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| Vol. XX No. 99 |
December 6, 2000 |
Virac, Catanduanes |
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The Catanduanes Tribune Rawis, Virac Catanduanes, Philippines - 5001 Tel. No.: (052) 811-1267 or 811-2640 Fax No.: (052) 811-1267 E-mail:
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Publisher-Editor Edwin A. Gianan |
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Advertising- Circulation Manager Simeon G. Cueno |
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Web Master: Calgary, Canada |
Briefly Yours
By
Joel Son Panti
Is
this not funny?
May
we ask the Virac PNP why only the small fry in the seas of "loteng"
and"ending"are caught but the big fish remain scot-free?
Yes,
why, Mr. Chief of Police? Or police cheap?
There
are two reasons: either, they do not know who the financier is, or they
are gagged by a wad of cold cash, meaning, they are bribed!
If
they do not know who the big fish is, then they do not deserve their
salaries because they are inutile. If they are inutile, then they should be kicked out of their jobs!
But
only the stupid would believe that they do not know Popa, the big fish.
Ergo, only the small fry is caught because they are bribed!
If
they are, then money passes thru the chain of command - from the lowest to
the highest. May we hear from the Cheap of Police and the Provincial
Director?
"Ending"
has been here fo about a decade now. "Loteng" has been
introduced here long before Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson exposed
President Erap's jueteng collections.
Yet,
only the collector is arrested but the financier remains on his high
pedestal, untouched by law!
* * * * *
The
provincial Liga ng mga Barangay board found Magin P. Isuela guilty of all
the charges filed against him by barangay captain Manuel V. Araojo of
Caramoran/.
He
was suspended for eight months as ABC president of Caramoran and by
operation of law, he also ceases to be an ex-officio member of the
provincial board.It has been reported that Isuela's counsel will file a
case for certiorari or annulment of the Liga board decision.
If
one is to pause for a while and meditate on what is happening at the SP,
one would reach a conclusion that the root cause of all these problems is
in fact not law, not legal matters.
It
is more on the realm of morality and delicadeza. Isuela, like Remelito
Cabrera, allowed himself to be used and abused in exchange for a truck.
Cabrera and his cohorts allowed themselves to be dined, wined and treated
like little kings and queens, plus cold cash, if only to be
"elected" provincial SK president.
Both
the abuser and the abused completely and conveniently disregarded moral
values. As a consequence, charges and countercharges mushroomed like
mushrooms. Suits and countersuits became the order of the day.
In
the process, the reason for their being there - to serve the people - has
been relegated to the background, almost completely. In the meantime, who
benefits out of the suits and countersuits, the charges and the
countercharges?
No,
not the abuser, not the abused. But the lawyers of both sides, specially
the other side, who was quoted as having said, "pabayaan ta sana
sindang magdurolac, basta an intindihon ta so cuarta ninda."
The
more cases you file, the happier the lawyers become. As a matter of fact,
some lawyers egg their clients to file and counterfile cases knowing fully
well that they won't prosper.
Cannot
Isuela and Cabrera and their masters exercise a little bit of delicadeza?
* * * * *
For
lack of a quorum, for violating DILG's 24-hour notice requirement, and for
the wrong venue, Vice Gov. Alfred Aquino will seek for the declaration of
the SP special session null and void.
In
a Saturday night interview with Aquino, who arrived Saturday afternoon
after having been stranded at Tabaco port for two days due to typhoon
Toyang, and after having been appraised of the SP special session, said
that it is obvious that that session violated three major requisites.
He
said the Local Government Code requires that the notice of session be
served not less than 24 hours. The notice for the Nov. 23 special session
was served in the late afternoon of Nov. 22 and the actual session was
held at 8 A.M. the following day.
Aquino
also said that under DILG guidelines, the quorum of 12 members is 7,
including the regular presiding officer. In that special session, only
five regular members attended with PBM Tanael acting as presiding officer.
SK
head Cabrera's presence is being contested and is listed in the draft
minutes as "visitor." But the SP faction considered Cabrera as a
regular member despite a pending appeal of a court order.
Aquino
also said that the filing of the administrative charges with the SP of an
alleged verified complaint is considered a wrong venue, unless the
violation involves internal rules."It should have been filed with the
Office of the President, not with the SP," he said.
The
resolution for the call of Aquino's suspension was allegedly based on a
"verified complaint." But the SP faction failed to show the
alleged verified complaint, neither was Aquino furnished a copy of the
written complaint and asked to comment on it to satisfy the constitutional
provision on due process.
The
special session, from beginning to end, was all bungled up. First, the
provincial secretary did not prepare not issue the notice of session. On
the contrary, he was served a copy from the governor's office and asked to
sign receipt.
Second,
not a single member of that SP faction is a respondent requiring Cabrera
to be allowed to sit as member of the SP. Third, proponents or authors of
the resolution were Isuela, who was again suspended for eight months by
his colleagues in Caramoran, and SK Cabrera whose entry to the SP is under
contest.
Fourth,
it was obvious there was no quorum.
Fifth,
the said resolution was not prepared by the provincial secretary but by
the office of the governor; the provincial secretary was only asked to
sign it.
And,
sixth, all the SP members were supposed to be on official travel to Manila
since Nov. 21 and already have received their travel money. The session
was held Nov. 23!
Now, tell me honestly, is this not really funny?
