The nail that sticks out gets hammered

By Juan Mercado

"The nail that sticks out gets hammered," the old proverb says.  And a corrupt oligarchy, in this country, pounds down to sleaze-level any official of integrity. They stick out.

Cagayan governor Grace Padaca and Naga city mayor Jesse Robredo, for example, had to run   gauntlets of smears and harassment to serve - and win, much later, recognition like the Magsaysay Award for public service. 

Today, this pounding is most relentless in President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's home turf.  In Pampanga, officials wage what the Inquirer aptly calls a "shameful and shameless" 3-R campaign.  

"Recount, Recall and Requiem" is the template for a furious drive to oust their 26th provincial governor:  Eddie Panlilio. Why? 

Because this priest-turned-reluctant-candidate dented Malacanang's patina of political invincibility. With citizen backing and a shoe-string budget, he  trashed, in  the last elections, provincial board member Lilia Pineda  and  Governor Mark Lapid   Both  preen  as  the  President's  moneyed allies.  

"Among Ed" fractured an unwritten rule: "Never touch the politicians' wallet." Chief Justice Hilario Davide, for example, led the Supreme Court to rule on the notorious coconut levy. That saw Eduardo Cojuangco unleash the congressional "Brat Pack" in a bitter attempt to impeach Davide. Only furious protests, by citizens and church groups, beat back Cojuangco's legislative gunslingers. .

Through efficient collection,  Panlilio  boosted government income  from  Pampanga's  number two political  feeding trough: quarry  taxes. (Jueteng is number one). A month in office, Panlilio surpassed the  P29.1 million  collected by  Mark  Lapid  in 2006. 

One can follow "smell of money" in the Provincial Treasurer's report on the collection track record: Governor Bren Guiao (1993-1994) P3.82 million.  The Mount Pinatubo eruption increased lahar in quarries.  Govenors Lito and son Mark Lapid collected P121.02 million, over the next 12 years. In contrast,  Panlilio  doubled  Lapid's collection  to P230 million  - in  just three years.

This record stood a corrupt elite on it's head.  More significant, it gave startled citizens a glimpse of the massive amounts that leached into politicians' wallets.  

"Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example," Mark Twain notes. With a robust  P143-million development fund, Panlilio helped nine  understaffed and poorly equipped district hospitals - including , alas, the Diosdado  Macapagal Provincial Hospital. He shared with towns Capitol's  P37-million special education fund.. He periodically split   quarry revenues with towns and barangays.

Candor can turn the "annoyance factor" ballistic.  In October 2007, the President met with 200 officials of the Union of Local Authorities in Malacanang. Brown envelopes were handed out.  Panlilio confirmed he found P500,000 stuffed into his envelope received from a Palace staffer.  He deposited the shekels with the provincial treasurer. 

A furious controversy erupted.  Ironically, it swirled, not around "bribery" but on Panlilio's alleged indiscretion. "No one blushed," noted Cebu Daily News. "Even more telling, no one returned an envelope" - except Panlilio.  

Instead of hailing Panlilio, Pampanga officials clipped his powers. The provincial board granted mayors greater police powers over the quarry. It stripped P 45 million from the quarry reform fund in his budget. 

"Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?"  King Henry II fumed against Thomas Becket.  The archbishop of Canterbury, in 1170, stood firm against the monarch's abuses.  Henry's men cut Becket down at the altar. This became the theme of TS Eliot's work: "Murder In The Cathedral."

Today, a "3-R" campaign would rid Pampanga of this meddlesome priest. The third "R" stands for the first word in Requiem aeternam dona eiis Domini.  ("Eternal rest give unto him, O Lord")   Panlilio says little of this threat.  But he dons a flak-jacket in more exposed situations.  Men have killed for less, he knows.

The other two "Rs" stand for "recount" and "recall." The Supreme Court stopped the recount until it resolves an issue of abuse. Officials seek to gather 100,000 signatures - 10 percent of the province's voting population, to force a recall election of Pampanga's 137 priests, only 15 signed up.  

"This petition has partisanship written all over it," the Inquirer said. "But the brazenness is still breathtaking. Simply put, their "campaign" is both shameful and shameless. In Filipino, "nakakahiya, walang hiya!"

"Instead of recall, people should call for reform," said Pampanga's Bishop Pablo David.   Majority of the province's clergy support Panlilio.  "This is not about a person. It's about a whole moral crusade for good governance."

