Don’t forget to invite me, Bigcas

Ben Contreras

FOR a while, Lynard Allan Bigcas had been an enigma to me. He was in the headlines, caused the holding of a congressional inquiry, rumored to have connections with the Central Intelligence Agency, allegedly into drugs, gunrunning and smuggling. All these made him truly enigmatic.

But who is Bigcas, really? In an accidental encounter with him and with the intercession of Wowow Obsioma, he shared his past briefly.

He used to have a thriving business in the United States and owns several expensive cars and sport cars. His mother complained of his owning too much cars that he decided to bring them to the country for sale. Somebody from the US tipped our authorities that his sports car was stolen and brought to the Philippines. Bigcas’ place was raided with by authorities with the FBI.

After thorough check on his papers, it allegedly turned out negative. Still, Bigcas was made to pay taxes for the sports cars, five of them estimated at P5 million each and 35 big bikes estimated at P200 thousand, more or less.

This incident drew a congressional hearing held in the city. It also resulted in several accusations against him. All these led to his ruin, despair and depression, finally, to drugs.

He went to Cebu and led a life in the drug world. His depression made him suicidal. But it was during these great trials that he discovered God and found peaceful refuge in Him.

His appearance will tell you that he went through physical change though not totally unhealthy or sickly. He now volunteers as resource speaker for those into drugs and lectures on how to recover from it with the cooperation of the NBI, PDEA and the police. He is also active in his new found religion and is living with a pastor-friend.

In the 2013 elections, he challenged the Zubiri kingpin and ran for governor of Bukidnon, garnering more than 200 thousand votes that stunned his opponent. But the number didn’t get him the seat. This time, he is running for mayor of Talakag.

You might wonder, but Bigcas is a native of Talakag. He is confident of winning. His aura indicates a smooth sailing in this electoral journey.

Many cases were filed against him. A few were dismissed and a few pending. If he ever learned from his experiences, only the future can tell and prove that what he told me are not lies.

In parting, I said: “Don’t forget to invite me to your inaugural.” He replied, “I won’t forget that.”

• •

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.”–Martin Luther King, Jr.

Indeed, we have friends who keep their silence on certain evils happening in our midst. We cannot begrudge them for it’s their decision and their right to silence. We can only hope that it won’t happen to them one day or none of their loved ones fall prey.

It’s true we all have our own skeletons in the closets. But does it have to mean that we will close our eyes and pretend not to hear? One day, we will carry that guilt when another victim shares her horrible story in the hands of an evil person.