Ben Contreras
ACTOR and Quezon City Councilor Roderick Paulate has been reported to have been dismissed from government service by the Ombudsman. He is also perpetually barred from government service. He was found administratively liable for hiring ghost employees.
When the Ombudsman handed down its decision to dismiss and perpetually bar Mayor Oscar Moreno from government service, there was a report of frantic transfer of bags of documents from the office of the city accountant, and that one bag was intercepted and is now under the care of Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas.
What is the content of that bag? The rumor was that it contained vouchers of ghost employees. If so, why is Acenas silent about it? I tried to make an appointment with Acenas through a common friend. He initially agreed but asked about my purpose. When I said it’s about the bag of documents, he didn’t change his mind until the last hour. His reason: he was meeting some relatives from abroad.
A few weeks later, his picture with the bag of documents appeared in this paper.
So, what’s the story, Mr. Vice Mayor? Whether the rumor is true or not, you owe it to the people of Cagayan de Oro to tell the truth. If the story is true, then you are guilty of obstruction of justice. If not, you should return it to the office where it came from.
Do not use it for political gimmickry. The effect would be the opposite of what you expect.
For withholding the truth, whatever it is, you’re going to be the loser in the end.
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The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) has been ruled constitutional by our Supreme Court. But before we rejoice over it, let’s ponder on one thing.
What China is doing in our seas has been going on for years. I could see no reason that our ally (?), the United States of America, didn’t notice it. Hence, why did Uncle Sam allow it to happen? If the US is our ally, it should have been nipped in the bud.
The picture is clear. The United States allowed it to happen so that we would be running to Uncle Sam for help. Help we might get all right but with a price: Edca.
Back home in the city, what do we really want to happen to our of Lumbia airport? The Laguindingan Airport was rushed because we were told that a wing in our Air Force needed the place. When the LA was finally opened and became operational, different stories were heard of what’s going to happen to the old Lumbia airport, among them is that it’s going to become another growth area for commerce.
After the Supreme Court ruling on Edca, there is this suggestion to allow its use by the Americans. Let’s not make it a local political issue although it is really a national political issue.
Initially, having them (US military) sounds like we’re going to be protected from foreign aggression. But would the US really go to war for us? I doubt it. The US could have done something when China was constructing the facilities in our seas. The US allowed it to materialize because they wanted something from us, and Uncle Sam just got it.
American fighter planes in the middle of the city? What about the people living in the posh subdivisions? The ear-breaking sound of fighter jet planes can be too much for our eardrums.
Oh, Uncle Sam! Who are lusting for your dollars?
