philippines; on Romblon’s capacity to pay; on the site of the proposed new hospital; the possibility that doctors and other hospital personnel may not be available once a new hospital is erected; and on the new hospital’s sustainability.
These five issues were touched in the joint committee report, but only very mildly. There was no exhaustive study, scientific or voodoo, that could justify another loan. There was no persistent evaluation, no public consultation, and no deliberate attempt to obtain all facts before the decision.
I was told by a source that members of the committees never even visited the provincial hospital in Odiongan, yet, the joint committee report contained definitive conclusion that “the repairs of the existing hospital . . . is no longer structurally and economically feasible. The electrical wiring are dilapidated, the sewerage system, drainage, water faucets, plumbing, pipings (sic) and connections, roofing and others are rotten and dysfunctional due to wear and tear”.
And since when did the members of the committees become engineers and building experts to condemn a hospital? Was there a study or inspection that would merit such a sorry description of the province’s health facility?
Tuyar yaki nak masyaro’y it yuho ka provincial hospital, asing waya pa kina nakandadohi? Asing kina’y abrido pa?
If the hospital is really as described by our honorable SP members, aren’t we endangering the lives of the doctors and the patients in the medical facility? What are Gov. Beltran and the SP doing about it?
By all means, let us evacuate the patients now before the hospital’s roof caves in, or before its wiring electrocutes the nurses and patients, or even before its leaking faucets inundate the hospital rooms. Let us condemn the building if we have to, but let’s do it properly. Let the DPWH do the structural evaluation if it really is crumbling.
Let us not write about the dilapidated condition of the hospital in official government documents, such as an SP resolution, just to form a basis for a haphazard, ill-advised and misinformed decision of a governor.
(Next issue: A new hospital is hazardous to health, it will increase our debt)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
A new hospital is hazardous to health, it will increase our debt
I do not question the motive of Gov. Natalio Beltran III for wanting to have a new hospital in the province. Neither do I begrudge the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for easily surrendering itself to the wish of the governor without thorough study or debate. They are just being true to their nature as political mercenaries.
Resolution No. 07-2008-66 is a debt trap. It is consigning the future of the province into the hands of the banks which will collect, no matter what.
When the three SP committees—Health, Ways and Means, and Legal Affairs acquired jurisdiction of Gov. Beltran’s letter, the proper thing they should have done was to summon the governor to explain and justify his request.
They didn’t. Instead, the members of the SP, bless them for their laziness, read it to the letter and acted on it as if the end of days will come if they didn’t.
Perhaps, Fred Dorado, Health Committee chair, Gil Moreno, Ways and Means Committee chair, and Geminiano Galicia Jr., Legal Affairs Committee chair, were so afraid of the governor or they have so much faith in his wisdom that they treated his letter as biblical fiat.
Well, the letter was just a letter. It was short and did not contain any earth-shaking justification that a new loan is needed to build a new hospital.
The worst—and Romblomanons should rise in indignation over this—was that the SP resolution authorizes the governor to do not just ONE but TWO acts.
The first is to secure and/or negotiate a loan “FROM ANY BANKING AND/OR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION”, and the second is to “PURCHASE HOSPITAL/MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES.”
See how clearly the SP granted Beltran a blank check? Any bank means any bank. If and when he gets the money, he will torn down the old provincial hospital and erect a new one, and then buy the hospital equipment and supplies. All these in the hands of one elected public official whose management experience is razor thin!
Question: Why does Beltran want to become a loan negotiator as well as purchasing officer, instead of just remaining a governor for which he was elected to? I leave your imagination to answer this quiz. Include in the calculation the commission that will be paid by the contractors and the suppliers. To whom? Guess.
Waya purchasing officer ka kapitolyo? Asi riin gi tuyaghot kag budget officer, health officer ag provincial accountant it probinsiya? They are the proper persons to do the above tasks.
Oh, yes, I forgot. There is a provincial accountant who, incidentally, certified that as of December 31, 2007, the province has still an outstanding loan of P103.551 million, consisting of the principal of P73.551 million and interest of P56.587 million. This loan was contracted when? Four years ago? By whom? By then Governor Budoy Madrona?
Now, if the members of the SP were sane, they would not have granted the authority the moment they see our provincial debt. It’s gargantuan. Can we pay?
The SP said it doesn’t know. Look, here is a legislative body, being asked of an authority to contract a loan, but doesn’t know—because it refuses to know—if the province can afford to pay it. Why do I know that the SP doesn’t know?
Here, from the excerpts of the minutes of the regular session when this issue was taken up. Read:
“With this (sic) figures given (Note: The SP was referring to the outstanding loan and interest), the committee members were unanimous in saying that insofar as the CAPACITY of the province to secure for (sic) another loan is concerned, it is solely the BANK which can certify as to whether or not the province can still afford to secure another loan.”
Omigosh. This is one of the dumbest arguments I have ever heard. Mautang ka pero buko nimo sador kung kaya nimong magbadar? Ni-oy rang!
For two years now (and thank God we only have one more year to suffer this idiocy in our provincial legislative body), the SP has been deliberating on the provincial budget so that it should know the province’s financial health. But it doesn’t.
Read further: “It was agreed that in case the Governor is given the authority, he should first secure a certification from Land Bank whether the province can still secure for (sic) a loan and can pay it without sacrificing its development thrust.”
Well, the governor was granted authority. Well, SP member Benjamin Irao, could you please ask the governor if he had secured this certification?
Of course, honorable members of the SP, you can’t borrow money without sacrificing something—in this case, the province’s development thrust. Why? Because the loan—big or small—will eat up something from the budget in the form of principal and interest payments.
We don’t need the Land Bank to tell us this. A good father knows that when he has just enough money and has a debt to pay, he has to forego something, some necessities maybe, or even a few luxury, just to make both ends meet. That’s fiscal responsibility. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to understand this. But you can’t understand this, even if it’s so simple, if you are a member of the SP because of your blind obedience, like a dog's, to your master at the capitol.
Is there a remedy to this stupidity of another loan?
Yes, there is. What SP members Manuel Madrid and Benjamin Irao could do is to move for the recall of the authority in the next SP session.
I know. You are clearly outnumbered, but just try. By trying, you will not only expose the callous manners of your fellow legislators who voted for the authority, but you will also demonstrate to the Romblomanons that there is hope, however remote, in restoring decency in your exalted positions.
Comments, even criticisms, are welcome. Text them to 0917 623 8842 or email them at balinsasadaw@yahoo.com, or balitsaw@gmail.com .
Resolution No. 07-2008-66 is a debt trap. It is consigning the future of the province into the hands of the banks which will collect, no matter what.
When the three SP committees—Health, Ways and Means, and Legal Affairs acquired jurisdiction of Gov. Beltran’s letter, the proper thing they should have done was to summon the governor to explain and justify his request.
They didn’t. Instead, the members of the SP, bless them for their laziness, read it to the letter and acted on it as if the end of days will come if they didn’t.
Perhaps, Fred Dorado, Health Committee chair, Gil Moreno, Ways and Means Committee chair, and Geminiano Galicia Jr., Legal Affairs Committee chair, were so afraid of the governor or they have so much faith in his wisdom that they treated his letter as biblical fiat.
Well, the letter was just a letter. It was short and did not contain any earth-shaking justification that a new loan is needed to build a new hospital.
The worst—and Romblomanons should rise in indignation over this—was that the SP resolution authorizes the governor to do not just ONE but TWO acts.
The first is to secure and/or negotiate a loan “FROM ANY BANKING AND/OR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION”, and the second is to “PURCHASE HOSPITAL/MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES.”
