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Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Mercado: Hoax
By Ram Mercado
I understand the local officials’ justification of that controversial kamikaze monument was meant to promote world understanding and peace. That, to a humble observer like me, is a hoax bigger than that of the reported presence of two Jap stragglers in the south.
SOME people are desperate to bring in tourist dollars even at the cost of foisting a hoax.
Such is the promotional gimmick that fell on its face in General Santos City. Some bright minds concocted the story of Japanese stragglers sighting in the mountain hinterlands there.
This consequently attracted a drove of mass media adventurers from Japan. They have since returned to their country, victims of a hoax.
The mischief makers from Gen. Santos should take a lesson in promoting tourism, with Japanese as targets, from certain officials of Mabalacat. Without resorting to an embarrassing hoax, concerned officials are able to invite some Jap veterans, or their kin to pay homage to a monument of a kamikaze pilot in that area.
Patriotic Filipino victims of Japanese atrocities in World War II and nationalist leaders are scandalized by the act of Filipinos erecting memorials in honor of Jap war heroes under the guise of promoting world peace. Could a suicide bomber’s monument be erected in New York?
The Mabalacat war shrine has been constructed less for the residents’ affection of their former conquerors than for its tourism value. Certain individuals, including mayor of the town, had benefited from the memorial, whether in dollars or yens donated by annual visitors to the area.
I understand the local officials’ justification of that controversial kamikaze monument was meant to promote world understanding and peace. That, to a humble observer like me, is a hoax bigger than that of the reported presence of two Jap stragglers in the south.
* * * * *
We had joined many a Filipino family in the united prayer that President Gloria M. Arroyo succeeds, as she did, in bringing back driver Angelo dela Cruz safely home. The incident singularly raised the public approval rating of Mrs. Arroyo. We still believe in her compassion and steadfast conviction in giving protection to OFWs when their very lives are at stake.
Here’s a brilliant chance for the Chief Executive to reverse the fast down spiral of her acceptability rating arising from jueteng. As with driver dela Cruz, Mrs. Arroyo should save Rey Cortez of Guagua from beheading in Saudi Arabia. His execution is at hand. Senators Lito Lapid and Kiko Pangilinan, and alleged “Kapampangan in blood” Senator Jamby should raise their voices and drum up public support to stay the execution.
If she so desires it, the President can make use of her good offices with her friend, the Pakistan president, and appeal to save the father of six children with a market vendor wife. The family of the slain victim, a Pakistani who tried to sodomize Cortez when the kabalen fought back and killed him, now refused payment of blood money amounting to P70 million.
Our noisy Kapampangan leaders are disturbing quiet in this imminent tragedy of Cortez, who despite different circumstances with Dela Cruz’s case, is a struggling father whose redemption of his family depended on his foreign job.
Should Cortez be beheaded, for the lack of a final chance through presidential intervention, all this declaration of love and affection for OFWs will be a big hoax.
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The country gave Apalit Mayor Tirso Lacanilao a standing ovation when he declared he was the recipient of jueteng payola. Pampangos lauded him when he castigated his colleagues, most of them, anyway, as “hypocrites” while he changed them with accepting jueteng money, with some going out to ask for cash advances to fund their campaigns.
Mayor Pogi did not only gain tremendous pogi points for his bold self confession but immense admiration of his extremely candid if not reckless, admission.
He was still the toast of the town when the Pogi, like the prince who turned into a frog, reversed his statements. He seemed to have been cowed by big voices at the Pampanga Mayors’ League, frightened perhaps, or threatened with expulsion.
Knowing how a fighter the Pogi is, our famous ex-latero (tinsmith) was expected to stand his ground and recite his favorite verses in Pampango and Tagalog, especially those about courage, honor, and heroism.
Mang Tirso was our “pogi” hero who became a hoax.
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PNP Chief Arturo Lomibao has been busy with media interviews where he blames the low police-population ratio as a cause of unabated jueteng. As if most interviewers were morons, they keep asking the top cop if he favors the legalization of jueteng. The plain and simple truth is Lomibao has over a year more in the service before retiring in July 2006, and that it is Malacañang that decides what is to legalize or not regardless of what he thought.
The police official should stop blaming civilian elected officials for the proliferation of jueteng in their communities. It is the PNP, unless it has surrendered its powers to local executives, that must lead the anti-illegal gambling operations.
Lomibao, in giving a run-around to questions on the PNP responsibility, said there exists only one cop for every 2,500 persons. If they are not making things difficult, it would be easy for the PNP to arrest every Marga, Ngo-Ngo, and Bong with only a platoon of cops, so what is this hoax about one policeman for every 2,500 Filipinos?
With a routine order to Region 3 top cop Alex Lapinid, he can produce the above in no time at all, especially with former Police Colonel Efren Alamares as adviser and ex-officio operative.
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Parties interested in turning over to NRDC’s control the management of the local quarry industry were skeptical Pampanga Governor Mark Lapid would succeed in his pledge to make drastic reforms in the revenue collections. I read that the Provincial Government just tallied less than P16 million as of May, which was a great improvement over past figures. Let us find out by year’s end if the governor can tally the target revenue of P30 to P50 million.
Failing this, his vaunted reform initiative will be another hoax.
(June 8, 2005 issue)
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