Seemingly forgotten by many on what had happened few years ago which shook the nation. These were the raids by police operatives on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) in Porac and in Bamban Tarlac. Both houses of Congress conducted separate investigations.
Earlier then I had some questions in mind with regards to those buildings that were left by the Chinese owners? There are 46 buildings in Porac constructed in an eight hectare prime property. A stone throw away is a golf course. Supposedly the municipal government of Porac become the beneficial owner. I have my doubts. The same question with regards to those buildings in Bamban, Tarlac. Or maybe the national government will take interests. I heard the National Housing Authority (NHA) was interested in acquiring them. No news after that. If these structures will not be attended and occupied, they will in due time deteriorate.
Methinks they will be better be used as school buildings. If Porac town cannot own them, maybe the provincial government should take a look. Maybe an arrangement with Angeles City government which can afford the costs to shoulder as a branch of City College of Angeles (CCA).
My friend, Frankie Villanueva former president of the City College of Angeles in one of our meetings at Monday Club said that there’s an acute shortage of rooms in the CCA. According to him every school year thousands of those who took the entrance exams were not accommodated due to room shortage. The residents of Porac cannot access the area where the POGO buildings are located because the only entrance in that area can only be accessed via Angeles City. Anyone willing to go there has to travel 12 kilometers from Porac to Angeles City. With the closure of the POGO operations an immediate action is needed.
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It is going to be interesting or disheartening when the senate will convene as an impeachment court in July or August. Vice President Sara Duterte will either be convicted or not. Interesting because we will see how the trial proceed with members of the prosecution team from the lower house will pin the VP on how she handled the public money. Disheartening because many in the prosecution team themselves are not clean either. They are throwing the stones which can also be directed towards them.
I read with gusto on what my friend Tony Lopez wrote in his Philippine Star Column. ‘Our own senate is a house of corruption; at least half of of the 24 senators-a quorum-are guilty of the most severe form of corruption. Our congress itself is the Philippines’ biggest criminal syndicate’. ( pare parehong mandurugas)
