|
Saturday, November 22, 2003
Boking, Yeng and Asec Rene
By Ram Mercado
SIMULTANEOUSLY aired on TV last Wednesday night were an interview program on Ch. 3 (Angeles City) featuring Mayor Boking Morales and Pelco management team chief Rudy Salas, and an exciting game between All Filipino champion Talk'N Text and Red Bull Barako with Yeng Guiao as coach.
Changing stations between Ch. 3 and Ch. 4, where the basketball match was shown, meant only a thumb flick, and that was how I spent a large part of the evening - shuffling between two shows that featured outstanding Pampanga politicians.
It happens that Mayor Boking and Board Member Yeng are prospective protagonists in the much-awaited restructured First District after Angeles City shall have been separated from the traditional congressional district. Both gentlemen love Rep. Blueboy Nepomuceno for his redistricting bill, the first in quiet secrecy, the second, openly, as in loud and clear.
Mayor Boking, just staggered by Rudy Salas' devil-may-care power disconnection, was facing the famous former communist chieftain, now the President's trouble-shooter in the ailing Pampanga power cooperatives.
Ka Rudy was pure business, his serious mien half-hidden in a Mona Lisa smile as he defended Pelco's position, while deftly parrying the mayor's arguments on the municipality's capacity to exact fees on Pelco 2 based in his town.
At the hardcourt, Yeng Guiao was sweating on his shaven pate as he got frustrated by his players' inability to overtake an 8-point lead by the Texters. A loss by his team meant outright elimination from the Samsung PBA Reinforced Conference. He has not made it in three previous conferences, although he led Red Bull twice in a row as champion.
Yeng resorted to his masterly defensive tricks to no avail as his star players, Willy Miller, Mick Pennisi, and Enrique Villanueva, fell short of back-up offensive to his import Scott Burrel. I was expecting the board member from Magalang to curse and throw his fist at his best players for their energy collapse. But he was cool as cucumber; only his smoldering eyes betrayed his frustration as Talk'N Text surged to the homestretch.
Shifting to Ch. 3, Mayor Boking showed firmness in his pursuit to collect Pelco's arrears in dues from business tax and the natural resource fee, which Ka Rudy ruled out as baseless and untenable. I found the former NPA chieftain's explanation on the national wealth clause of a law justifiable, that Pelco 2 is not outrightly engaged in exploitation and development of natural resources in Mabalacat town.
Future "congressman" Morales insisted there was a law to that effect, a Supreme Court ruling in fact, that supports his contention. Ka Rudy did not agree and said so in a polite but unbending conviction.
If Mayor Boking was hurt by the unexpected power cut-off in his town hall, he did not show it. His skill in emotion control, tact, and dexterity in tight situation has made him a masterful politician. He has learned to control himself, a sign of learned maturity and self-confidence.
Ka Rudy, out of the traditional ethnic sense of identity and altruism to fellow Pampangos, relented in his hot pursuit to collect at least 50 percent of the town's dues, a standing procedure at the National Electrification Administration, which manages and controls power coops nationwide. He has agreed, after consultations with his NEA superiors, to a P1 million monthly amortization effective this month until the obligations had been settled.
While Mayor Boking eloquently argued for his cause, with understandable sympathy for the huge debts Mabalacat owes Pelco 2, he came very strong in getting his town's dues from the Coop from business tax or any claimable obligation. Facing the camera in cinematic effect, he perorated on the future of his town and his objectives for full-scale socio-economic development through dependable and affordable power supply to the community.
The way his interviewer PPC president Deng Pangilinan moved in his seat with admiration for Mayor Boking. I suspect Deng was clapping with his own feet behind the covered forum for his boss's great TV performance.
Indeed, the mayor in flawless English and modulated enunciation, showed constituents from his town and Magalang his sharp communications skills and his typical deportment during a debate.
When I shifted to Ch. 4, Yeng was distraught but self-possessed in the aftermath of losing a great battle, marred by his player Jimwell Torion doing a bloody hack on the nose of Jimmy Alapag of the winning side.
Within 48 hours Board Member Guiao, in great delicadeza and in the tradition of a proud samurai, sent his formal resignation as coach of Red Bull. Having felt his performance shy of the best, Yeng gave up a multi-million-peso contract and the best springboard to national fame as cage mentor of champion teams.
This pride and sensitivity of Yeng demonstrates his character, a lesson that might as well reach out to holders of public office who stick to their posts like rugby, dig in like termites, and become barnacles in parasitic environs.
These are - Boking and Yeng - the two gentlemen who are potential lawmakers and congressman-to-be in the MagMa (Magalang, Mabalacat) district.
* * * * *
LAKAS Party stalwarts have been warned against fielding DOTC Asec Rene Maglanque as official bet for the 4th district. It seemed that Rene's opponents have the "goods" that might link him to the First Gentleman in a plot to malign the First Family. In elections, nobody and nothing is sacred, every possible evil can be conjured to hurt the opponent, especially President Macapagal-Arroyo.
Considering Asec Rene's sensitive position as comptroller of DOTC, where rich franchises and humongous contracts for transportation and communication infrastructure have destroyed many DOTC officials in past administrations, it is a sensible move for Lakas to rethink his candidacy for the sake of GMA.
(November 22, 2003 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[ return
to top ]
[ home
]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
