OPINION: The agreement

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

Now it can be told that Compostela Valley Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya had earlier pledged not to run for Congress. I finally chanced upon Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora at his base in Compostela town the other day and I got what I’ve long wished from him – to interview him tete-a-tete. To me, it was one of the rarest so I threw questions or lose him again.

There I got news right from the horses’ mouth, and what struck me was his information that VG Ramil, Gov. Chiongkee Uy, Boardmember Maricar and Cong. Way Kurat had already forged a prior agreement to avoid wrangling in the future and this is for VG Ramil to seek for his reelection as vice gov and for BM Maricar to run for the congressional post that his father is finishing to serve until 2010.

“That was the day after we took our oath of office,” Cong. Way Kurat recalled. And “I’ll stick to that (agreement),” he added.

I surfed the net when was really that, and lo, the joint oathtaking of newly elected Comval officials was June 30, 2007 (the twilight sky on that festive day was so colorful compliments of the fireworks display heralding the new administration themed in by Uswag Comval slogan). And so, the Ramil-Maricar-Chiongkee-Way Kurat agreement must be July 1, 2007. (Sorry, in my rush of writing a so good news the other day at an internet café in the interior Compostela town I missed to include the date, especially that a paying time is running against me).

When I reached his base at Compostela, Comval’s most popular politician Way Kurat, for ostensibly putting the province in the country’s map by his down-to-earth, newsworthy scenes and brims, was there in shorts and shirts calling up the Singapore embassy chancellor in Manila to help a distressed Comvalenya from Barangay Ngan, Compostela who was earlier imprisoned there but who could no longer be contacted by her relatives. The Singaporean official Cong. Way Kurat called as “my friend” pledged to help.

Things are revealing now particularly when reports were heard for sometime  that the governor had confided to several Lakas partymates and allies about his difficulties in walking in a tightrope just to keep the Comval unity surging given that he had already a prior commitment to BM Maricar. Ostensibly, this must be the continuation of the Cong. Way Kurat’s revelation that the governor has already “said his piece” and “Maricar is his choice”.

Cong. Way Kurat must have been optimistic still that the fortified Lakas-CMD would remain united with a powerhouse unity slate and that for the present running tiff between VG Ramil and BM Maricar over his post to end.  “The solution was already made,” he said referring to that July 1, 2007 agreement. He quipped that after I offered a scenario of BM Maricar running for the vice governor’s post and him for Compostela mayoral post, to keep the peace. It’s no-no, but for a win-win, VG Ramil must stick to the agreement.

But verily, Cong. Way Kurat is quite confident that VG Ramil will honor the agreement. “He is a good gentleman who has a word of honor… as well as the governor.” He knew VG Ramil too much, “from a good boy to a good man ….to a good politician and good leader in the province.”

With modesty, the congressman said that he molded VG Ramil in his political career starting when he was still the SK federation honcho after BM Maricar’s SK stint in the erstwhile undivided Davao del Norte. No wonder that the VG in his 2004 inaugural speech at Nabunturan Compre gym singled out and paid tribute to Way K with words as “my idol, my mentor”. That was the time when Gob. CK was first elected as a BM allied with ex-Gob. Joecab who defeated a token gubernatorial bet Trino Tirol.

From that interview, I also learned that the congressman and Monkayo Mayor Manuel “Junjun” Brillantes have no running feud between them and that they are seeing eye to eye and with a twosome of them leveling off . And that’s a far cry compared to the vice governor talking to the mayor only with a group, he said. But maybe the congressman is referring to the Friday Club at Marco. BM Maricar, too, is accordingly in constant communication with the mayor’s brother Lito and sister Olaycon Kapitana, Diel. I stand too apprised and updated now, thanks, but for a couple of weeks or so, I’ll wait for VG’s statement after the honeymoon with his beauteous, intelligent, Unilab executive better half- Joanna Ang-Gentugaya.

BLOGBUZZ: We still have to hear news after the scheduled meeting of the provincial directorate of Lakas-CMD in  Comval. Its chair is the governor, being the provncial Lakas chairman, with the other officers: vice chair- District 2 Cong. Rommel “Bobong” Amatong, secretary- BM Maricar, treasurer- VG Ramil, and the chairmen of the 5 committees held by Cong. Way K, Compostela Mayor Rey Castillo, New Bataan Mayor Lorenzo “Boy” Balbin, Nabunturan Mayor Macario “Dodong” Humol,    and Laak Mayor Rey “Reynab” Navarro, and provincial elder Pros Amatong as a member emeritus with also 1 vote like the rest…. Heard from the rounds after the NBI raid on the suspected culprit establishment where the UM Tagum sex scandal was camcorded. A lass just informed me, “Kuya di man to sex toy penis sa sex scandal nga na-mention nimo sa imong series of news ato, but a plastic container of Her Bench lotion.” I thought that Bench is only known of selling branded shirts and polos. For that, Bench company should better review the forms of its product containers at the risk of selling unwanted objects that someone may hold dear. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, email: ruralurbanews@yahoo.com, or chamonforte@yahoo.com)

Filed under: boardmember maricar zamora-apsay, brillantes, compostela, comval congressmen, comval officials, comval politics, comval unity, cong way kurat zamora, cong. bobong amatong, congressman rommel amatong, laak mayor rey navarro, maricar apsay, new bataan, new bataan mayor lorenzo balbin, ramil gentugaya, ramil gentugaya wedding, trino tirol, vice governor ramil gentugaya, way kurat, way kurat zamora, boardmember maricar zamora-apsay, gov. chiongkee uy, nbi tagum tagum sex scandal, provincial elder pros amatong, tagum sex scandal update, tagum sex video scandal, vice gov ramil gentugaya

NEWS: P90 M bond float in Nabunturan being junked?

