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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Fr. Ed�s Pampanga
By Antonio C. Abaya Written Aug. 27, 2007 For the Standard Today, August 28 issue We hope we are witnessing what will be a sustained revolution in good governance in the Province of Pampanga , under its newly elected governor, Fr. Ed Panlilio. According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer of August 26, only one month after Fr. Panlilio assumed his gubernatorial duties, the province�s income from the quarrying of volcanic ash from Mount Pinatubo had reached P29.4 million. (Haulers pay a fee of P300 per truck of volcanic ash that they haul from the quarry.) By contrast, during his predecessor Mark Lapid�s term as governor, the province�s income from the same quarrying operations amounted to only P29 million a year. This gaping variation in official incomes from the same activity should inspire a new set of textbooks in Arithmetic, especially for the school children of Pampanga. There is nothing like local color and local situations to cultivate comprehension in young minds. Sample problems: If Fr. Ed�s provincial government can collect P29.4 million in 26 days (we assume no quarrying on Sundays), how much does it collect in one day? Answer: an average of P1.130 million. If Fr. Ed�s provincial government collects an average of P1.130 million a day from quarrying operations, how much can it collect in one year of 313 days (365 days less 52 Sundays)? Answer: P353, 690,000, or P354 million. If Fr. Ed�s provincial government can collect P354 million a year, and Mark Lapid�s provincial government collected only P29 million a year, what is the difference in their official yearly collections? Answer: P325 million a year. If Mark Lapid was governor for four years and his provincial government�s annual collections from quarrying amounted to an average of P29 million, how much did his provincial government officially collect in four years? Answer: P116 million. If Fr. Ed manages to remain as provincial governor for four years, and his provincial government�s annual collection from quarrying were to average P354 million, how much will his provincial government collect in four years? Answer: P1.416 billion. What is the difference between P1.416 billion and P116 million? Answer: P1.3 billion. Where did this P1.3 billion go? Answer: Only God and the Lapids know. (�Lapids� is in plural because Mark, as a second-generation political dynast, succeeded his own father, now Sen. Lito Lapid. We don�t know how much Lito�s provincial government officially collected from quarrying operations during his watch. Should be a good investigative project for media.) If Gawad Kalinga spends an average of P75,000 per low cost house, how many low-cost houses can P1.3 billion build? Answer: 17,333 low-cost houses. If the average Pampanga family were to consist of five persons (father, mother, three children), how many people would be benefited by 17,333 low-cost houses? Answer: 86,665 persons. End of Arithmetic lesson. Fr. Ed is to be congratulated for setting a high benchmark for collection from quarrying operations, against which his predecessors have a moral obligation to explain why their collections were so low, and against which future governors will be judged by the people of Pampanga. Volcanic ash, by the way, is a superior building material. Many of the buildings, aqueducts and monuments of the Roman Empire that have survived for almost 2,000 years are known to have been built with volcanic ash, quarried from the environs of Mount Vesuvius after it erupted in 79 AD. We do not expect Fr. Ed�s moral victory in Pampanga to be remembered for the next 2,000 years. We would be happy with five, ten or 20 years, enough, we hope, to spawn a moral-revolution-by-example to save the Filipinos from their worst enemies � themselves. ***** NOTE: When this piece saw print on Aug. 28, Readers Pocholo Romualdez and Enrique Dominguez wrote separate emails asking if 3,000-plus truckloads a day was not a stretch. I have just talked to the Inquirer reporter, Tonette Orejas, who had written that story. She confirmed that 3,000 to 4,000 truckloads of volcanic ash are hauled every day, that the provincial government NOW collects more than P1 million a day from quarrying fees (P300 per truckload), that the Mark Lapid provincial government collected P29.1 million in the whole of 2006. So my numbers above stand. (Aug. 30) ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Fr. Ed�s Pampanga� More Reactions to �Who Killed Ninoy?