Rivers to cross

By Butch Bagabuyo

“After crossing a river, you should get far away from it. When an advancing invader crosses a river, do not meet him in midstream, it is advantageous to allow half his force to get across and then strike. If you wish to fight a battle, you should not go to meet the invader near a river that he has to cross. When encamping in the river area, take a position on high ground facing the sun. Do not take a position at the lower reaches of the enemy.”––Sun Tzu, The Art of War

BELIEVE you me, Sendongkoy’s end is inevitable! As I have repeatedly written here, when karma sets in, everything becomes a “wrong mistake.” And while my Valentine’s gift this year to all the long oppressed and abused unschooled from the Cogon market––the market vendors––where I came from and all the victims of Sendongkoy, including myself, is the plunder case (without asking any donation), I’m confident Sendongkoy and the Padayon Pilipino fanatics would all be swept out of city hall on the main issue of the Sendong tragedy. It is worse than plunder! (I will also file individual criminal cases against those who would obstruct justice by hiding and/or burning evidence in their custody.)

Sendongkoy never wrote her/his/its résumé for obvious reasons. And neither has anyone been authorized to look into her/his/its past especially that fraud named President (a fly sitting on the back of a carabao) who is in a hurry to inherit ill-gotten wealth. Allow me to give you initial findings (patikim lang) before my radio-TV program begins.

Some time last Dec. 2012, I was in Casinglot, Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental. While doing my consulting work, an old good-looking Tsinoy  whispered aloud that he and Sendongkoy were 6th grade classmates––Section 6, Row 6 (hehehe, pag-sure ba!). No wonder Sendongkoy uses the hand signal of a devil whenever she/he/it gives that naughty smile instead of the usual “V” of “L”sign. Before anything else, you can rest assured that I personally know that Sendongkoy is a fanatic of “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu. But my DPAs have reported to me that Sendongkoy has been reading, reeading, memorizing and implementing the book on Espionage by the Israelites. To date, Sendongkoy believes that she/he/it has mastered the art of espionage.

Fear not, what Sendongkoy has mastered I have perfected!

A fair warning to Team Oca! Beware of some Trojan horses in your team. (My next topic).

Here goes:

First, what Sendongkoy taught was the best ever idea turned out to be a preemption of her/his/its own wake (read: final rites from Jan. 7 to Jan. 12 at the city hall), long before the May 13, 2013 elections. What Sendongkoy and Padayon Pilipino failed to foresee (if not blinded by the color of money) was that on that same day, the Padayon Pilipino  councilors passed a resolution to place the sacred body of the late Don Manolo Z. Tagarda Sr. at the City Tourism Hall for public viewing and funeral rites where the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Misamis Oriental chapter would pay final and fitting tribute to, as I’ve already written, the fast vanishing breed of  “men for others.”

Be it karma or God’s will, Sendongkoy’s insatiable greed brought along her/his/its foreigner business associates to do illegal trade by the rivers of the City of Cagayan de Oro. And since pictures speak louder than words, with the permission of my editor, below is one sample of what Sendongkoy and her/his/its foreigner business associates have done so far to our barangays along our once beautiful, clean, clear and drinkable waters from our rivers.

Till then, bring along the truism that legacy need not be written on tablet or paper for your monument stands tall in the bosoms of your loved ones for forever and ever! Asta la vista, muchasa y muchaso mga bayot og uban pa!

Praktis lang, Sendongkoy a.k.a. Karma!

(Butch Z. Bagabuyo is a former senior state prosecutor of the Department of  Justice. For comments, text or call 0918 803 0197 or e-mail to bagabuyo2@yahoo.com)