ONE mid-morning, a friend from Digos, passing by Davao City going to Tagum called me asking a copy of SunStar newspaper issue of the day, because he could not find one in a nearby newsstand. My apologetic and modest answer was “sorry Bay, I could even hardly get a copy at 7 a.m., the paper comes out as early as 2 a.m., unless you are a regular subscriber, you will see few copies left at convenience stores and gas stations at the sunrise.”
Now, due to rocketing increase of readership and dominance in the industry, SunStar-Davao newspaper is made available 24/7 in all 7/11 stores in Davao city.
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Jail Warden Dominador Tagarda of Misamis Oriental Provincial Jail (MOPJ) cannot take refuge from the skirt of Governor Bambi Emano for two obvious reasons: one, Emano is not wearing a skirt; and two, PDEA-Northern Mindanao director Wilkins Villanueva who is honed from Davao is stern in his televised monition to file cases against the Tagardas (father, and sons Gregor and Von Clinton) for alleged involvement in drug trade, no ifs and no buts regardless of Tagarda’s battery of lawyers and political influence.
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Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) is under overhaul from top to bottom. The Ombudsman suspended 30 BuCor officials and President Duterte appointed former jail warden Superintendent Gerald Bantag as new BuCor director general. Manhunt will continue for those who did not submit voluntarily in the past 15 days with a bounty of P1 million per head, dead or alive. But the president in jest would rather shoot and kill them than bringing them back alive to the facilities, “pakakainin ko pa sila”. The prisoners’ meal allowance is less than P40 per day. On the other hand, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Davao reported 358 percent increase of occupants in their facilities. Unsa kahay ilang gikaon no?
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Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana wanted to relocate Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (Pogo) operated by Chinese nationals away from military camps to preserve the sanctity of classified gens being crucial to national security. But here Lorenzana was clueless and flatfooted, while he was abroad on September 11, the AFP engaged into signing of MOA with Dito Telecommunity (formerly Mislatel), a third telco player composed of China Telecom (supplier of technical requirements) and Udenna Corporation.
The AFP and Dito agreed to set up communication facilities inside the military camps. While Lorenzana was left affronted, the AFP assured they exercised due diligence to safeguard against espionage via telecommunication. Is it not that an “orphan decision” is a major infraction to the military courtesy and discipline taught at the military academy? Come on poor brass!
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