See how clearly the SP granted Beltran a blank check? Any bank means any bank. If and when he gets the money, he will torn down the old provincial hospital and erect a new one, and then buy the hospital equipment and supplies. All these in the hands of one elected public official whose management experience is razor thin!
Question: Why does Beltran want to become a loan negotiator as well as purchasing officer, instead of just remaining a governor for which he was elected to? I leave your imagination to answer this quiz. Include in the calculation the commission that will be paid by the contractors and the suppliers. To whom? Guess.
Waya purchasing officer ka kapitolyo? Asi riin gi tuyaghot kag budget officer, health officer ag provincial accountant it probinsiya? They are the proper persons to do the above tasks.
Oh, yes, I forgot. There is a provincial accountant who, incidentally, certified that as of December 31, 2007, the province has still an outstanding loan of P103.551 million, consisting of the principal of P73.551 million and interest of P56.587 million. This loan was contracted when? Four years ago? By whom? By then Governor Budoy Madrona?
Now, if the members of the SP were sane, they would not have granted the authority the moment they see our provincial debt. It’s gargantuan. Can we pay?
The SP said it doesn’t know. Look, here is a legislative body, being asked of an authority to contract a loan, but doesn’t know—because it refuses to know—if the province can afford to pay it. Why do I know that the SP doesn’t know?
Here, from the excerpts of the minutes of the regular session when this issue was taken up. Read:
“With this (sic) figures given (Note: The SP was referring to the outstanding loan and interest), the committee members were unanimous in saying that insofar as the CAPACITY of the province to secure for (sic) another loan is concerned, it is solely the BANK which can certify as to whether or not the province can still afford to secure another loan.”
Omigosh. This is one of the dumbest arguments I have ever heard. Mautang ka pero buko nimo sador kung kaya nimong magbadar? Ni-oy rang!
For two years now (and thank God we only have one more year to suffer this idiocy in our provincial legislative body), the SP has been deliberating on the provincial budget so that it should know the province’s financial health. But it doesn’t.
Read further: “It was agreed that in case the Governor is given the authority, he should first secure a certification from Land Bank whether the province can still secure for (sic) a loan and can pay it without sacrificing its development thrust.”
Well, the governor was granted authority. Well, SP member Benjamin Irao, could you please ask the governor if he had secured this certification?
Of course, honorable members of the SP, you can’t borrow money without sacrificing something—in this case, the province’s development thrust. Why? Because the loan—big or small—will eat up something from the budget in the form of principal and interest payments.
We don’t need the Land Bank to tell us this. A good father knows that when he has just enough money and has a debt to pay, he has to forego something, some necessities maybe, or even a few luxury, just to make both ends meet. That’s fiscal responsibility. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to understand this. But you can’t understand this, even if it’s so simple, if you are a member of the SP because of your blind obedience, like a dog's, to your master at the capitol.
Is there a remedy to this stupidity of another loan?
Yes, there is. What SP members Manuel Madrid and Benjamin Irao could do is to move for the recall of the authority in the next SP session.
I know. You are clearly outnumbered, but just try. By trying, you will not only expose the callous manners of your fellow legislators who voted for the authority, but you will also demonstrate to the Romblomanons that there is hope, however remote, in restoring decency in your exalted positions.
Comments, even criticisms, are welcome. Text them to 0917 623 8842 or email them at balinsasadaw@yahoo.com, or balitsaw@gmail.com .
Saturday, November 1, 2008
The Romblon Sun as opposition
I cannot understand the vehemence by which some public officials react to the Romblon Sun’s reports about their alleged misdeeds while in position of power.
To me, such attitude indicates two things. One, either these officials are guilty or innocent, and two, they were not called or asked to give their side about the reports that appear on the paper.
I said this because two weeks ago, on a short trip to Odiongan, Manong Julius Fortuna, who hosted my visit, again reminded the Romblon Sun to always present both sides of a story for the sake of objectivity and fairness.
This reminder was timely because there are observations that the Romblon Sun is perceived as an opposition paper; that it is thought to be a tool to “malign” and “destroy” Romblon’s political leaders.
This, of course, is farthest from the truth, and I strongly disagree with those who say the Romblon Sun is politically destructive. I mean, can the Romblon Sun single-handedly bring down the capitol? Can it force our politicians to admit to and mend their corrupt ways? I doubt.
First, there is no organized political opposition in Romblon, so how could the Romblon Sun be an opposition mouthpiece? Does the erratic and unsteady as the subasko Dr. Joey Cabrera, who is covered by the paper from time to time, own a share in the paper? Is Romblon Sun former representative Lolong Firmalo’s? Are the writers of the paper paid hacks of those salivating over Rep. Budoy Madrona’s or Gov. Jojo Beltran’s posts? I doubt.
Where is Firmalo, by the way? After his bitter defeat, he hibernated, disappeared, hid, and so became a ghost of his old self.
And Romblon? It was left to its own devices under the baton of the current political overlord, Rep. Madrona and his orchestra, led by the likes of Beltran who, disappointingly for a governor, doesn’t seem to understand a bit what civil service meant. To Beltran, to be a civil servant seemed to be a servile servant, but these two are different animals. Amelie Mallen, kudos to her, is more informed than the governor.
Second, the Romblon Sun, if it is a paper of the political opposition, should not be begging for money to buy its weekly supply of paper and ink. Because of budget constraints, it has a limited circulation, so magnifying the harm it could inflict on the political status quo is more of a compliment rather than a disparaging attack.
I can’t imagine the Romblon Sun to be solely responsible for the low regard that many Romblomanons nowadays have for their leaders. The Romblon Sun is only a newspaper whose editors and writers happen to disagree with the views of the establishment. And its reportage on what it sees as the pestilences plaguing Romblon is rightly a function of a newspaper. It is, while struggling, only performing its responsibility to serve as watchdog of the people, without being asked to be rewarded.
I know. I have read some of the text messages received by the paper, commending it for its courageous reporting on the burning issues of the day. The text messages don’t come from politicians belonging to the opposition. They come from readers, the ordinary Romblomanons, with whom the Romblon Sun has come to identify itself with. That means the paper is credible and, therefore, trusted.
Now, compare this to the deafening silence of those who are making it to the news like, for example, Gov. Beltran or Engr. Rolindo Perez, two officials who are often flagellated because of their conduct. If I were they, I will write back to dispute every untruthful or malicious item that comes out in the paper, if there are any, and request that it be published for the sake of fairness and objective reporting.
Alas, and unfortunately, the reports in the Romblon Sun about alleged anomalies, malfeasance, omission, or corruption are not challenged by the subjects of the reports, even if, as Tony Macalisang told me, he exerts every effort to get their side on a story.
Again, this indicates either of two things: that the reports are true or the person subject of the report is plain lazy or doesn’t know how to write. What do you say, Messrs. Beltran and Perez?
And what if the Romblon Sun stopped reporting on the issues that affect Romblon? What if, for example, instead of reporting the Ombudsman’s dismissal of Engr. Perez, it reported that he was ordered promoted as DPWH secretary?
What if the Romblon Sun, instead of writing about SP Benjamin Irao’s refusal to accept the P66, 959.00 in cash incentives given to all provincial officials and employees—even if the money came from the calamity fund!—wrote that Irao is suing the provincial government for not tripling the amount?
Or, what if the Romblon Sun, instead of reporting that Gov. Beltran was rebuffed by the Civil Service Commission for illegally dismissing Ms. Mallen, reported that the CSC encouraged the governor to dismiss some more employees who don’t agree with his views?