� Dear Tony: Greetings. The figures in today�s column on quarry collections by Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio do look imposing. However, one thing bothers me, and I hope the governor will provide the math. You place the average daily collection at P1 million plus. Given that each load pays a fee of P300, my calculator says that is the collection for 3,000 + loads. Given that each cargo vehicle can make four trips a day, are we now being told that there are at least 750 trucks being used in the quarrying business? That looks like quite a stretch, considering the logistics involved. I�m not referring to the lahar; We�ve been told there�s at least 12 billion cubic meters of the stuff out there. Enlightenment, please? Regards. Pocholo Romualdez, (by email), Aug. 28, 2007 Malaya newspaper wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Antonio, I'm not used to appreciating columns from a national newspaper but for this one,..."A Great Expose..." A well explained arithmetic, even a simple person can comprehend......... At least my vote for "Among" was not wasted. Now.... the money earned from the volcanic ashes should not be wasted too.... KUDOS!! and keep on watching FR Ed�s transformation of Pampanga.....and reclaiming the integrity and Glory of the once prosperous "kabalen" province, Romel Mendoza, (by email), Aug. 28, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Good Afternoon Sir, If my calculation is correct, P1,130,000 @ P300 per truck translates to 3,766 trips per day or roughly 157 trips per hour, assuming walang tulugan, as Kuya Germs would say. Unless there are other fees aside from the P300. Do we have this kind of traffic in the quarrying area in Pampanga? But just the same, kudos to the new Governor. Keep up the good work. Enrique T. Dominguez, (by email), Abu Dhabi , UAE, Aug. 28, 2007 Relationship Manager Portfolio Risk Management-Corporate Business Banking Group Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PO Box 939, Abu Dhabi UAE wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Wow. Peter Capotosto, (by email), Aug. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, It would be interesting if Gov. Panlilio initiates a performance audit on the collection of volcanic ash quarrying fees in the past years. But then Lola will label it Politics of Destruction. Pampanga's recovery from the earthquake would have been faster if Panlilio became governor much earlier on. By the way, I am wondering why you said that Gov. Panlilio will be governor for four years and Mark Lapid was governor also for four years. Your math dealing with the billions should be correct, except that a governor's term spans four years. An oversight, guess. Cheryl L. Daytec, (by email), Aug. 30, 2007 (Thank you for the correction. You are right. Governors serve only for three years. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr.Abaya, That is certainly good news for everyone to hear. It should take someone outside the realm of politics to do things right. I hope Fr. Ed would be successful in his mission and not get sucked into the system. He is an elected official but his subordinates could have been there for ages and know the tricks of the trade. I pray that he overcomes those adversaries who would do everything to discredit or derail his mission. I hope the Philippines would have leaders who are incorruptible and would fulfill their mission to lead with honesty, dignity and courage. God bless Fr. Ed. and thank you Mr. Abaya for writing about the good deed. Sincerely, Grace Santos, (by email), Aug. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, I suppose 1.3 billion pesos is not much if you are destined to 'hell', or when you are in your death bed with an incurable disease after enjoying a life of a grafter and a big time thief. However, this vast amount of stolen money could have saved the lives of those Pampangenos who died because of lack of proper health care, or those Pampangueno infants who died before they could learn to crawl because of lack of cheaper nutrition, or those Pampanguenos who have died due to hunger and poor sanitation. Their blood are in the hands of these 'grafters' and 'thieves'. These insatiable greeds are the modern Pharaohs who in ancient times abused and usurped their positions of authority and commit massive corrupt, wicked and decadent practices. Eventually they were the victims of their own folly. These modern Pharaohs in the Philippines will also be meted of what is definitely their due. I do believe no actions good or bad remain unreciprocated. Someone suggested before that all the corrupt characters in all levels of government and military in the Philippines be lined and shot one by one, but I say God forbid because the rest of the Filipinos living will not have enough time to bury the massive number of dead bodies. Good on you Tony. Someday somehow I still hope that there will be a dawning of a new Philippines that has broken from all the shackles of graft and corruption. Sadly it may not be in my lifetime. Cheers, Bert Dellosa, (by email), Australia , Aug. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Nice mathematics on the quarrying of volcanic ash in Pampanga. The potential P300 Million plus annual difference in collections between the incumbent Governor Fr. Ed Panlilio and his predecessor, Mark Lapid, is not really surprising at all. Do we really expect anything better from the Lapids. Just look at ERAP. It is really a question of moral moorings. The Lapids probably anchor their morality on volcanic ash or dry sand that is why it does not hold. At least the other "Lapids," like those who sell tasty chicharron, make an honest living and contribute to the national economy. Regards and best wishes. Rick B. Ramos, (by email), Santa Rosa , Laguna, Aug. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: I think GMA should ask the Lapids to explain the glaring discrepancy as you pointed out. What she does with the Lapids will be the measure of how GMA really cares for honesty in her administration. Could it be that she was in cahoots with the Lapids all the time? Could this have been the source of the millions spent by the Team Unity candidates in the last elections? Amado F. Cabaero, (by email),.Aug. