Unbelief

Butch Bagabuyo

“During the Franco-German War of 1870-71, two unexploded shells were found near a home. The homeowner cleaned them up and put them on display near the fireplace. A few weeks later he showed these interesting objects to a visitor. His friend, an expert in munition, suddenly had a horrible thought. ‘What if they’re still loaded?’ After quickly examining the shells, he exclaimed, ‘Get them away from the fire immediately! They’re as deadly as the day they were made!’ Without realizing it, the homeowner had been living in grave peril.” –Roy B. Zuck

IN my college of commerce days at the Xavier University-The Ateneo, my idol and father-confessor, the late Rev. Fr. William Nicholson S.J., advised me once not to focus all my energies on academic excellence alone but rather to put more time and effort in finding what is known as “common sense,” which is, according to my idol-mentor-confessor, not really common to the average man. Fr. Nicholson told me that the greatest majority of successful people in the world are not the valedictorians and the summa cum laudes but those with a lot of “horse sense” or common sense.

Of course, at that time, IT was yet unheard of unlike today when almost everybody in the world has heard of Bill Gates and the likes or even a Manny Pacquiao.

There was this story about transition Mayor Oscar Moreno topping radio surveys in the mayoral race, followed by the clearly ailing former mayor Dongkoy Emano while, my personal choice and undoubtedly the leading mayoral aspirant in our city, outstanding Congressman Rufus Rodriguez, landed a poor third.

Consequently, nitizens had a field day lambasting some news media organizations for all sorts of reasons and whatever, mostly unkind and unpalatable.

On Friday morning, this paper proved its worth. It carried in bold headline: “Oca Dismissed.” And coincidentally, in the evening of that same day, Butch Canoy, VIP president, approved in principle our move to revive the once wellespected Cagayan de Oro Breakfast Club’s Oro Café at VIP Media Forum.

So, here’s my take on the “unbelief”:

When some news organizations carried the story of incumbent hambuguero Mayor Moreno topping the “survey” in the mayoral race, practically all the nitizens thought that the story was plain trash. Others thought, it was an expensive PR garbage and doomed to boomerang.  

True enough.

Even before the so-called “bright idea” by Moreno’s spin doctors could celebrate, the Ombudsman came up with the verdict that incumbent transition hambuguero Mayor Moreno was guilty of a grave offense meriting dismissal from service and perpetual disqualification from any government post.

Be that as it may, it is yet too early in the day to say whether or not the decision becomes final and if arrogant Mayor Moreno would really be disqualified from running as mayor of our city.

But one thing is certain. With the gaining popularity of the nitizens, spin doctors are becoming more and more of an expensive basura. While it may be true that the nitizens are popular only among the few who can afford social media, the teeming poor cannot afford it. And neither do they have the time other than the “Aldub nation” phenomenon.  So perhaps, the scheming spin doctors can still make a “killing” especially among corrupt public officials who are mostly brain-drained if not, “brainda.”

However, I can in all honesty and proudly say that some news organizations are true to their callings. Unlike the many owned and/or controlled by the filthy rich who are still the rulers of our country. But not for long anymore. And because the good news organizations are among the top media outlets in our city, including all of Mindanao, the corrupt will always find their way among the gullible and needy employees if not, the infiltrators. There are true press freedom fighters in our country even as they may have some scalawags in their respective firms due to the culture of impunity which is rampant and flourishing nowadays. What with “tanim-bala” scam and all anomalies under PNoy’s nauseating watch. But not for long any more.

I have not yet read the decision by the ombudsman to dismiss transition yet self-important Mayor Oscar S. Moreno. But as soon as I get hold of the decision, the counter-affidavit and other pleadings of dismissed transition yet arrogant Mayor Moreno, I will write my thoughts about it, and give their legal panel a run for their money. Mark my word.

For now, it is enough that this paper  has written, among others, that the dismissal is the consequence of the tax reduction arrangement by and between the City of Cagayan de Oro, not Oscar S. Moreno, and Ajinomoto. And by the way, the city is not Oca and neither is OSM the city. Period. And the dismissal stemmed from the case filed by William Guialani, a former Taglimao barangay chairman, erstwhile Dongkoy Emano die-hard until money came in between them, and now an independent candidate for the city council of our city.

With this development, the Team Rufus legal team will definitely give sleepless nights if not, day-time-nightmares to the legal panels of transition yet egotistic Mayor Oscar S. Moreno and definitely sickly-looking-not-for-style former mayor Dongkoy Emano. But knowing how both contenders treat their lawyers, I cannot help but wonder how their lawyers will cope with their extra workload and still maintain their dignity. But anyway, it’s dismissal pa more.