If these things happen, then I can bet my daily gin budget that the readers of Romblon Sun, instead of reading the paper, will turn to reading road and store signs, or the clouds, or gumamela leaves. At least, these are truthful. Then, Romblon Sun can rename itself the Romblon Moon for peddling dark lies.
My point? Don’t hate the newspapers. Save your contempt for the newsmakers. Comments are welcome. Text them in to 0917-623-8842 or send to balitsaw@gmail.com.
To me, such attitude indicates two things. One, either these officials are guilty or innocent, and two, they were not called or asked to give their side about the reports that appear on the paper.
I said this because two weeks ago, on a short trip to Odiongan, Manong Julius Fortuna, who hosted my visit, again reminded the Romblon Sun to always present both sides of a story for the sake of objectivity and fairness.
This reminder was timely because there are observations that the Romblon Sun is perceived as an opposition paper; that it is thought to be a tool to “malign” and “destroy” Romblon’s political leaders.
This, of course, is farthest from the truth, and I strongly disagree with those who say the Romblon Sun is politically destructive. I mean, can the Romblon Sun single-handedly bring down the capitol? Can it force our politicians to admit to and mend their corrupt ways? I doubt.
First, there is no organized political opposition in Romblon, so how could the Romblon Sun be an opposition mouthpiece? Does the erratic and unsteady as the subasko Dr. Joey Cabrera, who is covered by the paper from time to time, own a share in the paper? Is Romblon Sun former representative Lolong Firmalo’s? Are the writers of the paper paid hacks of those salivating over Rep. Budoy Madrona’s or Gov. Jojo Beltran’s posts? I doubt.
Where is Firmalo, by the way? After his bitter defeat, he hibernated, disappeared, hid, and so became a ghost of his old self.
And Romblon? It was left to its own devices under the baton of the current political overlord, Rep. Madrona and his orchestra, led by the likes of Beltran who, disappointingly for a governor, doesn’t seem to understand a bit what civil service meant. To Beltran, to be a civil servant seemed to be a servile servant, but these two are different animals. Amelie Mallen, kudos to her, is more informed than the governor.
Second, the Romblon Sun, if it is a paper of the political opposition, should not be begging for money to buy its weekly supply of paper and ink. Because of budget constraints, it has a limited circulation, so magnifying the harm it could inflict on the political status quo is more of a compliment rather than a disparaging attack.
I can’t imagine the Romblon Sun to be solely responsible for the low regard that many Romblomanons nowadays have for their leaders. The Romblon Sun is only a newspaper whose editors and writers happen to disagree with the views of the establishment. And its reportage on what it sees as the pestilences plaguing Romblon is rightly a function of a newspaper. It is, while struggling, only performing its responsibility to serve as watchdog of the people, without being asked to be rewarded.
I know. I have read some of the text messages received by the paper, commending it for its courageous reporting on the burning issues of the day. The text messages don’t come from politicians belonging to the opposition. They come from readers, the ordinary Romblomanons, with whom the Romblon Sun has come to identify itself with. That means the paper is credible and, therefore, trusted.
Now, compare this to the deafening silence of those who are making it to the news like, for example, Gov. Beltran or Engr. Rolindo Perez, two officials who are often flagellated because of their conduct. If I were they, I will write back to dispute every untruthful or malicious item that comes out in the paper, if there are any, and request that it be published for the sake of fairness and objective reporting.
Alas, and unfortunately, the reports in the Romblon Sun about alleged anomalies, malfeasance, omission, or corruption are not challenged by the subjects of the reports, even if, as Tony Macalisang told me, he exerts every effort to get their side on a story.
Again, this indicates either of two things: that the reports are true or the person subject of the report is plain lazy or doesn’t know how to write. What do you say, Messrs. Beltran and Perez?
And what if the Romblon Sun stopped reporting on the issues that affect Romblon? What if, for example, instead of reporting the Ombudsman’s dismissal of Engr. Perez, it reported that he was ordered promoted as DPWH secretary?
What if the Romblon Sun, instead of writing about SP Benjamin Irao’s refusal to accept the P66, 959.00 in cash incentives given to all provincial officials and employees—even if the money came from the calamity fund!—wrote that Irao is suing the provincial government for not tripling the amount?
Or, what if the Romblon Sun, instead of reporting that Gov. Beltran was rebuffed by the Civil Service Commission for illegally dismissing Ms. Mallen, reported that the CSC encouraged the governor to dismiss some more employees who don’t agree with his views?
If these things happen, then I can bet my daily gin budget that the readers of Romblon Sun, instead of reading the paper, will turn to reading road and store signs, or the clouds, or gumamela leaves. At least, these are truthful. Then, Romblon Sun can rename itself the Romblon Moon for peddling dark lies.
My point? Don’t hate the newspapers. Save your contempt for the newsmakers. Comments are welcome. Text them in to 0917-623-8842 or send to balitsaw@gmail.com.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Dodoy Perez’s dilemma: where to work if dismissed
There is this public perception, which is wrong, that corruption is perpetuated only by people in the public sector; by officials in government who occupy high positions of power.
There is also this public perception, which is untrue, that lower-level government officials—the backbone of the bureaucracy—are not capable of any wrong doing.
And then, there is this public belief, which is absurd, that there is no corruption in the interstices of the private sector, in business; that private citizens are incapable of evil deeds and misconduct.
The fact is, corruption, as a crime, does not choose its terrain. It is committed in the name of selfish personal interest, in low and high places, public or private. Corruption is a disease and it does not distinguish those whom it infects. It has even succeeded in tempting Judas, who betrayed Jesus for a bribe of thirty pieces of silver.
Why is it, therefore, that only incidents of corruption in public office often get in the news? Are we as a people selective in our treatment of the corrupt, or do we employ double standards when judging criminal behavior? Aided by a vigilant media which always highlights corruption in the public terrain, this seems to be so.
OK. Wrong-doing in government is fodder for the media because the perpetrators are in public service, which is a public trust.
The standards of behavior applied to public officials are much more different and stricter than the standards applied to people in the private sector precisely because public officials must be accountable to the people who pay their salaries through their taxes.
Thus, public officials who are criticized for their conduct should not be onion-skinned. It’s part of the territory.
The news last week, that the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of DPWH district engineer Rolindo “Dodoy” Perez, along with 15 other officials, demonstrates in vivid color the cancer of corruption that has been gnawing at our system for years.
Perez, along with Vicente Vargas, also an OIC district engineer; Engrs. Mayo Pelagio and Dennis Geduspan; Bernardo Yparosa, an accountant; Jose Javier, Jr., a property custodian; and Pio Gareza, Jr., a supply officer—all of the DPWH’s 4thth sub-engineering office in Bago, Negros Occidental—were dismissed for grave misconduct in connection with irregularities in two projects involving the improvement of the Camingawan-Pandan Road in Pontevedra.
The Ombudsman said a special audit of the two projects revealed a discrepancy of P8.12 million representing cost of materials and labor paid but not delivered or accomplished. The special audit also found out a discrepancy of P2.97 million representing cost of materials and labor which were utilized or applied in the projects, but which were not included among the paid items.
Overall Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro wrote the dismissal order, asking DPWH Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Perez’s boss, to immediately implement the dismissal and to submit a report of compliance on the same.
The guessing game is on whether or not Ebdane will quickly act. It can be recalled it was only last August 8, 2007 that Ebdane re-assigned Perez from the Masbate 2nd District Engineering Office to Romblon. It could be that he had not yet warmed up his seat in the province.
The news of Perez’s dismissal circulated like wildfire, with public opinion divided between those who are not Perez’s fans and those who are barking up in defense of the beleaguered engineer.
One of his staunchest defenders, I was told, was Raffy Molino, a member of the Romblon media community, who was said to have belittled the order because the case that caused Perez’s removal did not happen in Romblon.