This is  a country starved for officials of integrity "who stick out."  Alongside Cagayan's Governor  Grace Podaca and Naga  City mayor Jesse Robredo, stands Pannlilio.  They provide proof to a dispirited people  that  integrity still exists. "Example is the school of mankind," Edmund Burke wrote. "And men will learn at no other."  

Malacanang meticulously distances itself from the "3-R" campaign. But would  Pampanga  officials   pound  "Among Ed" down to their sleaze level,  if  the kabalen in Malacanang  didn't wink?, "The voice may be that  of Jacob. But the hand is that of Esau." 

American Soldiers Join Combat in Mindanao?

A team from the Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFACom) is flying to Sulu and Zamboanga City to investigate reports that American forces have joined local troops in combat operations.

"This group headed by Undersecretary Edilberto Adan will proceed to Zamboanga and Sulu to investigate the allegations,'' Brigadier General Jorge Segovia, acting chief of the Armed Forces command center, said at the Sulo Hotel press forum.

He declined further comment so as not to preempt the results of VFACom investigation.

An American soldier was reported hurt when Abu Sayyaf rebels attacked Philippine Marines in a logistics run in Patikul, Sulu, on August 30, but the military denied this. Four Marines were killed in the ambush.

"No US personnel was involved,'' Colonel Ernesto Torres, AFP public information officer, told reporters after the forum.

Zamboanga City Mayor Mannix Dalipe yesterday also wondered why the US forces had been allowed by the government to overstay in the city.

Segovia said he doubted that US forces had taken part in local combat, saying that the VFA prohibits this.

"They're more into humanitarian missions. But as far as engaging in combat, they're not involved,'' he said after the forum.

Besides, he added: "As a soldier and officer, I want the conflict to be fought by us. The military would not allow anybody to lead local operations.''

Panglao Island Water Crisis: Old Problem

If Panglao Island was an Academy, its officialdom passed the Pre-Finals Test last Friday.

Keeping their cool, though privately peeved by the political intramurals in Panglao politics, the prime movers Governor Rico Aumentado and First District Congressman Edgar Chatto convened the Panglao officials before scores of private stockholders, long agitated by the stalemate over the potable water issue in the island Paradise.

The backdrop was grim as the result so damaging if no decision was made Friday. It would have be prejudicial to the efforts to buttress Panglao's claim as successor to the famed Boracay and the P 4-Billion international airport project would have seemed to outsiders like a daunting task - given the fact that people could not even resolve the water issue.The clock was ticking - and time waits for no one.

So it was perhaps the fear of a business disaster and public relation nightmare - that Panglao officials led by Mayor Benedicto Alcala and Vice Mayor Pedro Fuertes finally buried the hatchet under the glare of media, the Provincial Officaldom and tourism stakeholders.

They blinked amidst this pressure - and the Sangguniang Bayan of Panglao was post haste assembled and decided the Panglao Potable Water Project will now go on with Competitive Bidding rather than Open Access execution at the soonest possible time.

Why it would take the iron fist of the provincial brass and an peeved public opinion to address a basic concern an issue in Panglao is an indictment against the parochial politics of destruction and nihilism of the island officials. The successful Friday consultation also proved, however, that they are not beyond redemption.

But after the press photo opportunity, the Final Test of implementation is still to be carried out.

Let's do the competitive bidding with utter transparency and meritrocacy in mind and filter out the bogus, fly-by-night pretenders. 

No other day must be lost hereafter - otherwise the sin of procrastination and sloth will be added to the previous list of parochialism, politicking and fighting for vested self interest. The people of Panglao and Bohol have had enough.

The time for final redemption of Panglao is about to begin.

THE SUBJECT OF WATER

With the inevitable progression of Panglao as a tourism magnet - with or without an international airport - the demand for water will indeed be tremendous. All the more we should act like paranoids in being jealous of and zealous over the protection of our water resources. A main natural resource of Bohol .

There is Imperial Cebu to watch out for, though we remain friendly neighbors in the Central Visayas. They need water badly and attempted to do a Bohol-Cebu Water Supply Project while eyeing with a covetous glare the lusty Inabanga River.

When Mactan needed white sand, they pirated barge-loads from Panglao and other Bohol coastlines in the darkness of the night. When they went on an industrial boom, we lost the islands of Tambulian and Malingao off Clarin town to quarrying for Cebu's needs. Water be next?

Bohol has to preserve the remaining water supply it has. We haven't even started the golf courses which will undeniably come into being in Bohol and uptown Tagbilaran City is just starting to grow exponentially.