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Would you know if the Lapids have returned to the Philippines from their US trip? Jojo Vicencio, (by email), Aug. 30, 2007 (As far as I know, Lito is in town. I do not know about Mark. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Mr. Abaya, Math was never my strongest subject but the numbers speak for themselves. The question surfaces: what are the people of Pampanga doing about this? Surely the reason corruption never dies down in this country is because no one ever seems to pay for it, no matter how enormous, or blatant. Just theoretically, how does one start a legal process in this case? Legal minds, please come forward with a practical scenario !!! Rica Cortes Rentzing, (by email), Germany , Aug. 30, 2007 (A lawyer or group of lawyers can file a complaint against Mark and/or Lito Lapid for economic plunder, since the amount involved exceeds the minimum P50 million. PGMA can show leadership by ordering the solicitor general to file the complaint. The Senate or the House can investigate the matter. Media can dig up all the dirt so that the government can be forced to act. But, frankly, I do not know if any of these people will do any of the above. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww It's totally un-Filipino for Gov. Ed Panlilio to disclose the true earnings from lahar hauling in Pampanga. That's not how a typical elected official behaves in Philippine politics. He should have kept quiet and divided the loot among themselves as winners in the recent election. That's more typical. I have never seen any kind of governance in the whole RP that opens the books and show the real accounting of the people's money ever. Everything is hidden and secret. Almost all elected officials have never been known for transparency. Name me another official who is of the caliber of Gov. Ed Panlilio. We practically have none. What does this show? The Philippines is not poor, after all. It's so easy to analyze the arithmetic of Tony Abaya's calculations. 90% of the wealth of the nation is looted by the powers that be, ever since I can remember. People in power have forgotten that they are just stewards of the people's money. Gov. Ed Panlilio has shown us what a public servant should be. Jobo Elizes, (by email), Aug. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hey there, Tony. This is one good piece that should rattle the minds not only of the Lapids but also of the other local officials in whose places of jurisdiction quarrying takes place. The Lapids should be made to explain where the shortfall in quarrying collections (as compared to Fr. Ed's collection of one month) went. .Such a big disparity in the amount collected should not remain unnoticed. Better yet, the Lapids should be prosecuted by filing graft and corruption charges against them before the appropriate court or judicial body. I ain a Kapampangan, but I am one with and join all the beautiful people of Pampanga who support and continue to pray for Fr. Ed's success in his crusade to fight graft and restore decency and accountability in public service. May we have more of Fr. Ed's ilk in government service. More power to you, Tony! Jeremias Decena, (by email), Aug. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, The spiritual hand is guided by GOD; the political hand by Satan. It is not surprising the find the great disparity in the quarrying income in the province of Pampanga because the Lapids are politicians and you know who is guiding them. I hope the good father will not succumb at the end to the evil hand that controls every politician in the Philippines and in most "third world" countries. I will watch Pampanga with a keen eye. Dr. Nestor P. Baylan, (by email), New York City , Aug. 30, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. If quarrying is only one of the many "doctored" sources of income, I wonder what other sources of income are/were reported dishonestly. Not only in Pampanga and not counting the income from the illegal gambling jueteng, which need not be accounted for, for obvious reasons. Pampanga is the home of the Pinedas. Well, the Lapids are not known to have a good grasp of the English Language. Should we be surprised by the way they compute income? Nasty question, I know. God has blessed Pampanga with good governance. I pray that they will be continuously blessed and keep Fr. Ed in good health, protected from evil minds and equally evil plans. Pura Flor Isleta, (by email), Aug. 31, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, Thank you so much for bringing up this very important economic issue for the Province of Pampanga , which has been the subject of controversies during the times of former Pampanga Governors Lito Lapid and Mark Lapid. Assuming your mathematical computations were correct, how could the national and local governments recover the supposed loses in revenues from the quarry operations? If these loses could be recovered, this will help a great deal Gov. Ed Panlilio in his efficient governance of the province, and in creating more jobs and in creating more business opportunities in Pampanga. Please pursue the issue to obtain more concrete results. Johnny M. Pecayo, MBA, (by email), Beverly Hills , CA, Aug 31,. 