In short, Molino was implying the Romblomanons did not suffer from Perez’s official conduct. “Don’t worry, be happy”.
It is exactly this kind of tolerance, this response to official sanction—such as the Ombudsman’s order—that perpetuates our culture of corruption. This shallow justification—that we were not harmed anyway—would lead to the thinking that one can commit wrongdoing without fear of censure or penalty. Shall we wait for Romblon to suffer before we complain?
Molino, according to the source, has warned Perez’s critics over the radio not to “provoke” the engineer because he might run for a political office in 2010. Molino allegedly have said that if this happens, “walang kalaban-laban ang kalaban” or words to that effect.
So, the cat is out of the bag. Perez’s has dreams of becoming a political animal in 2010.
That’s his right. The question is: Will Perez’s dismissal be good for the province? I don’t know. Ask Engr. Nicanor Marcelo, Perez’s assistant.
I myself don’t know Perez, but according to an informant, the Masbatenos allegedly heaved a sigh of relief when he was re-assigned to Romblon. That only meant one thing. Perez’s must have been a very unlikeable person in Masbate.
The political grapevine has this in relation to what Molino had said: Perez would like to run for governor in 2010 under lawyer Bernie Fondevilla, an undersecretary in the department of agriculture. Watch out, Rep. Budoy! Watch out, Gov. Jojo. You have now willing opponents.
What these politicians don’t know is that there may not be a 2010. In the meantime, I have a question which many Romblomanons may have after the news came out: What is Rep. Budoy’s comment about the dismissal of his erstwhile ally?
And before I forget, let me ask, too: What will be Perez’s next job if he is dismissed? Call in your answers at 0927-911-6280. You can also email me at balitsaw@gmail.com.
There is also this public perception, which is untrue, that lower-level government officials—the backbone of the bureaucracy—are not capable of any wrong doing.
And then, there is this public belief, which is absurd, that there is no corruption in the interstices of the private sector, in business; that private citizens are incapable of evil deeds and misconduct.
The fact is, corruption, as a crime, does not choose its terrain. It is committed in the name of selfish personal interest, in low and high places, public or private. Corruption is a disease and it does not distinguish those whom it infects. It has even succeeded in tempting Judas, who betrayed Jesus for a bribe of thirty pieces of silver.
Why is it, therefore, that only incidents of corruption in public office often get in the news? Are we as a people selective in our treatment of the corrupt, or do we employ double standards when judging criminal behavior? Aided by a vigilant media which always highlights corruption in the public terrain, this seems to be so.
OK. Wrong-doing in government is fodder for the media because the perpetrators are in public service, which is a public trust.
The standards of behavior applied to public officials are much more different and stricter than the standards applied to people in the private sector precisely because public officials must be accountable to the people who pay their salaries through their taxes.
Thus, public officials who are criticized for their conduct should not be onion-skinned. It’s part of the territory.
The news last week, that the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of DPWH district engineer Rolindo “Dodoy” Perez, along with 15 other officials, demonstrates in vivid color the cancer of corruption that has been gnawing at our system for years.
Perez, along with Vicente Vargas, also an OIC district engineer; Engrs. Mayo Pelagio and Dennis Geduspan; Bernardo Yparosa, an accountant; Jose Javier, Jr., a property custodian; and Pio Gareza, Jr., a supply officer—all of the DPWH’s 4thth sub-engineering office in Bago, Negros Occidental—were dismissed for grave misconduct in connection with irregularities in two projects involving the improvement of the Camingawan-Pandan Road in Pontevedra.
The Ombudsman said a special audit of the two projects revealed a discrepancy of P8.12 million representing cost of materials and labor paid but not delivered or accomplished. The special audit also found out a discrepancy of P2.97 million representing cost of materials and labor which were utilized or applied in the projects, but which were not included among the paid items.
Overall Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro wrote the dismissal order, asking DPWH Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Perez’s boss, to immediately implement the dismissal and to submit a report of compliance on the same.
The guessing game is on whether or not Ebdane will quickly act. It can be recalled it was only last August 8, 2007 that Ebdane re-assigned Perez from the Masbate 2nd District Engineering Office to Romblon. It could be that he had not yet warmed up his seat in the province.
The news of Perez’s dismissal circulated like wildfire, with public opinion divided between those who are not Perez’s fans and those who are barking up in defense of the beleaguered engineer.
One of his staunchest defenders, I was told, was Raffy Molino, a member of the Romblon media community, who was said to have belittled the order because the case that caused Perez’s removal did not happen in Romblon.
In short, Molino was implying the Romblomanons did not suffer from Perez’s official conduct. “Don’t worry, be happy”.
It is exactly this kind of tolerance, this response to official sanction—such as the Ombudsman’s order—that perpetuates our culture of corruption. This shallow justification—that we were not harmed anyway—would lead to the thinking that one can commit wrongdoing without fear of censure or penalty. Shall we wait for Romblon to suffer before we complain?
Molino, according to the source, has warned Perez’s critics over the radio not to “provoke” the engineer because he might run for a political office in 2010. Molino allegedly have said that if this happens, “walang kalaban-laban ang kalaban” or words to that effect.
So, the cat is out of the bag. Perez’s has dreams of becoming a political animal in 2010.
That’s his right. The question is: Will Perez’s dismissal be good for the province? I don’t know. Ask Engr. Nicanor Marcelo, Perez’s assistant.
I myself don’t know Perez, but according to an informant, the Masbatenos allegedly heaved a sigh of relief when he was re-assigned to Romblon. That only meant one thing. Perez’s must have been a very unlikeable person in Masbate.
The political grapevine has this in relation to what Molino had said: Perez would like to run for governor in 2010 under lawyer Bernie Fondevilla, an undersecretary in the department of agriculture. Watch out, Rep. Budoy! Watch out, Gov. Jojo. You have now willing opponents.
What these politicians don’t know is that there may not be a 2010. In the meantime, I have a question which many Romblomanons may have after the news came out: What is Rep. Budoy’s comment about the dismissal of his erstwhile ally?
And before I forget, let me ask, too: What will be Perez’s next job if he is dismissed? Call in your answers at 0927-911-6280. You can also email me at balitsaw@gmail.com.
Ka katapusan it imahinasyon
Nakabalik ako sa Odiongan it kag usang dominggo matapos ka kuyang-kuyang nak pitong tuig na waya ako nabisita.
Kag pagbabag-o it gi-udahan it kapitolyong komersyal it Romblon ay marako ag masyado’t halata. Sa ako pangmuyat, nag-uswag ka Odiongan. Kag lugar it dating merkado ay naglimpyo. It has turned into a public space.
Nagrasig ag nagtigson ka ekonomiya. Karamo iy ka nagtitinra ag nagni-negosyo. Halos kumpletoy ka pasilidad it pagbabangko, telekomunikasyon, ag edukasyon. Nagramo ka tawo, nak ka mga balati-on ay pay nagkapag-asa.
Mahabang panahon ka pitong tuig. Kung mas marasig, siguro ay mas mayado pa ka naabot it Odiongan. Reli gi susuyor ka ‘intervention’ it gobyerno sa pag-uswag it usang banwa. Ka pag-uswag ay ging aanak it matadlong nak pagpapanguyo ag matibay nak gobyerno.
Kada kung moderno’y ka Odiongan, siguradong ka gobyerno ay inggwa it nahuman.
Klaro?
Yes, but only partly. The history of modernity is a history of a people coming together to promote and act for the common good. The government may claim credit for uplifting people’s lives, but only partly. In the end, it is still the common people who should get credit for moving forward.
