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| Vol. XX No. 45 |
January 17, 2001 |
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
Lutong
macao
The new PNP head should be reminded that illegal gambling in the capital town is held under the very noses of the PNP. This numbers game is locally called "loteng" because it is a combination of lotto and jueteng.
People are aware that illegal gambling in all parts of the country cannot exist and prosper without the cooperation and consent of both the local government officials and the police.
By local officials we mean the governor and the mayor. And by police we mean from the lowly cop to the provincial director. Among policemen, it follows the chain of command.
The "loteng" financier in Virac has been tagged by collectors and bettors as a certain Natalio Popa. Since it is very obvious that this illegal gambling remains untouched by the scalawags in uniform, fellow writer Tang Tacio branded PNP not as Philippine National Police but Pulis Ni Popa! Hindi ba nakakahiya `yan, Col. Panen?
Of course, we are not blaming you because you are only more than a week long in this island. What we expect of you is to do what your immediate predecessor has failed to do. Or refused to do.
If you can eradicate this illegal numbers game here, then people will shower you with accolade. But if you can't or if you won't, then we will presume that you also receive weekly or monthly protection money.
Prove us wrong!
We would like to inform Col. Freddie Panen, too, that a cousin who serves as a close-in bodyguard of Gov. Sanchez has been arrested first week of September by a team led by intelligence chief Major Loreto T. Tablizo, Jr. for possessing an unlicensed Smith & Wesson Special Cal. 38.
May we know the development of the case, Director Panen?
We would like to inform you, too, that some of your boys are involved in illegal logging - some directly. People hope that nder your stewardship, the local PNP is purged of misfits and scalawags.
Puede bang asahan ka ng mga tao?
The on-going impeachment trial of President Jose Velarde, a.k.a. Joseph Estrada, is definitely a waste of the people's money, a waste of the senators' time and efforts.
Even before the termination of the four Articles of Impeachment or before the prosecution rests its case, the vote of the senators is already a foregone conclusion.
Based on the manner the senator-judges ask the witnesses some questions, TV viewers could readily identify the following as pro-Erap: Enrile, Santiago, John Osmena, Oreta, Sotto, Honasan, Tatad, Jaworski and Ople. All the rest are anti-Erap.
Sen. Juan Enrile, for instance, has been appropriately dubbed as "the counsel of the President's counsels." Only eight (8) is needed to acquit the President. The count above is nine, excluding Sen. Revilla.
In other words, if the senators are asked to vote now, Pres. Jose Velarde stays until 2004, that is, on the assumption that no revolution occurs. Also on the assumption that the above-mentioned Senators' conscience is dead!
So why prolong the agony? Or why prolong the lutong macao? The moro-moro? Whether one likes it or not, the normal-minded people have already declared Erap guilty of the four charges.
Their verdict is based on the question: Have all the prosecution witnesses told a lie or simply concocted or manufactured an intricate web of a story?
Have decent and honorable people like former Finance Sec. Espiritu, Clarissa Ocampo, all the Equitable-PCI bank managers who testified, Jose Yulo, Yasay, Almadro and a host of others told a blatant lie?
One should remember that truth is stranger than fiction.
Everytime Gov. Sanchez bungles the affairs of the provincial government, he castigates the SP. He blames the pro-Verceles PBMs. As if his puppet PBMs are all above board, sincere, dedicated, immaculate and blameless.
Of course, this is understandable. It is a escape mechanism. He has to find a scapegoat because he himself is a scapegrace.
Take, for instance, the 2001 provincial budget. He said that he has to reenact the 2000 budget because the SP failed to pass the appropriations measure for year 2001.
If he is to be honest with himself, he should blame no one but himself. The executive budget was received by the SP only on Dec 5, some 50 days or almost two months long after the deadline!
The Local Government code provides that the chief executive should submit the budget to the sanggunian not later than Oct. 16 of the current fiscal year.
The budget was submitted to Gov. Sanchez by the budget office on time, but it took Sanchez some lousy, sleepy 50 days to submit it to the SP which is only some 15 steps away from his office at the capitol!
But why did it take him 50 long days long after the deadline set by the law? Because he was always in Manila attending to his personal businesses. About 95 percent of his waking and sleeping hours is spent in Manila! So, how could he attend to his duties as governor of Catanduanes?
About a year ago, his usual excuse for his long stay in Manila was his frantic search for local and foreign investors to dump their capital to this island.
Now, at the twilight days of his governorship, not a single investor has dropped even a single peso to this forsaken island!
So why blame the SP for the non-approval of the 2001 budget?
He should blame himself. And he is legally answerable for this budget fiasco. The Local Government Code is clear on this matter. It says: "Failure to submit such budget on the date prescribed herein shall subject the local chief executive to such criminal and administrative penalties..."!
Will the SP file the necessary criminal and administrative cases against the governor to teach him a hard lesson?
