Actions vs. words

Netnet Camomot .

THE sounds of construction are still alive and kicking in our corner of the world where neighbors are either building their dream homes or renovating their home sweet home. The urge to build must be contagious since there are four ongoing construction projects in this corner and they’re almost next to each other or right across the other. Noisy and dusty are the two adjectives that have accompanied us for several months now, hopefully the four houses will be completed at the same time so we can have peace and quiet again. Still, I don’t think anyone is complaining. It’s all for progress. Yay!

The campaign season for Election 2019 is not as noisy, though, with only the Otso Diretso “senatoriables” keen on having debates with their rivals. If only those rivals love debates, too. Apparently, they’d rather sing, dance, and act in comedy skits with Kris Aquino as their sacrificial lamb like what happened in the skit that starred senatoriable Bong Go and Kris’ ex Phillip Salvador. As senatoriable Bato dela Rosa said, “Mag-prangkahan tayo. ‘Yung mga tao na ‘yan, pupunta diyan purposely ba para lang makinig ng issues? I don’t think so. Ang mga tao na ‘yan pumupunta diyan para sumaya. Kung mapatawa ‘yung tao diyan, gagaan na ‘yung loob sa ‘yo.”

Besides, the views expressed in campaign sorties are not exactly the truth and nothing but the truth, and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio agrees: “Walang isang kandidato d’yan na hindi nagsisinungaling kaya hindi dapat nagiging issue ang honesty ngayon.” I think she was referring to the Otso Diretso senatoriables. “Lahat sila sinungaling, lahat ng tao sa mundong ito sinungaling,” she added. Wait, does lahat include her Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP)?

Duterte-Carpio’s seemingly hugot lines were initially for Otso Diretso senatoriable and Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano who accused HNP’s Bong Go of using government funds for his campaign T-shirts which were given to barangay officials at the first Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas National Assembly held in Pasay City last month.

It’s allegations like this that can pique the madlang pehpohl’s interest, but not the plataporma which could only end up as porma. As dela Rosa said, the campaign-sortie audience may listen for “one or two minutes”: “After niyan, kung madami ka nang platapormang sinasabi, kung ano gagawin na batas, sasabihin, ‘Ah, nambobola itong pulitikong ito. Wala ito. Puro ito salita, walang gawa.’”

 “Actions speak louder than words,” as the saying goes.

President Rody Duterte embraces both words and actions. His speeches tend to keep on going and going like the Energizer Bunny, and his administration implements projects with the speed of a bunny who loves to go forth and multiply. This is what the Pinoy may prefer now in this age of instant noodles and instant coffee. A subway in Metro Manila, a railway system in Mindanao, Marawi City as a tourist destination. All these seemed impossible before Duterte became president. But the Dilawan will still continue to insist that the Philippine situation has worsened with Duterte at the helm. Now, can the Dilawan and the non-Dilawan debate on that? Abangan!

If you feel safer, if Pinas’ present and future are brighter, if there’s less traffic and crime, then perhaps the Philippine situation has improved. Oh, it hasn’t? Hmmm. Let us calculate the ways. The inflation rate for February 2019 was 3.8 percent, a fact that the opposition may kind of ignore as it’s more beneficial for them to focus on the administration’s weaknesses.

I tend to ignore the traffic whenever I happen to be in downtown Cagayan de Oro (CDO) by checking out Facebook, playing Redecor, or even writing this column. Unlike the Dilawan, I give Duterte’s and CDO’s administrations a chance. And then, there’s the second chance, third chance, fourth chance… My only hope is it won’t reach the point of wa-chance.

CDO’s city government somehow makes up for the traffic by constructing school buildings, hospitals, roads, and—soon to rise!—a new city library. Yay!

Reading books is considered as old school now that smartphones can do everything but I still prefer a physical book over an e-book.

The new city library is another project that will surely inspire the non-fans of CDO City Mayor Oscar Moreno to suspect about commissions and wink-wink deals, like as if the projects of their preferred reelectionists are free from graft-and-corruption allegations. Well, ing ini ni: May the wisest candidate win? Hmmm. I don’t think anyone running in this year’s election likes to be revered as wise, because that connotes the ability to win court cases through dubious means. So, vote for the candidate whose heart truly belongs to CDO and that can be seen through the projects and programs he has implemented for the city. “Actions speak louder than words” indeed.