Kaling kaisipong kali ay nagyutaw it kag magbisita ako sa Odiongan. Nakaabot ako sa Brgy. Tabing Dagat. Reli ay nakahilera ka mga konkretong posteng sa kahahadag ka iwag; nak sa sobrang hadag ay siguradong masabo ka isra pag taob ag maruyom ka buyan. Ugaling ay siguradong pagsabo it isra ay kaibahan ka sayabay, dahil ka hadag ay waya it ging pipiling a-iwagan. Basaha kag istorya it nanay ni Jose Rizal sa “The Lamp and the Moth”.
What’s the point I am driving at? That a lighted public place both repels and attracts. It repels criminals who shun the light. It attracts visitors and encourages leisurely activities. The only problem when I visited the “baywalk” along Brgy. Tabing Dagat was that there was not a single promenader. The place was silent as a tomb.
Nagsawa-iy sa hadag ka taga-Odiongan?
No. They might have just other important things to do than killing time under the bright lights of the “baywalk”, such as, perhaps, working to earn a living, or taking a rest after a hard day’s work.
This is not to disparage the Tabing Dagat lampposts. They are beautiful and serve a purpose. This is, however, to question the priorities of those who put it up. Whoever did it lacked imagination.
I was told the lampposts, 100 pieces in all, cost P3.5 million. That is P35,000 per. I was also told there are similar lampposts in Calatrava, put up by Mayor Bong Fabella, and they cost only P17,000 per. What mathematical corruption was committed in erecting the Tabing Dagat promenade lights? Ask Gov. Natalio Beltran, Jr. Most probably, he will say, “None”.
But that’s exactly my point. The P3.5 million is not peanuts. And nobody might have benefited financially from the lampposts’ construction. Yet, it is taxpayers’ money and should have been wisely spent.
I have not seen P3.5 million in my whole life and—argue with me on this—so have 95 percent of all Romblomanons. We are a poor province pretending to be rich. We are dark, but the pockets of bright spots, whether they are in Tabing Dagat or somewhere else, do not shine equally on all of us. Get that?
In other words, if you are the governor, why would you prioritize spending P3.5 million on lampposts if P3.5 million can build 12 concrete classrooms, or buy 5,384 fifty-kilo sacks of NFA rice, or used to dig up 20 deep wells in areas where there is no safe water for residents? I calculated that the P3.5 million can also be used to buy 583,000 Neozep tablets, more than enough to prevent all Romblomanons from contracting common colds.
Come on, I am not being simplistic. In these times when a ganta of rice in Sibale is about P80, there is no time to kid each other how we could possibly survive the economic crunch that majority of Romblomanons is suffering from. We all have to be practical and to do it is to call on our leaders to set aright their priorities.
Alas, Gov. Beltran’s priority—which is the beautification of Romblon (go to Romblon’s website to see this)—clashes with reality. Beautify Romblon when Romblomanons are hungry? You must be joking. Why should we install bright lights in streets with less traffic—human and vehicular—when there are families in the mountains who don’t have electricity connection? Pray, tell, where is the sense of practicality and commonsense in this?
Another thing. Romblon is pristinely, naturally beautiful as it already is. There is no need to “beautify” it some more, if the governor’s beautification projects are aimed at papering over Romblon’s face with cosmetics to attract tourists.
We are sick—our provincial government is sick—with incrementalism. The solution that we think and implement for our monumental problems are always incremental and superficial. Small and short-term and cyclical. We plod. We muddle from one election to another. A paved road here, an artesian well there, a lamppost over there, a basketball court here, a waiting shed there, etc. In doing so, we try to please a small number and leave the majority hanging high and dry. Result? Problem unsolved.
We do not appreciate the big picture and we do not do the practical, incredibly big things for the long-term benefit of our people. Government is not rocket science. It requires only commonsense and a good heart. It also requires honesty and hard work.
I call this incremental attitude, this distorted sense of priority, the end of imagination, a quote from Nadine Gordimer, one of my favorite writers. Many elected government officials have reached this end.
You need not have proof. Just go to Tabing Dagat and see the lights. After that, visit Sibuyan where the poor are pressing their empty stomachs with their calloused hands and staring blankly into nowhere.
Who pays for the electric bills, anyway, Gov. Beltran? The barangay? Nakakahilak si kapitan. Nabawasan kag ida internal revenue allotment.
Sometime ago, I wrote that MMDA chair Bayani Fernando had reached the end of his imagination because he painted the EDSA toilets pink.
Now, it’s Gov. Beltran’s turn to reach that end. But I am not even sure that he has the imagination, so we ask: How could he reach its end?
Kag pagbabag-o it gi-udahan it kapitolyong komersyal it Romblon ay marako ag masyado’t halata. Sa ako pangmuyat, nag-uswag ka Odiongan. Kag lugar it dating merkado ay naglimpyo. It has turned into a public space.
Nagrasig ag nagtigson ka ekonomiya. Karamo iy ka nagtitinra ag nagni-negosyo. Halos kumpletoy ka pasilidad it pagbabangko, telekomunikasyon, ag edukasyon. Nagramo ka tawo, nak ka mga balati-on ay pay nagkapag-asa.
Mahabang panahon ka pitong tuig. Kung mas marasig, siguro ay mas mayado pa ka naabot it Odiongan. Reli gi susuyor ka ‘intervention’ it gobyerno sa pag-uswag it usang banwa. Ka pag-uswag ay ging aanak it matadlong nak pagpapanguyo ag matibay nak gobyerno.
Kada kung moderno’y ka Odiongan, siguradong ka gobyerno ay inggwa it nahuman.
Klaro?
Yes, but only partly. The history of modernity is a history of a people coming together to promote and act for the common good. The government may claim credit for uplifting people’s lives, but only partly. In the end, it is still the common people who should get credit for moving forward.
Kaling kaisipong kali ay nagyutaw it kag magbisita ako sa Odiongan. Nakaabot ako sa Brgy. Tabing Dagat. Reli ay nakahilera ka mga konkretong posteng sa kahahadag ka iwag; nak sa sobrang hadag ay siguradong masabo ka isra pag taob ag maruyom ka buyan. Ugaling ay siguradong pagsabo it isra ay kaibahan ka sayabay, dahil ka hadag ay waya it ging pipiling a-iwagan. Basaha kag istorya it nanay ni Jose Rizal sa “The Lamp and the Moth”.
What’s the point I am driving at? That a lighted public place both repels and attracts. It repels criminals who shun the light. It attracts visitors and encourages leisurely activities. The only problem when I visited the “baywalk” along Brgy. Tabing Dagat was that there was not a single promenader. The place was silent as a tomb.
Nagsawa-iy sa hadag ka taga-Odiongan?
No. They might have just other important things to do than killing time under the bright lights of the “baywalk”, such as, perhaps, working to earn a living, or taking a rest after a hard day’s work.
This is not to disparage the Tabing Dagat lampposts. They are beautiful and serve a purpose. This is, however, to question the priorities of those who put it up. Whoever did it lacked imagination.
I was told the lampposts, 100 pieces in all, cost P3.5 million. That is P35,000 per. I was also told there are similar lampposts in Calatrava, put up by Mayor Bong Fabella, and they cost only P17,000 per. What mathematical corruption was committed in erecting the Tabing Dagat promenade lights? Ask Gov. Natalio Beltran, Jr. Most probably, he will say, “None”.
But that’s exactly my point. The P3.5 million is not peanuts. And nobody might have benefited financially from the lampposts’ construction. Yet, it is taxpayers’ money and should have been wisely spent.