2007 Chairman-Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, MANILA-U.S. TIMES www.manila-ustimes.com . http://manilaustimes.blogspot.com/ 1025 Cove Way, Beverly Hills , CA 90210 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww How about that? Again, how about that? If Senate won't jump in for rigid, comprehensive and complete investigation, then they don't mean a thing! (then, they're just there for showmanship and the P200 million/year payday:) This is more interesting to follow than the "Hello-Garci" scandal. I heard this issue a month ago about the quarry income is a million a day, not per month. Lapids, the billionaires! Huh! This people should be one of the candidates of the Hall of Shame. Lock them up or strip their high government badges!!! Get and freeze their ass-sets!!! I wish Philippines is China , The Lapids deserve execution! Hope Fr. Ed will be the valid inspiration of future leaders nationwide! Pampanga should THANK Fr. Ed for I know that the income will be used for the people of Pampanga. We need more media attention on this kind of reporting. It gives people hope. Accountability and lock up the Lapids! Bang! Bang! Huli ka! Prosecute the Lapids and their galamays!!! They deserved to be behind bars, not the disco bars! Now, the Kapangpangan children learn the real arithmetic, the real helping hand, the real government! Love this article! Now, where are Biazon, Legarda, Escudero, Cayetano, Villar, Lacson and all those Power Ranger wanna-bes??? This is their chance for media mileage! Fresh news and issue! Onli in pilikula na bida si Lito.... in real life, he's a valid contrabida! Buti na lang hindi nanalo si kaptin barbel.... LF, [email protected], Aug. 31, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, Really good article about the tax collection of Fr. Ed. Can we make a suggestion that he might bring effective tax collection to the next level? i.e. to show to the people what good tax collection can do for them. I suggest that every month he assigns one municipality in the province to watch and monitor the collection of the fees. The revenues will be allocated for the building of class rooms in the schools located in the municipality. By having a fixed budget for each classroom, the collection can translate to the number of classrooms that can be built. In two years all the municipalities will no longer have school room shortage in the province. Then maybe a part of the VAT collection can be allocated to hire good teachers. The public schools of Panpanga can produce good elementary and high school graduates. As one of the economic development. programs , the province can aspire to be an 'educational center' proximate to Metro Manila, urbanized and yet lower cost advantage for students. Maybe UE. FEU. Centro, Mapua, etc. can be given provincial incentives to open university facilities in the province. Hopefully it will decongest the university belt. I agree we have a chance to demonstrate how good provincial government can change the economic landscape of the country. One of your readers. Gus de Leon, (by email), Aug. 31, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, Loved this analysis! Now could somebody do something similar with all our war time expenses, handouts, non-competitive contract awards, etc. over here in America and what we could be doing with all the excess?!? Alan Klaum, (by email), San Francisco , CA , Aug 31, 2007 (Any excess in Iraq will go to the next war in Iran , Alan. Tony) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Now this may explain how the Lapids were able to construct a white mansion in the middle of the ricefields in Pampanga, estimated to be not lower than P30 million Bong L. Alba, (by email), Aug. 31, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww The Lapids are thieves. They should be strung up high on the nearest trees. Ang kapal nang mukha nila. Antonio Eliseeff., (by email), Aug. 31, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Isang pagbati po ang aking pinaabot! Ang ganda po ng inyong naisulat tungkol sa mga ginagampanan ni Fr. Ed sa Pampanga. May ilan lang po akong tanong. Paano naman kaya ang kanyang pinangakong pagsupil sa Jueteng. Paano kaya niya ito pinaninidigan. Paano kaya niya ito ibabalik sa libo-libong Kapangpangan na naniwala sa kanya na kanyang paninidigan na kanyang aayawan ang Jueteng. Minsan natanong po ako kung ano ang magagawa ng Krusadang Bayan Laban sa Jueteng upang tulungan si Fr. Ed. sa pagsugpo sa Jueteng. Isa lang po ang sagot ng aming samahan di nila kami kailangan si Fr. Ed mismo ang siyang tugon sa pagsugpo ng Jueteng. Payak na naninidigan na ayaw niya ang Jueteng at ito ay mahihirapan ng mag patuloy na umalipusta sa dangal ng Kapangpangan. Kanyang payak na di pagsang ayon sa pagpapatakobo ng Jueteng sa Lalawigan ng Pampanga at ito ay mahihirapan ng kumilos patungo sa maaring katapusan na ng Jueteng sa Papampanga. Magandang Araw Po . Gabriel A. David, (by email), Imus, Cavite , Aug. 31, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Anent your Father Ed's column. I have written a couple of columns on Bishop Bastes. The latest one, not yet released, I've attached here. (Not for distribution) The point I wish to make is that I'm not going to let this issue die away. I've written to Bishop Lagdameo (twice) and