After one year, still no change?

Ben Contreras /

LET it be said again. He who wishes to destroy President Rodrigo Roa Duterte can just sit by and watch his allies do the job. First, they rejected Gina Lopez. Now, they rejected Judy Taguiwalo.

Gina Lopez may have been just overzealous but many saw her as the best DENR secretary ever. It certainly was not about her being a member of the elite family. It was more on her being a threat to the interest of people around Digong who are in the mining industry.

So, what happened now or since Roy Cimatu took over? A great silence or a tinge of pre-Gina Lopez status is in the air. And the corrupt people in the DENR are celebrating in silence, too. Business as usual, they might say. And this is a minus factor for Digong.

Judy Taguiwalo a communist? But that is never the question. It’s about whether she delivers or not. And she seems to have delivered. So, where’s the beef? Had she been too honest for comfort for the dishonest in the government? And this is a minus factor for Digong.

The problems at the LTO as it was before… still no plate, no license. What? After one whole year, walang nangyayaring pagbabago? Any reason can’t be acceptable. Bakit, meron pa bang hindi napagkasunduan? And this is a minus factor for Digong.

And here’s one secretary who would readily lawyer for Mayor Oscar Moreno had he not been in his current job/position because he believes Moreno is good. Moreno is good, all right. That would probably explain why Moreno has been found guilty several times by the Office of Ombudsman but saved by the TROs served on a silver platter by the Court of Appeals. Labor Secretary Bello cannot claim to know Moreno better than Cagayanons. This is a minus factor for Digong.

The P6-billion drug — the Customs controversy — has been feasted on by media. Some corrupt people inside Customs may be in to discredit Faeldon. But the fact remains that corruption in the bureau still persists, according to businessmen who transact business with their people. This is a minus factor for Digong.

And there would be more around Digong that will drag him down. It’s not easy to shed off the fur that keeps them warm during the cold. All they have to do is hoodwink Digong of certain matters to protect their interests.

It can be argued that we also need to look at the bigger picture and that is the good things the President has done. Indeed, the good far outweigh the bad. But to allow the bad to erode Digong’s image, it may reach a point of irreparable proportion.

The ax should fall on whoever gets in the way to achieve change — even those very close to the President.

**

I wonder how many Chinese from People’s Republic of China are in the city today. It seems like the Bureau of Immigration based its figure on the number of those who come to the bureau for renewal, etc. But the number can take a backseat. The more important question is, what are they doing, really?

This is a challenge to PDEA, BI, police, Customs and others that seem to be pretending they know little about it or none at all.

The attitude is giving an impression that indeed, many are on the take. A retired policeman allegedly serves as a “buddy-buddy” or bodyguard. An active police officer allegedly receives a fat envelope every time he comes out of the big boss’ residence. The next time they brag of “Don’t worry. They’re under our payroll,” would people just say amen?