I have not seen P3.5 million in my whole life and—argue with me on this—so have 95 percent of all Romblomanons. We are a poor province pretending to be rich. We are dark, but the pockets of bright spots, whether they are in Tabing Dagat or somewhere else, do not shine equally on all of us. Get that?
In other words, if you are the governor, why would you prioritize spending P3.5 million on lampposts if P3.5 million can build 12 concrete classrooms, or buy 5,384 fifty-kilo sacks of NFA rice, or used to dig up 20 deep wells in areas where there is no safe water for residents? I calculated that the P3.5 million can also be used to buy 583,000 Neozep tablets, more than enough to prevent all Romblomanons from contracting common colds.
Come on, I am not being simplistic. In these times when a ganta of rice in Sibale is about P80, there is no time to kid each other how we could possibly survive the economic crunch that majority of Romblomanons is suffering from. We all have to be practical and to do it is to call on our leaders to set aright their priorities.
Alas, Gov. Beltran’s priority—which is the beautification of Romblon (go to Romblon’s website to see this)—clashes with reality. Beautify Romblon when Romblomanons are hungry? You must be joking. Why should we install bright lights in streets with less traffic—human and vehicular—when there are families in the mountains who don’t have electricity connection? Pray, tell, where is the sense of practicality and commonsense in this?
Another thing. Romblon is pristinely, naturally beautiful as it already is. There is no need to “beautify” it some more, if the governor’s beautification projects are aimed at papering over Romblon’s face with cosmetics to attract tourists.
We are sick—our provincial government is sick—with incrementalism. The solution that we think and implement for our monumental problems are always incremental and superficial. Small and short-term and cyclical. We plod. We muddle from one election to another. A paved road here, an artesian well there, a lamppost over there, a basketball court here, a waiting shed there, etc. In doing so, we try to please a small number and leave the majority hanging high and dry. Result? Problem unsolved.
We do not appreciate the big picture and we do not do the practical, incredibly big things for the long-term benefit of our people. Government is not rocket science. It requires only commonsense and a good heart. It also requires honesty and hard work.
I call this incremental attitude, this distorted sense of priority, the end of imagination, a quote from Nadine Gordimer, one of my favorite writers. Many elected government officials have reached this end.
You need not have proof. Just go to Tabing Dagat and see the lights. After that, visit Sibuyan where the poor are pressing their empty stomachs with their calloused hands and staring blankly into nowhere.
Who pays for the electric bills, anyway, Gov. Beltran? The barangay? Nakakahilak si kapitan. Nabawasan kag ida internal revenue allotment.
Sometime ago, I wrote that MMDA chair Bayani Fernando had reached the end of his imagination because he painted the EDSA toilets pink.
Now, it’s Gov. Beltran’s turn to reach that end. But I am not even sure that he has the imagination, so we ask: How could he reach its end?
Monday, July 7, 2008
Under the Romblon Sun, a writer returns
In a province where opinion is as opinionated as the street-corner opinion-maker, opinion columns, unread though they may be, come cheap.
So why write another? Indeed, why suffer another opinion writer?
This question popped up as I lay on a rubber bank of a bed of M/V Princess Annavell while it navigated blindly the dark seas of the Tablas Strait on its way to Batangas last week.
To this quiz, the answer is easy.
Salman Rushdie, the famous British author of the ‘Satanic Verses’, the book that sent him into hiding and seclusion because the head of the Revolutionary Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran declared a ‘fatwah’ or death decree on him for alleged blasphemy against Allah, once said that the duty of the writer “is to say the unsayable, speak the unspeakable”.
I am not a Rushdie fan, but I have faith in his defense of the writer. Writers, whether they are writing fiction or writing opinion pieces, are civilization’s last defense against tyranny in all its ugly forms.
I consider myself a writer and proudly wear a badge with a large “W” mark on it. However, I don’t distinguish myself according to what I write, because writing—including opinion writing—should not be burdened by labels. Writers are writers, that’s all there is to it.
I refer, of course, to the serious ones, those who consider their craft as a moral duty to society—to their readers, if you may. Serious writers are those who write because they felt it an obligation “to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable”, as the writer Conrado de Quiros so succinctly put it.
I have very low regard for writers who consider writing as a source of power with which they can injure or inflict moral harm to declared and perceived enemies; those who engage in the use of the word to pursue personal agendas.
Alas, the writing profession, including some newspapers, is inhabited by creatures who use the pen to settle scores and ain personal advantage; by writers who smear personalities with gutter paint. Such are not serious writers. They are demagogues who should be exposed as such.
Let’s go back to the genesis of this piece. I said, “Why write an opinion column?”
Fair comment (that’s what opinion pieces should be) reinforces public perception that views expressed in a newspaper is a mirror of society—and reality. And the reality—at least that which newspapers report and commented on by opinion writers—is harsh. Very harsh.
That reality, as well as the injustices in society and the meanness of man to his fellow man, comes under the minute scrutiny of opinion writers.
The news reporter may be the writer of history in a hurry; he may report which public persona is dipping his fingers into the public coffers, or write about who is bedding whom, but it is the opinion writer who interprets that history. It is he who delves into the motivation of men and who pries open the doors of the power corridors and brings to light the darker side of the news. A columnist does not write calumny. He expresses his views and comment on the news.
And so, I write another opinion column. Thank you, Tony Macalisang. You are courageous to admit into the pages of the Romblon Sun a writer whose views are often recalcitrant, if not downright “blasphemous” against officialdom’s. But Romblon Sun readers, I suppose, would be curious, interested, in reading the views of one who has grown up whistling in the dark and battling odds as a ‘struggling’ writer.
By ‘struggling’, I meant I have always been trying to figure out why we continue to wallow in poverty despite our rich natural resources; why despite our people’s high literacy, ignorance in governance continues to permeate the Romblon air; and why an elected official, SP member Benjamin Irao, Jr., could blurt out in Odiongan’s public plaza a blanket accusation that “lahat sila corrupt, ako lang ang hindi”.
As a writer, I struggle to answer questions that affect our debilitating provincial existence. I am trying, for example, to fathom Irao’s pontification, as if all of us, except him, should be admitted to hell. Are we that desperate as a people to fry ourselves in our own lard?
It is this, and the larger questions in society, that I, as a writer, will address in this column. I will fail in my duty if I do not do so. Not writing about the demons that torment our province would mean that we will, as a people, continue to suffocate the ‘struggling’—there, that word again—Romblomanon whose only dream is to live a decent life. Not writing about Irao’s accusation would mean we permit him to occupy a bigger plaza and, without proof, smear again with gutter paint his fellow elected officials.
Of course, Irao has a point. It is a reality that on our streets—paved or rough—prowls the corrupt and the vile, mostly politicians garbed in fine clothing, preening in official arrogance, but hatching dark schemes of abuse and misdeeds and crimes so nauseating they would make Al Capone’s evading tax payment a gentle stroll in the park.
And they are who the writers must write about. I shall do that. I shall strive to prick the conscience of the readers, to incite them to think, and to clarify their doubts.
A writer has no choice but to present, through his own prism, the view which the readers may not see. He should be true to this role, to his calling which only he as an observer of events and as a writer could see and hear. This is true if he is to raise the shutters that blind the people. Otherwise, he will only contribute to human ignorance if he fails to do so.
The acid test of a serious writer is his loyalty to the truth and his fidelity to the facts. An opinion writer, indeed, any writer worth his salt, should remain under the dictates of his conscience, within the ambit of public interest. An opinion writer, indeed, any writer for that matter, who considers public interest secondary to his many other interests, is not a serious writer. He is a dealer in cheap talk.