We have poor yield of rice in Bohol because of inefficient, possibly graft-ridden dams, built on interest-bearing loans of a Japanese bank to be paid by the entire nation. There seems to be not enough water in the dams or the latter is used inefficiently - in both counts, government is largely to blame. 

The so-called Bohol Integrated Irrigation System supposedly covering 10,260 appears to be a monument of failure - considering the area being covered. Exoneration by our biased judicial system of some officials involved in some dam mess does not erase this fact - and an angry public knows.

After spending billions to construct them, the Malinao Dam in Pilar (supposed to service 4,960 hectares), the Bayongan Dam (San Miguel) for 4,140 hectares and Capayas Dam (Ubay) for 1,160 hectares may soon need additional millions of pesos in borrowed money to "rehabilitate" them.

Today, we are reckless with water usage because we have water in wanton abandon. And because there are eco-tourism projects like the Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape Project that still tries to conserve water and soil. But for much further can we erode our water supply until the need becomes acute?Do we see a provincial Water Management Program good for the next ten years? If there is, do the people know there is one? - Editorial Bohol Chronicle

Rey Boom Bautista Will Fight in America?

After a successful and impressive defense of the belt he already tucked in for several years, WBO Intercontinental superbantamweight king Rey "BoomBoom" Bautista may see action underneath a scheduled Manny Pacquiao-Oscar de la Hoya fight on December 6, in MGM Grand Hotel in Nevada, USA.

In the "Night of Champions" card at the Waterfront Lahug, Cebu City, Saturday last week, Bautista demolished the ambitious Mexican challenger Eden "Anestecista" Marquez in the second round of the 12-round mainer to retain the title.

In a post fight interview, Bautista said he is looking forward to an undercard fight of the $100 million Pacquiao - Dela Hoya battle.

Bautista, who hails from Candijay, Bohol, hinted that fighting under the hugely popular epic clash of the world's most popular boxers was promised to him by his manager, Michael Aldeguer.

Bautista is now unbeaten in his latest three fights, after his devastating first round loss to Daniel Ponce de Leon in Arco Arena, Sacramento, California last year.

Unlike in most of his previous fights, the 22-year old Bautista who now totes a 26-1, with 19 stoppages, refused to trade blows in the first round with Marquez.

Keeping himself busy to avoid Marquez' strong and powerful punches, Bautista severally used his lateral movements running around the ring that caught some boxing fans by surprise.

The demolition came in the next round, when Bautista started strong and began fighting aggressively throwing wild punches to the face and breadbasket of the Mexican fighter who was already in trouble midway in the second.

Receiving barrage of punches from the Bohol-raised, the Mexican, for the second time around, was sent back to the floor with 1:08 seconds of the said round as international referee Bruce McTavish called it a halt.

In a post-fight interview, Bautista said the opening round was his experimental move and opted not to fight aggressively.

"Ingon man akong trainer nga magbantay lang sa, di lang sa gyud ta mosud og sayo kay wa ta kahibawo sa iyang style. Kusog man gud siya. (Heeding the advice of my trainer, I opted not to fight aggressively in the first round, but we should be careful because he is a powerful puncher,)" according to Bautista. The loss dropped Marquez' record to 16-4-3, with 12 knockouts. 

Save Balicasag Island from Environmental Destruction

The move to save Balicasag Island as a prime dive spot perceives expansion to preserve a wider area comprising what is called as the Bohol Marine Triangle (BMT).

A stakeholders' consultation workshop enters its second day today at the Bohol Plaza Resort where the various coastal concerns of the towns of Panglao, Dauis and Baclayon will be on focus.

Gov. Erico Aumentado, Rep. Edgar Chatto and BM Ae Damalerio representing Vice Gov. Julius Herrera opened the workshop yesterday attended by Panglao Mayor Benedicto Alcala, Dauis Mayor Luciano Bongalos and Baclayon mayor Alvin Uy, together with their respective vice mayors, town kagawads and baragay chairs.

Gov. Aumentado challenged the LGUs to be responsive to the need to preserve the marine resources in the area which were noticed to retain damages.

He vowed full support to the joint effort of the towns in addressing the alarm on marine destruction.

For his part, Rep. Chatto said he sees the BMT as the "people or stakeholders of the tourism activities in the area, and not the BMT as an office, thus everyone residing in the area has to contribute for the preservation of the marine resources."

The two-day workshop aims to establish a harmonized implementation of various policies governing activities within the seawaters of the three municipalities where Bohol's second tourism signature destination   (diving and dolphin watching) are situated, according to Provincial Tourism Council Chairman Peter Dejaresco who delivered the statement of purpose of the workshop bearing the theme "Harmonization Towards Enhancing Local Initiatives for the Protection of the BMT."

Panglao Mayor Alcala vowed commitment to the move. However, he admitted there was "no success story of the BMT, so to speak, under the stewardship of a group, prior the newly created Padayon BMT.

Dauis Mayor Bongalos and Baclayon Mayor Uy, outgoing and incoming Padayon BMT executives, likewise vowed support for the undertaking which called for an immediate "rescue operation" considering the underwater destructions noted in the area.

National Milo Marathon

The Home of the Tarsier and the world-famous Chocolate Hills shall turn green today when runners in green shirts take the streets of Tagbilaran City in Bohol for the staging of the 32nd National Milo Marathon leg.

Six runners, the top three men and three women finishers, will advance to the Milo Marathon national finals slated on Nov. 30 in Metro Manila.

While the centerpiece of this weekly foot race held in partnership with Bayview Park Hotel, Adidas and Department of Tourism is the 21-k qualifying race, the bulk of participants will come from the 5K fun run and the 3K age group race for kids.

The top 10 finishers in all categories will receive trophies, medals and cash prize amounting to P159,000.

Also on hand for today's early morning festivity is the cheerdance competition, which has become one of the major attractions in this island-hopping event.

Local race organizer lawyer Dionisio Balite has invited Gov. Erico B. Aumentado to fire the starting gun for that 21k race, Mayor Dan Neri Lim for the 5k, and board member Josil Trabajo for the 3k kiddie run. They will also be on hand to award prizes to all winners. A total of 5,000 runners registered for the event.

Nestle AVP Pat Goc-ong, meanwhile, is advising all participants to be at the starting area not later than 5 a.m. for the pre-race briefing and check-in. runners are also advised to wear their respective Milo shirts given to them upon registration for security purposes.

After Tagbilaran, the country's biggest and longest-running marathon goes to San Fernando City in La Union next Sunday for the 18th leg of the 2008 season. 

Tennis Rematch

The much-awaited friendly return tennis match-up between the rampaging Governor's Mansion and the well-known Capitol Centre Court Tennis clubs takes place today at the Mansion Tennis court.

Exactly one week ago, the visiting Mansion tennisters outplayed the Capitol players by winning six doubles games with only for setbacks and three draws. Tennis buffs here expect the Capitol invaders led by the ageless prexy Boy Lopez to bounce back and settle the score once and for all.

The host team led by its president Nick Lagura will welcome the visitors, including the fire-breathing provincial administrator Tommy Abapo for the "presidential game" this morning, according to the fiery Governor's Mansion spokesperson 3rd top dyRD reporter Fil Layao.

Best Taekwondo Championship

Around 300 of the country's top taekwondo-jins strut their stuff in the 2008 Adidas Best of the Best taekwondo championship today at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

"This is a much awaited event because only gold medalists in national level competitions . . . are eligible to compete," said Philippine Taekwondo Association president Robert N. Aventajado. He added Beijing Olympics veterans Tshomlee Go and Mary Antoinette Rivero might also see action.

Other well-known Filipino national pool members who are expected to vie for honors are John Paul Lizardo, Alexander Briones, Jyra Lizardo, Alexander Briones, Jyra Lizardo, Criselda Roxas, Eunice and Elaine Alora, Lorraine Catalan, Carlos Padilla V and Manuel Rivero Jr.

The Philippine Sports Commission is also helping the tournament.

Congressman Manny Pacquiao 2010

By Bingo P. Dejaresco

Don't look now - but that appears to be the Pacman's game plan.

By May 2010 (election time), Manny Pacquiao , the world's best boxer today and WBC lightweight champion shall have fought (welterweight) boxing legend Oscar de la Hoya (December 6, 2008) and two others in 2009. That year 2009 - Pacman will announce his retirement from the bloody sport of boxing. By then he will have earned about P3 billion in just nine years of fighting.

Rumors have it - the Pacman who has been studying (textbooks, on the side) will run for Congressman of Saranggani in May 2010 - after failing in his first bid against politically-entrenched Darlene of the Custodio and Antonino clans of the First District of Cotabato in 2004.

This time, no Filipino can begrudge the Pacman's other ambition. After all, even today he has brought superlative honors for the country for winning 4 world titles and being adjudged today the best "pound for pound" fighter even by experts.

After retirement, Pacman will no longer be bothered about serving two masters: boxing career and his Saranggani constituency. Now, let us allow Congressman Manny Pacquiao this one chance to serve his country in another way.

At age 31, that is just right time to quit this strenuous sport - without having permanent injuries like Muhammad Ali's Parkinson's Disease today. He will also have his P3 billion as retirement kitty more than enough for even for three more generations of Pacquiao family - if he invests wisely and does not indulge in dangerous distractions like big-time gambling or financing criminality.

Besides Mommy Dionisia who just prays than watch TV fights of Pacman and other relatives want the favorite Cotabato son to retire in one piece. Wife Jinky (who will watch the De la Joya fight) will be pleased to have his man (at least) safe for the rest of their lives. And their sons - who Pacman will not allow to go boxing - will have enough stories to tell to forever idolize their super boxer-father.

In 2007, a psychic had predicted Pacquiao will be beaten in the year 2008 - long before talk of a Pacman-De la Hoya fight was even planted in anyone's imagination. This could be Pacquiao's Waterloo - even odds-makers believe he is the underdog – simply because De La Hoya (a natural welterweight at 147 pounds) is too big for Pacquiao (lightweight at 135 pounds).

In boxing, as in basketball, they always say that the Good Big Man will beat the Good, Small Man. Or will the unpredictable Pacman surprise everyone with a monumental upset in the Dec. 6 Las Vegas Nevada fight?

If Pacman loses, he can go back and fight the remaining best fighters in his weight class - and walk away into retirement - undefeated in the blaze of glory. If Pacman, wins - he can have his last two fights into a momentous scenario that will defy repetition at any time - give Oscar de la Hoya a rematch and egg Floyd Mayweather (the retired former best fighter) to move out of retirement and engage a classic winner-take-all do-or-die ring showdown that will break all existing box-office records.

In the second scenario, Pacquiao can go P5 billion richer . Imagine. Oscar de la Hoya, the brilliant boxer-promoter is revved up to fight the Philippine sensation for three reasons:  he wants to fight only the best boxers, Freddie Roach (Pacman's coach) insulted him saying "at his age of 35, Oscar can no longer pull the trigger" and to avenge the defeats of the immortal Mexican boxers (Marquez, Morales, Barrera, Diaz) by the Gensan Bomber.

If De la Hoya fights "at the center of the ring" that he promised, then the Pacman has a chance to unload his bazookas at close range; if he sticks his jab and occasionally engage Manny toe-to-toe, Oscar could get away with a decision. For a knockout, it can go either way.

Hat doffed, we commend Pacman for mapping his life strategy this way. Unlike poor former Filipino world champions like Luisito Espinosa and Rolando Navarette who are destitute after hanging their gloves. Our Bohol boxers like Rey Boom Bautista (congratulations, by the way) and AJ Bazooka Banal should take the cue from the Cotabato brawler in career and financial planning.

From June 2001 to June 2008 Pacman has amassed P1 billion from ring purse and another P500 million in product endorsements: Nike, SMC, Smart, Alaxan, PAL, among others. That excludes the TV broadcast of his fights locally. He has it made, by all standards.

His fight with De la Hoya in December 6 will just be his much awaited "date with history."

And with all the honor and pride he had given this nation - even we Boholanos would want to go to Saranggani - and vote him Congressman in 2010. Let's watch him put his purse where his mouth is.

Take a bow, the Honorable Congressman from Saranggani!

Starring Mylene Dizon, Eugene Domingo, and Tessie Tomas

Cinemalaya in Dumaguete presents '100'

Festival Closing Film, 8:00 PM

Claire Isabel McGill Luce Auditorium

OPEN TO COMMUNITY SEASON PASS HOLDERS

Starring Mylene Dizon, Eugene Domingo, and Tessie Tomas. Written and Directed by Chris Martinez.. 

100 chronicles the last three months of a cancer stricken woman who has a list of things to do before she dies. Her list of tasks, mostly closures and practical undertakings, expands to the worldly and the spiritual as people close to her share her last days. The film examines the betrayal of the body, celebrates the senses and contemplates the end of life and how to live it. A light-hearted, briskly paced, youthful take on a classic subject, 100 stars today's most exciting performers—including TJ Trinidad, Ryan Eigenmann, Simon Ibarra, and others.