Lina has a point

YES, they look like toys––the heavy equipment clearing the 30-meter stretch of Kennon Road covered with mud as a result of erosion of the mountainside caused by heavy rain. But it’s nothing compared to several heavy equipment, some brand new, that were washed away by “Sendong” in Cala-cala.

Still, it is a grim reminder that we should take the proper use of our mountain slopes, which are being lost to banana, pineapple and now, oil palm tree plantations, seriously. The state of degradation of our water basin due to long years of logging and the conversion of the mountain slopes for mono-cropping plants or trees expose us to the dangers of heavy flood compounded by soil erosion.

While we may have contained illegal mining in the hinterlands, the illegal and unrestrained quarrying in the vicinities of the city pose another contributory danger to future floods. Disturbing the natural state and contour of our mountains may result in weakening of the foundations, aggravated by heavy rain. That’s when we become prone to landslides.

If we just keep on having fora discussing what to do without concrete actions, then yes, I am afraid the worse is yet to come for our beloved city.

Let us all be reminded that after a long spell of El Niño, La Niña won’t be far behind. La Niña is the epitome of long wet season. Losing our bare ground to massive infrastructures at a fast rate, we may no longer have enough of it to absorb rain water. And we know pretty well what it means.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency-sponsored dike project may be on its months of work but some skeptics think it may not be able to prevent floods if nothing is done about the source. If we don’t learn our lessons from the past, we may be doomed to face the same tragic fate as before.
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While working for a shipping company in the ’80s, we met this guy from the Customs office, an ordinary employee with just a so-so pay to bring home. He was assigned to Manila one day. A few years later, he came home a different man, “loaded” as in expensive watches and jewelry.

He said, “Bai, in Manila, cash comes in in Tanduay boxes. They are distributed in small paper bags and placed inside your drawer. You either spend it or don’t touch it. If you don’t touch it, then you don’t belong. If you spend the money, you’re in the system.”

I believe that nothing has changed since then. But today, Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina is running after the Balikbayan boxes. Tama ba o mali?

The social media is awash with criticisms against Lina. From ordinary folks to politicians, Lina is being pilloried. I initially joined in. But after watching a video where customs officials opened a box supposed to contain a refrigerator, the ref was discovered to be full of other taxable items. Thus, I withdrew my comment from Facebook.

Yes, BOC is laden with corruption. But the Balikbayan box has also been abused. Let’s not capitalize on the OFWs because it’s not even their fault but those who may have taken advantage of the gullible or the greedy among them. The ref already says it all. Questionable items can be shipped through the boxes––guns, drug and highly taxable items. If the bureau is corrupt, it does not make the “palusot” less evil.

Let us condemn the corruption in BOC. But let us not condone the “palusot” through Balikbayan boxes. Guns and drugs kill.