The elected public official who is corrupt is kicked out by disgruntled voters in an election. That is democracy. The writer who dispenses opinion wildly without regard for the truth and the public interest is not read, and his newspaper is bought to be used as fish wrap. That, too, is democracy. That is also an insult to the writer.
I welcome you to this corner of the Romblon Sun. Space permitting and with the above as self-imposed guidelines, I will, once a week, offer you a menu of crisp views on the events as they unfold and comment on the news, even on the weather.
I will be generous with praise to public officials who, under tremendous constraints, succeed in serving the people, but I will be unremitting in excoriating misdeeds and injustices whenever and wherever they are committed. I will write about the dispossessed, the powerful and the powerless, the afflicted and the comfortable. In short, I will write about Romblon and the Romblomanons.
What do I do after I write?
Na-wilig-wilig ako. Na-liong-liong. That is not an opinion. That is a gesture of telling myself I have fulfilled my duty as a writer.
That is also the title of this column.
(First article under the column, "Liong-Liong, Wilig-Wilig", that appears weekly in the Romblon Sun).
So why write another? Indeed, why suffer another opinion writer?
This question popped up as I lay on a rubber bank of a bed of M/V Princess Annavell while it navigated blindly the dark seas of the Tablas Strait on its way to Batangas last week.
To this quiz, the answer is easy.
Salman Rushdie, the famous British author of the ‘Satanic Verses’, the book that sent him into hiding and seclusion because the head of the Revolutionary Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran declared a ‘fatwah’ or death decree on him for alleged blasphemy against Allah, once said that the duty of the writer “is to say the unsayable, speak the unspeakable”.
I am not a Rushdie fan, but I have faith in his defense of the writer. Writers, whether they are writing fiction or writing opinion pieces, are civilization’s last defense against tyranny in all its ugly forms.
I consider myself a writer and proudly wear a badge with a large “W” mark on it. However, I don’t distinguish myself according to what I write, because writing—including opinion writing—should not be burdened by labels. Writers are writers, that’s all there is to it.
I refer, of course, to the serious ones, those who consider their craft as a moral duty to society—to their readers, if you may. Serious writers are those who write because they felt it an obligation “to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable”, as the writer Conrado de Quiros so succinctly put it.
I have very low regard for writers who consider writing as a source of power with which they can injure or inflict moral harm to declared and perceived enemies; those who engage in the use of the word to pursue personal agendas.
Alas, the writing profession, including some newspapers, is inhabited by creatures who use the pen to settle scores and ain personal advantage; by writers who smear personalities with gutter paint. Such are not serious writers. They are demagogues who should be exposed as such.
Let’s go back to the genesis of this piece. I said, “Why write an opinion column?”
Fair comment (that’s what opinion pieces should be) reinforces public perception that views expressed in a newspaper is a mirror of society—and reality. And the reality—at least that which newspapers report and commented on by opinion writers—is harsh. Very harsh.
That reality, as well as the injustices in society and the meanness of man to his fellow man, comes under the minute scrutiny of opinion writers.
The news reporter may be the writer of history in a hurry; he may report which public persona is dipping his fingers into the public coffers, or write about who is bedding whom, but it is the opinion writer who interprets that history. It is he who delves into the motivation of men and who pries open the doors of the power corridors and brings to light the darker side of the news. A columnist does not write calumny. He expresses his views and comment on the news.
And so, I write another opinion column. Thank you, Tony Macalisang. You are courageous to admit into the pages of the Romblon Sun a writer whose views are often recalcitrant, if not downright “blasphemous” against officialdom’s. But Romblon Sun readers, I suppose, would be curious, interested, in reading the views of one who has grown up whistling in the dark and battling odds as a ‘struggling’ writer.
By ‘struggling’, I meant I have always been trying to figure out why we continue to wallow in poverty despite our rich natural resources; why despite our people’s high literacy, ignorance in governance continues to permeate the Romblon air; and why an elected official, SP member Benjamin Irao, Jr., could blurt out in Odiongan’s public plaza a blanket accusation that “lahat sila corrupt, ako lang ang hindi”.
As a writer, I struggle to answer questions that affect our debilitating provincial existence. I am trying, for example, to fathom Irao’s pontification, as if all of us, except him, should be admitted to hell. Are we that desperate as a people to fry ourselves in our own lard?
It is this, and the larger questions in society, that I, as a writer, will address in this column. I will fail in my duty if I do not do so. Not writing about the demons that torment our province would mean that we will, as a people, continue to suffocate the ‘struggling’—there, that word again—Romblomanon whose only dream is to live a decent life. Not writing about Irao’s accusation would mean we permit him to occupy a bigger plaza and, without proof, smear again with gutter paint his fellow elected officials.
Of course, Irao has a point. It is a reality that on our streets—paved or rough—prowls the corrupt and the vile, mostly politicians garbed in fine clothing, preening in official arrogance, but hatching dark schemes of abuse and misdeeds and crimes so nauseating they would make Al Capone’s evading tax payment a gentle stroll in the park.
And they are who the writers must write about. I shall do that. I shall strive to prick the conscience of the readers, to incite them to think, and to clarify their doubts.
A writer has no choice but to present, through his own prism, the view which the readers may not see. He should be true to this role, to his calling which only he as an observer of events and as a writer could see and hear. This is true if he is to raise the shutters that blind the people. Otherwise, he will only contribute to human ignorance if he fails to do so.
The acid test of a serious writer is his loyalty to the truth and his fidelity to the facts. An opinion writer, indeed, any writer worth his salt, should remain under the dictates of his conscience, within the ambit of public interest. An opinion writer, indeed, any writer for that matter, who considers public interest secondary to his many other interests, is not a serious writer. He is a dealer in cheap talk.
The elected public official who is corrupt is kicked out by disgruntled voters in an election. That is democracy. The writer who dispenses opinion wildly without regard for the truth and the public interest is not read, and his newspaper is bought to be used as fish wrap. That, too, is democracy. That is also an insult to the writer.
I welcome you to this corner of the Romblon Sun. Space permitting and with the above as self-imposed guidelines, I will, once a week, offer you a menu of crisp views on the events as they unfold and comment on the news, even on the weather.
I will be generous with praise to public officials who, under tremendous constraints, succeed in serving the people, but I will be unremitting in excoriating misdeeds and injustices whenever and wherever they are committed. I will write about the dispossessed, the powerful and the powerless, the afflicted and the comfortable. In short, I will write about Romblon and the Romblomanons.
What do I do after I write?
Na-wilig-wilig ako. Na-liong-liong. That is not an opinion. That is a gesture of telling myself I have fulfilled my duty as a writer.
That is also the title of this column.
(First article under the column, "Liong-Liong, Wilig-Wilig", that appears weekly in the Romblon Sun).
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Letters and notices
It was Amelyn Labora-Miranda, Kusog Sibalenhon, Inc. business manager, who patiently sent out the notices that last week’s “Kayog nak Pabuta: Usang Dominggong Bingo” will push through, as it did push through, on the 29th of June. KSI officials helped by utilizing the so-called "text" brigade to spread the word about the fund-raising pa-bingo.
You see, the original date, June 22, was rained out when Typhoon Frank lashed out at the country without prior notice, and Kusog officials had to decide right on the ground, at the height of the typhoon, about the postponement.
The problem was that the 29th was a red-numbered date on the calendar. It was the day the “Lethal Combination” title fight between Manny Pacquiao and David Diaz was to take place. We were deathly worried Sibalenhons will watch the fight instead of going to the bingo.
