Get on With It

COME on, guys, bring it on.

At the rate, charges are being thrown at the couple Mike and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA), the once adulated and sought after spouses would not have enough space and time to move about their daily routines.

While GMA may have shed her presidential immunity upon stepping down in June 2010, she still commands respect from her peers, former proteges and, of course, from her province mates. It is just sad that only her shortcomings and pitfalls are being paraded around in public and all her beneficial projects are being overlooked, if not ignored.

May I state here that it was during GMA's term that relevant infrastructure was put in place, just like Subic-Clark-Tarlac expressway or SCTEx which significantly cuts travel time from Dau to Subic, from Dau to Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac and vice versa. The sorry part is that the detractors of this very active former president never gave a hoot on her various accomplishments; instead, they are hot on the collar to prosecute her and her lawyer-husband Mike. Like a pack of hungry and ferocious wolves, her opponents are scurrying in from all directions to pin her down through court actions and cases. Ok, bring them all in and let the couple Mike and Gloria face them in the proper venues. In the meantime, I just wish those negative remarks stopped and let the courts decide the cases on the merits and weight of evidence.

Now comes a former Shariah circuit court judge named Nagamura Moner who is making the rounds and gaining publicity in the process, talking ceaselessly like an agitated mynah bird, about the alleged efforts to manipulate the results of the 2004 elections, obviously for generous bribes, in favor of then incumbent President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Why only now would this co-conspirator start revealing the cheating supposedly committed way back in 2004 when he could have divulged or reported the irregularities at the time of their commission?

As a judge, he could have made the revelations at that opportune time but he chose to be mum, all for money, I presume.

Just read on and witness his allegations in his submitted affidavit: "In the statements I made in 2005, there were inexact details and additions which were made which I wish to correct now that I can freely talk". Why would he not have talked freely then? Were there insuperable forces intimidating him so much so that he was afraid to talk then? Come on, Judge Moner.

Then, he goes on pointing at the former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and GMA through former general manager of the Philippine Ports Authority, as the people who were the financiers in the alleged massive cheating. May I ask: can Moner substantiate his charges when the cases are finally heard? That seems to be the difficult part. I hope Judge Moner can muster enough evidence and witnesses to pin down the hapless couple.

*****

With due respect to retired Catholic Archbishop Oscar Cruz, chair of the Krusada ng Bayan Laban sa Sugal (People's Crusade Against Gambling), it is not that easy to eradicate the illegal numbers game or jueteng in identified parts of the country such as Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, Batangas and Laguna.

So many people depend on this for livelihood and not many are complaining of its presence in their communities since it is their money which is being played on and against. Of course, it is open knowledge that quotas are set up for local leaders and police officials, supposedly for protection money but then again no one is complaining.

If Archbishop Cruz were serious enough in his crusade, he should start convincing his fellow men of the cloth to do the same homilies as to stop people from participating in the jueteng game and stop receiving sums of money from the receipts thereof. He should do what he preaches, or stop preaching at all. He could also convince local government officials to make vigilant moves to stop the illegal numbers game and also stop receiving weekly or monthly payola from the operators.

*****

The traditional Mabalacat sports fest is slated to start next week, this much I learned from the coordinator, Jun S. Magbalot, GSO chief and Internal Control head. The participants are officials and employees of the LGU and will vie for prizes in bowling, basketball, biking, badminton, chess, dama, marathon and modern dance. According to Mayor Boking Morales, this activity will promote and enhance solidarity, team building and camaraderie among the officials and employees of the local government unit and at the same time boost the morale and physical attributes of the participants.