I will keep publicizing this issue till I get a response. I think one of the reasons we are progressing so much slower than our neighbours is that we raise an issue, it makes the headlines - and is then forgotten. The scumbags know it, so continue to act with impurity. Can I suggest you don't let the Lapid's get off the hook, but push until there's an answer. Or they're in jail where it seems they obviously belong. Cheers, Peter Wallace, (by email), Aug 31, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Thank you for that arithmetic lesson and for writing about Fr. Ed Panlilio's moral victory. I think you should include Melanie Marquez in your search for where the difference went. I remember her on a past TV interview asking Senator Lapid then for support of their son. She sounded convinced the good Senator had a lot of money. I saw too how "palatial" the home of the dashing Senator appeared on a separate coverage. Lahar has many purposes. I know of a friend who has been quarrying lahar and processing it into stones for export to China . They use these stones for making stonewashed denims - a very economically viable business. Let's hope other government officials learn their arithmetic as well as Fr. Panlilio. Good day! Mariquit Soriano, (by email), Aug. 31, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: Kudos to the new governor of Pampanga! How refreshing and exciting it is to learn of a high public official who apparently is honest and conscientious. This governor is a credit not only to the people of Pampanga, but also to all Filipinos who for many decades past--as a rule-- have been denied the likes of this provincial governor. Assuming that your arithmetic is correct--and I am confident that it is--Pampanga is bound to be awash in money. Assuming, further, that the new governor has a good idea of how best to allocate this bonanza, the people of Pampanga stand to benefit immensely in terms of new and much-needed infrastructures and social amenities as well as balanced budgets and surpluses sufficient to meet the people's needs on those "rainy" days which must surely come. Mariano Patalinjug, (by email), Yonkers , NY , Aug. 31, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Magandang umaga sa iyo, Tony! Hope springs eternal upon reading the above subject! Like yourself, I too wish and pray that Fr. Ed will continue with this initiative and by his good example, the rest of our politicians will follow. I can recall listening to the late Ninoy Aquino in one of his campaign speeches in my hometown when he was running for senator. What impressed me the most about him was the simple arithmetic he presented to the electorate. He was comparing the expenditures of the province of Tarlac under him as governor to the expenditures incurred by the national government for the same goods and services. One example is he starts off with Tarlac buying say 20 dump trucks and the national government buying the same at more than double the price and he went on and on. I do not envision a future union of church and state. I'm pretty confident that Fr. Ed will give to Gloria what belongs to Gloria and to God what belongs to God. Is it possible that Fr. Ed has set a precedent for the clergy and other religious figures? First we have movie actors and sports celebrities trying their hand at politics. Now we have priests. I know for a fact that the conservative Catholic Church frowns on this. However, I believe it is a perfect mix and I know that somehow it is going to work. Regards, Noe Castanos, (by email), Toronto , Ont. , Canada , Aug 31, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Amazing what a Servant of God can do . . . . and, man, you're certainly sticking it to the Lapids, aren't you! Kudos to you, Tony, for your 'lesson in math,' but guard your flanks. Who knows how certain people would react to your expos�! God bless. Rome Farol, (by email), Highlands Ranch, Colorado , Sept. 01, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Amazing figures indeed for the Lapids, courtesy of Mother Nature! Evelyn Agato, (by email), Sept. 01, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. I read with increasing frustration your article on Among Ed and the quarries. I am a Kapampangan who has been living in the US for 36 years but we go back to the Philippines regularly and have therefore heard rumors about the quarry and the illegal operations involving the Lapids and company. I agree with you that the Lapids have a moral obligation to explain the discrepancies in the quarry income, but they have a legal obligation as well. Will an investigation be launched by the government or will they just be allowed to sequester their illegal earnings? You stated that this will be a good investigative project for the media. I say that this is a good investigative project for the government too. And while they are at it, how about checking into the jueteng operations. Or are they untouchables too? C. S. Torres, Jr., (by email), Sept.01, 2007 (Don�t hold your breath waiting for Justice to step in. I am increasingly convinced that only a revolutionary government can set things right in this country. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Thanks for the good news. I haven't really seen any genuine local economic indicator (if Fr. Ed's output is to be considered) for a long time. Eugene Earle, (by email), Sept. 01, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Fr. Ed should continue to show what an honest politician can do. Like others like him, unknown and unsung, solemnly doing their patriotic work, he has lighted a candle. Suddenly, it is no longer very dark. Will shameless faces be exposed by the SandiganBayan? Lionel Tierra. (by email), Sacramento , CA , Sept. o1, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: I find your analysis downright comical and at the same time irreverent. Believe me, I found myself like an elementary school kid following your math demo very clearly and came home wondering where the hell did all the millions go during Lapid's four years of stashing the money, not in the Pampanga treasury but somewhere else? Okay, he has to be considered innocent until proven GUILTY. I know. On papers your straightforward assumption and analogy may be what it should be. But let's give this poor man Lapid and his cahoots the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they did not work as hard during his tenure. Or perhaps he did not realize that there's plenty of money to be made from quarrying volcanic ash. (Is he kidding) Or perhaps his accountants did not have access to electronic adding machines or calculators? You do know how difficult it is to count with 10 fingers and ten toes and no brains. To account for P29 million revenue is a successful achievement already, he might claim. (hehe, yeah right) But something is very FISHY Mr. Lapid. WE MUST WA3333333333RN YOU HOWEVER, FISH ROTS QUICKLY AND SMELLS BAD. VERY BAD. The discrepancy is so material an investigation should be initiated immediately, pronto! I assure you Mr. Lapid you'd be treated innocent in the interim. Once the records are audited and reviewed, guess what? You may be required to reconstruct and prove where the missing funds went. Santo Claus will do his hoho for seeing someone's hand getting caught in a cookie jar. A bit later perhaps, but got caught regardless. Hopefully, your readers, Tony, can connect the dots. When elected officers steal from the treasury (I am talking in general Mr. Lapid) you have demonstrated how many citizens can be deprived and short changed. Keep plugging with the good stuff. Thanks. Congratulations, Fr. Ed. Good job. Oscar Apostol, (by email), Roseville , CA , Sept. 02, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sir, About the issue of lahar quarrying in Pampanga, is it physically possible to move around 3,500 of trucks everyday, and this is daily movement of 3,000 to 4,000 trucks continuously. Wow, it seems unbelievable. Thank you. Cesar Maranan, (by email), Sept. 03, 2007 (I have checked with the Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter who broke this story. She confirmed that 3,000 to 4,000 truckloads of volcanic ash are quarried every working day. But it could be 700 to 800 trucks making four or five trips every day. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony: Equally astounding for unbelievers about your figures on Pampanga's daily collection: the barangays where those quarries are located are entitiled to 35% of the collection as per the Local Government Code. Are the residents of those barangays aware of this windfall? That's 350,000 pesos per day for them. Do the pious souls and righteous do-gooders in those barangays know? (According to the PDI reporter, of the P29.4 million that was collected in the first 28 days of Fr. Ed�s provincial government, some P7 million were to be distributed to the barangays. ACA) They're supposed to participate in determining the priorities of their barangay development, the preparation its budget or the disposition of its revenues. But pinch me if they do. And they're supposed to be informed about their barangay's income -- which is supposed to be posted in at least three prominent places. The inattention of the educated and well-off in their barangay is the root of bad governance in the country. No one seems to understand what the principle of subsidiarity is or the meaning of autonomy and citizen responsibility in local governance. Why does it have to be the governor or the mayor to monitor quarry activities? The quarries are right in the backyard of the barangay. So are the mines and forests being harvested, and sand and gravel sites. And so are the hungry and and poor who need the barangay's share of the loot. Is it unreasonable to expect people, especially the middle and upper classes, to take co-responsibility for their community? Sense of community is sorely absent in this society. Regards, Manny Valdehuesa, (by email), Cagayan de Oro City, Sept. 07, 2007 P.S. You will be hearing soon about a new movement called GISING BARANGAY MOVEMENT. I hope you will help us shake everyone awake from their torpor and their truancy in local governance.. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww More Reactions to �Who Killed Ninoy?