“Dahil sa bagyong Frank, uya rabuno nadayon kag "Kayog nak Pabuta" it Kusog Sibalenhon Inc. sa Lipa it kag nagrayang Domingo. Insulip, 29 June 2008, alas dos sa hapon sa Lion's Club Social Hall ay masyadong dayoniy. Imbitado ka tanan. Maliy kita mapaagto, pagkaramong papremyo!”
So went Amelyn’s terse notice. I don’t know how many ever read it because it was issued at the last minute, but as the turnout at the bingo turned-out, the notice might have spread like wildfire. So many came that I was wondering if any Sibalenhon watched the Pacquiao fight at all.
Of course, the “Kayog nak Pabuta” would have not been successful without the help of some kindred souls who were the very first to come forward and believe in the good cause.
By “the very first to come forward” I refer to the Sibalenhons who, without much of an explanation, opened up their hearts—and their checkbooks—to KSI’s fund-raiser. They need special mention.
“Nicon, napagkasunduan namo ni Rico Fesalbon Rafols nak magturno reli sa imo patigayon. Split kami sa 5,000 pesos via door to door shipment on Saturday, June 14. Mababaton kali nimo it Tuesday/Wednesday. Please send the address kung saan napatugpaa. Kamusta kang Manang Aling ag Manong Doding,” wrote Danilo Fadera from the US.
I was heartily gratified upon reading this letter. Why? Because even with his lengthy absence in the Philippines, Manong Danny's heart remains strongly moored in Sibale. I could only faintly remember his face, although his name is pretty well-known among Sibalenhons as that of Rico Rafols’, who I very well know because we were neighbors in the Poblacion where I grew up as a kid.
Then there was Merwin Mosquera and Uncle Flosie Famarin who, like Cocoy and Manong Danny, split up between themselves a P5,000 donation to Kusog.
“Hungor nakong magrawat sa inro paghikwat nak mapatigson ka inro inibhanang KSI para sa pagtabang sa mga kubos nak kasimanwa raha sa Lipa. Nakakamoot nak marunggan kaling binuhatong maado para sa kahingwayan it lisod, lalo-ey kung nag-uusbong ka bugkos nak pagkaka-usa it bawat usa. Imaw kali’t klarong kusog! Salamat sa imo pag-kuyag ag pag-kayog sa amo – basi pang maramong magbulhot. Pauno yaki namo iparaya ka bulig o riing bangko kali namo na suhotan?” wrote Merwin.
Well, Merwin was a classmate of mine from elementary to high school, and he is a convert when it comes to the use of the Asi language, although sometimes, I guess some of the phrases he uses are not Asi but . . . his charity knows no bounds.
He is also the ardent proponent of the writing of an Asi dictionary. What happened, Merwin, about the project? Can Kusog help you out? Raise the roof, err, the funds so the dictionary could take shape.
Uncle Flos, who like Merwin is in Saudi Arabia, also was the first to write a note promising his support.
Ako'y taos pusong marawat sa imo pahinungor. Ugaling yang ay imo iparaya sa ako kung riing tabungos nako nasudlanan kinang imo ing aagrang pahinungor. Malipayong adlaw sa inrong tanan,” he said.
Then there was Job Atillano. "Manong Nicon, ako ay mabulig gihapon reli sa inro proyekto. Riin nako pwedeng iparaya? Nawa'y patuloy nak magbunga kaling imo magandang pananom sa ato mga kasimanwa. Kaibahan ako nimo sa tanang imo adhikaon,” Job writes from Jeddah, K. S. A.
There are many others who helped, of course. Once again, KSI thanks all of you. Ambubong nak salamat. We intend to use part of the money we raised in sponsoring a conference on disaster preparedness in Sibale this coming August. We will inform you about it soon.
You see, the original date, June 22, was rained out when Typhoon Frank lashed out at the country without prior notice, and Kusog officials had to decide right on the ground, at the height of the typhoon, about the postponement.
The problem was that the 29th was a red-numbered date on the calendar. It was the day the “Lethal Combination” title fight between Manny Pacquiao and David Diaz was to take place. We were deathly worried Sibalenhons will watch the fight instead of going to the bingo.
“Dahil sa bagyong Frank, uya rabuno nadayon kag "Kayog nak Pabuta" it Kusog Sibalenhon Inc. sa Lipa it kag nagrayang Domingo. Insulip, 29 June 2008, alas dos sa hapon sa Lion's Club Social Hall ay masyadong dayoniy. Imbitado ka tanan. Maliy kita mapaagto, pagkaramong papremyo!”
So went Amelyn’s terse notice. I don’t know how many ever read it because it was issued at the last minute, but as the turnout at the bingo turned-out, the notice might have spread like wildfire. So many came that I was wondering if any Sibalenhon watched the Pacquiao fight at all.
Of course, the “Kayog nak Pabuta” would have not been successful without the help of some kindred souls who were the very first to come forward and believe in the good cause.
By “the very first to come forward” I refer to the Sibalenhons who, without much of an explanation, opened up their hearts—and their checkbooks—to KSI’s fund-raiser. They need special mention.
“Nicon, napagkasunduan namo ni Rico Fesalbon Rafols nak magturno reli sa imo patigayon. Split kami sa 5,000 pesos via door to door shipment on Saturday, June 14. Mababaton kali nimo it Tuesday/Wednesday. Please send the address kung saan napatugpaa. Kamusta kang Manang Aling ag Manong Doding,” wrote Danilo Fadera from the US.
I was heartily gratified upon reading this letter. Why? Because even with his lengthy absence in the Philippines, Manong Danny's heart remains strongly moored in Sibale. I could only faintly remember his face, although his name is pretty well-known among Sibalenhons as that of Rico Rafols’, who I very well know because we were neighbors in the Poblacion where I grew up as a kid.
Then there was Merwin Mosquera and Uncle Flosie Famarin who, like Cocoy and Manong Danny, split up between themselves a P5,000 donation to Kusog.
“Hungor nakong magrawat sa inro paghikwat nak mapatigson ka inro inibhanang KSI para sa pagtabang sa mga kubos nak kasimanwa raha sa Lipa. Nakakamoot nak marunggan kaling binuhatong maado para sa kahingwayan it lisod, lalo-ey kung nag-uusbong ka bugkos nak pagkaka-usa it bawat usa. Imaw kali’t klarong kusog! Salamat sa imo pag-kuyag ag pag-kayog sa amo – basi pang maramong magbulhot. Pauno yaki namo iparaya ka bulig o riing bangko kali namo na suhotan?” wrote Merwin.
Well, Merwin was a classmate of mine from elementary to high school, and he is a convert when it comes to the use of the Asi language, although sometimes, I guess some of the phrases he uses are not Asi but . . . his charity knows no bounds.
He is also the ardent proponent of the writing of an Asi dictionary. What happened, Merwin, about the project? Can Kusog help you out? Raise the roof, err, the funds so the dictionary could take shape.
Uncle Flos, who like Merwin is in Saudi Arabia, also was the first to write a note promising his support.
Ako'y taos pusong marawat sa imo pahinungor. Ugaling yang ay imo iparaya sa ako kung riing tabungos nako nasudlanan kinang imo ing aagrang pahinungor. Malipayong adlaw sa inrong tanan,” he said.
Then there was Job Atillano. "Manong Nicon, ako ay mabulig gihapon reli sa inro proyekto. Riin nako pwedeng iparaya? Nawa'y patuloy nak magbunga kaling imo magandang pananom sa ato mga kasimanwa. Kaibahan ako nimo sa tanang imo adhikaon,” Job writes from Jeddah, K. S. A.
There are many others who helped, of course. Once again, KSI thanks all of you. Ambubong nak salamat. We intend to use part of the money we raised in sponsoring a conference on disaster preparedness in Sibale this coming August. We will inform you about it soon.
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