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Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Bagabuyo: Alas and the mining law
By Rogelio Butch Bagabuyo
Scintilla
MANILA -- I almost died laughing after seeing the copy of the video taken on the City Council proceedings in the City of Cagayan de Oro last Monday afternoon, April 25th.
First: I thought I was furnished the wrong videotape. The reason is because I saw that the session was presided by a Chinese.
At closer look though, I found out that the presiding officer was actually a friend of mine, a city councilor of the City of Cagayan de Oro. Ergo, not a Chinese but a Chinoy.
Next. I was wondering why there was a scarecrow in a suit in the session hall and apparently speaking in English.
I had to use a magnifying glass and prayed that the Good Lord would continue to provide me with eyesight and a vision, as I have not yet learned to read using the Braille. (Please correct me if my spelling is not correct.)
Lo and behold!
I was wrong, the second time! The scarecrow turned out to be a good friend of mine, closely identified with "alas."
With malice to none, I am a believer that looks are gifts of God and no matter how one tries sartorial elegance, if only to display extravagance at a time when hunger haunts the city, some have faces only a mother can love.
By the way, except for the God-fearing-hardest-hitting radio anchorman and Councilor Zaldy Ocon, Honorable Alvin Calingin and, perhaps, soon Benjo Benaldo and Ian Nacaya, all the members of the City Council of our city of gold are but rubber stamps of "alas."
Believe you me! It was not the faces that almost made me succumb laughing. It was the whole charade!
Despite his handicap, I salute Honorable Ocon for insisting in hearing the voice of the indigenous people of the pinpointed area.
Honorable Ian Nacaya was almost on track. He demanded that the voice of the barangay officials of the affected areas be heard. But, why listen only to your joke boxes?
Why not conduct a public hearing on the areas applied for, making sure that the press--not the envelopment ones--are present?
Afraid of your own constituents?
You can always ask those mean-looking, if not criminal-pruned, bodyguards of "alas!"
My respect for Honorable Simeon Licayan was completely thrown overboard! But, I can't really blame him. He is simply paying his dues.
He knows the City Council was furthest from his wildest dream! He now looks like that cartoon character whose nose protrudes every time he lies.
I can only wonder aloud if Sim Licayan (the man I used to know) has ever heard of the saying: "My loyalty to my party ends where my loyalty to my people begins".
Sadly, what prevails today is: Eat all you can culture of graft and corruption!
Not too long ago, a few precious lives were wasted trying to extract gold in that same area where these shadowy corporations now want to explore iron and copper.
Uwata ter!!! Butiti kang dako!!!
(For a humorous English interpretation, I suggest you contact Dong Cans at the VIP lobby between the hours of 6:00 and 9:00 PM. Otherwise, please contact any Cebuano radio commentator)
Giving the benefit of the doubt to Honorable Ian Acenas, he needs to read and understand the house rules on the proceedings at the City Council.
Were it not for those clowns, the letter of "alas" should have been shelved, at the very least, if not thrown outright to the dustbin.
What development are those paid hacks talking about? Haven't they heard of what large-scale mining has done to environment? I have been told these clowns are now millionaires! I am still in the process of verifying these allegations.
As of now, I suggest they buy laptops and join the IT superhighway. (If they want to walk with me, I am using a Compaq Presario R3430US) They need not use their laptops for it has been said that the Information Technology are only for those who were present when God in His Infinite Goodness showered brains to human beings!
But, since there are so many talented young people in our city (It is possible some of their own children belong to this group), I suggest they tap them.
On the issue of mining, these brain-dead elks ought to know that I am not inconsistent with my long time stand on mining.
Setting humility aside, I, together with Philsmine officers, worked so hard for the drafting and later on for the passage of a first-ever law on small--scale mining--the one authored in the Senate by Honorable Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr.-- that I will never ever change my mind on the small scale mining.
My firm belief is: If we have land reform for the surface, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for not having resources reform code of the Philippines.
Come what may, we will always have the surface of our land. But, sooner than soon our resources--both mines and fish--will be totally depleted.
When that time comes, God forbid, "alas" and his minions would either be holidaying in a distant land, spending their ill-gotten wealth or languish in jail!
"Que sera. Sera"
(April 27, 2005 issue)
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