� (Aug. 23, 2007) Dear Mr. Abaya, The secret is so buried down deep there are no more traces of evidence to point to the killer. But someday it will surface, and that is when a Filipino "deep throat" tells us. Lionel Tierra, (by email), Sacramento , CA , Sept. 03, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, The reactions of people from all parts of the world (who have a niche for the Philippines in their hearts) are, like your columns, provokes and intrigues, as it enlightens people. I would like to react to Bobby Mananzan and Oscar Apostol ( I wish I coud react to all of them) any way. Justice is in the Philippines is a fiction. My recent acquittal from the libel charges filed by US PepsiCo (in the second wek of November 1994) in response to the $400 million class action I filed in New York COURT in the first week November 1994) came as a surpirse for me. Thank God for this David & Goliath epic )www.pepsi349.com). One of those congratulatory remarks I received from this uphill survival of giant US PepsiCo harassment 10 years harassment offensive (knowing fully well that Makati judges and prosecutors are extension offices of the Makati Ivy League -"Al Capone tyoe law firms", is this metaphor which aptly described the state of Philippine justice. An optimistic boy received a little box and found it contains nothing but horse manure. He exclaimed witH child enthusasiam, "at least there should be a pony in it ." The pony is the recent libel charges acquittal. The judge may have been the subject of intense pressure and offers of perks, but he sustained his belief that justice must be served and anchored on truth, not manufactured hocus pocus. He's the pony in the manure. By the way, the 2002 " precedent" in the Pepsi case was the Supreme Court decision (without any comment but just instruction from the justices daw (not identified in the court records) but by instructions to the assistant clerk of court. in 2002. It was used as a precedent case cited in stopping other subsequent similar cases involving US PepsiCo with lengthy explanation of the SC decision and idenitity of the ponenteand insubsequent cases with lengthy arguments by ponente justice that this susequent Pepsi case has long been decided in the precendent setting case of 2002, with no identity justces identified and no remarks studies , no deliiberations, just instruction to the assistant clerk of court. This is the state of justice is really horse manure. I totally agree with thei impressions and perceptions even from far distant country that justice is a haven for thieves and scoundrels. The one who usuallly end up in jail are the whistle blowers themselves. Only in the Philippines . Tragedy. No wonder th exodus foreign land is t its peak. Without justice, democracy is a farce. Vic del Fierro, Jr., (by email), Sept. 03, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Dear Tony, In the aftermath of that tragic event, I well remember that the story going around was that the Agrava Commission consisted of the only five people in the Philippines that didn't know who the culprits were. Alan Atkins, (by email), Paranaque City , Sept. 03, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww You wrote: (No more preposterous than your insistence that your conjecture � and it is only a conjecture � is the one and only Truth about the subject matter. How do you fit Herminio Gosuico into your scenario? ACA.) Hi Tony, Thanks for using my previous response, which merely restated the obvious. The airport death squad was commanded by Luther Custodio who was convicted of murder. Custodio was linked to Fabian Ver, the utter tuta of Marcos. Ver was implicated by 4 of the 5 members of the Agrava panel. Other military officers were in complicity. Only Marcos could've pulled all the strings. As for the role of Gosuico, yes that's conjecture. Was he a bit player, used to help lure Galman and his wife to their deaths? Was he told his own family would be exterminated if he ever opened his mouth? I agree with you his background and connections require intense investigation. Mike G. Price, (by email), Michigan , Sept. 03, 2007 (The role of Gosuico is not conjecture. It is in the court records that he was one those who picked up Galman in Bulacan and brought him to Carlston Hotel near the domestic airport on Aug. 17, 1983; according to the testimony of Sgt. Pablo Martinez, Gosuico was present when he (Martinez) and Galman were briefed on the assassination plot in Carlston Hotel the night of Aug. 20; it is also in the court records that Gosuico was identified by Galman�s son and stepdaughter as one of two men who picked up their mother and Galman�s wife on Jan. 29, 1984. She was never seen again. (So Gosuico was not a bit player, as you claim. He was obviously the minder assigned by the mastermind to make sure every step of the plot was carried out according to the script.) (That he was acquitted, despite incriminating involvement every step of the way, merely shows the power of the masterminded to force the court to erase his/her tracks. Gosuico has conveniently died since then. ACA) wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww My personal belief is that whoever was the actual triggerman who shot Ninoy Aquino is already irrelevant. It is already moot and academic to say that it was a military conspiracy; the presence of an armed "communist" gunman on the supposedly well guarded tarmac is proof of this; Galman may or may not have shot Ninoy, but since he was forcibly dragged into the operation as a fall guy, either way, he was bound to be killed; maybe another re-enactment of the assassination will help point out the real killers and the mastermind. Franki Javier, (by email), Sept. 04, 2007 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |