GOODBYE is not the end of everything. It is just the end of something and the start of another. As we gave our goodbye to 2008, we look forward to something new or something different.

For a new start at the Provincial Capitol, something more explosive than the New Year’s Eve explosions transpired.

Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo

Monday was the first working day of 2009. Many employees from both private and government offices went in to their respective offices to start their working schedules right. I for one woke up early to be at the office much ahead to the usual arrival of employees to their work stations.

A different buena mano arrival at the Capitol building was the marauding truckers expressing their oppositions to the implementation of Provincial Ordinance 261. The said law could have solved the overloading woes of our province.

Our roads could have experienced a sigh of relief from overloaded trucks. The Implementing Rules and Regulations of the said law however, which I find too much imposing and onerous to the quarry industry, mandates the cutting or reducing the size of dump boxes of trucks to meet their ideal weight vis-à-vis with the quality of our roads in the province. The cost of cutting the dump boxes is an additional expense and is impractical to truck operators.

Vice-Governor Yeng Guiao was right when he stated that the best way to implement the Anti-Overloading Ordinance is through the installation of weighing scales and apprehension of overloaded trucks. The solution is not in the cutting of dump boxes. There is nothing wrong with the local law, except the manner, means and strategies of implementing it.

The truckers stormed Capitol with a mission. They wanted to be recognized and be heard. Their pleas and suggestions for the implementation of the law seemed to fall on deaf ears, the reason for their resort to a more drastic move.

Another opening salvo for the New Year was the ripping of Balas streamers by two boys who were later identified as the nephews of Gov. Ed. Perhaps wanting to be heard and likewise expressing their indignation to the protests of the Balas Boys, they saw action in destroying protest tarpaulins near the picket line.

A commotion and a tug-of-war ensued. The alleged voice violence of the Balas Boys was matched this time with violent curtailment of the freedom to express as the governor’s nephews literally put into their hands pieces of protest streamers.

Attorney Vivian Dabu, the provincial administrator and a co-starrer in the streamers and tarpaulins displayed her power and might, when she saved the two boys from sure kuyug actions. She even reprimanded responding policemen and ordered the arrest of the Balas Boys instead, even as the law enforcers were ordered by their superiors to get the daring destroyers of streamers for investigation.

Dabu deviated from the standard operational procedure of the police in investigating and making clear what really transpired during the commotion.

If the governor is preaching the Gospel of non-violence, he should have initially shared it to his nephews who committed violence in destroying their uncle’s portraits set up by the Balas Boys.

To show his advocacy for peaceful means of addressing the problem, perhaps he can initiate a dialogue with the protesters but hopefully this time with results.

Balas Boys have seen their allies with the truckers in expressing their indignations against what is happening in the provincial Capitol.

Still on the governor, I have seen his budget message for the year 2009. As for his opening statements, he is looking forward for unity. Everyone is hoping that he is sincere this time with his words.

He talked about his priority projects like on agriculture, health and livelihood. One could guess what happened to his Heal program.

On the more technical side, I find it lacking in justifications especially his request for some additional funds. His budget message won’t be complete without his blame to the PB on the delay in the implementation of projects for 2008 allegedly brought about by inaction of the local legislative body. The message is rather pompous and flowery.

As we are having a taste of the year ahead, let’s just hope that the political situation in the provincial Capitol will improve for the better.

Happy New Year to businessman Tomas James Garcia, street parliamentarian Jon Efren Pabalan and NBI Man Cris Pelayo. They are avid readers of this column.