Humol does not mention controversial project in town’s festival opening

oct 16

The controversial P90-million bond flotation project pushed by Nabunturan Mayor Macario Humol during his last term appears to be turning either a hot potato, otherwise it appears to be junked as local officials never mentioned a single word of it during yesterday’s opening of the town’s 14th Simballay Festival.

In his keynote speech, instead Humol drumbeat on his administration’s recent accomplishments such as the P13-million integrated agricultural center in 5.6-hectare municipal land at Barangay Saosao where the farmers’ training center building and new slaughterhouse were inaugurated yesterday before noon after the parade and program at the municipal gym in the public market area.

He called on for continued unity of the people and prayed for paying of respect to one another.

He thanked Cong. Rommel “Bobong” Amatong, who was present, for the P1 million financial contribution from his congressional office for the slaughterhouse project.

Guests present during the festival’s opening included Dept. of Agriculture regional director Roger Chio, provincial senior executive assistant Belo Melendres, who represented Gov. Arturo Uy, who was accordingly on barangay sortie at faraway Panganason in Pantukan, and other municipal officials.

Humol however capped his speech with parting words, “what we have started must be completed.”

He finally recognized in public the donation of Councilor Raul Caballero of an ambulance unit to the municipal government, twice thanking the latter in his speech.

Caballero donated an ambulance he got from his South Korean friends for humanitarian purpose last May and for almost five months now the unit is still being held at the town’s motorpool and is prevented from running as the majority in the council including Vice Mayor Romeo Clarin allegedly did not want it to run ”due to politics”.

Clarin and Caballero have been reported to be both aspiring for the mayoral post by 2010.

With the holding on of the ambulance, it was even prevented from running during the July 3 bombing of Park and Go bakeshop which killed three persons and injured 14 others.

It was strange that the donee Caballero, who only wanted to realize one of his campaign promises, was even lengthily questioned by several collegues about the legality of the papers of his ambulance, “that’s why it is still not allowed to run,” said Councilor Alfonso “Jun” Tabas, another opposition councilor.

Yesterday, Caballero drove an ambulance with the same brand and looks to the one left in standby at the motorpool during the parade saying that it was meant for the public to know on the plight of his donated ambulance.

Also in yesterday’s affair, Clarin did not utter about the ambitious municipal bond float, which last Sept. 25 was formally opposed when about 200 petitioners filed a people’s initiative petition to the local sanggunian in their bid of having the controversial ordinance approving the bond float directly repealed by the people pursuant to the pertinent provisions of the New Local Government Code of 1991.

Petitioners led by Caballero charged that the P90-million bond float is exorbitant, extravagant and grossly disadvantageous to the government.

Amatong yesterday announced he would be infusing P15 million for roads in Nabunturan and other infrastructures in Nabunturan. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: comgressman rommel amatong, cong. bobong amatong, councilor raul caballero, nabunturan mayor macario humol, comval congressman rommel amatong, councilor alfonso jun tabas, councilor raul caballero, mayor macario humol, nabunturan bond flotation

NEWS: ON Cha-Cha for federalism: Cong. Anton wants to consult constituents first; Way Kurat evasive, Olaño, Amatong mum on the issue

Davao del Norte 2^nd District Congressman Anton Lagdameo wants to consult his constituents first for his official stand on the proposed charter change (Cha-Cha) via a constituent assembly (Con-Ass) that will be convened to adopt a federal system of government in the country.

But in his personal opinion and if the constitutional amendment will push through should the people so desire, it is best that this will be made through a constituent assembly that is speedy and inexpensive¸ Cong. Lagdameo stated in a text message reply to a text query posed by the press on Thursday.

Here is Lagdameo’s full text: “Bilang representante ng mga taga Davao del Norte sa Kongreso, kailangang konsultahin ko muna kung ano ang nasa puso nila sa usaping ito. Ngunit sa aking personal na opinyon, kung sakali mang matutuloy ang pag-amyenda sa Konstitusyon, ito ay pinakamainam na gawin sa pamamaraang constituent assembly. Ito ay upang mapabilis at maging matipid sa gastos.”

Third-termer 1^st District Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, on the other hand, appears to be evasive into responding to the Con-Ass for federal issue replying only that he has already a position that he can write.

Similar text query was sent to Davao del Norte 1^st District Cong. Arrel Olaño and Comval 2^nd District Cong. Rommel “Bobong” Amatong but as of 6:00 P.M. Thursday did not receive a reply.

The charter change proposal sparked by Malacanang’s support for Senate Joint Resolution No. 10 has drawn mixed reactions from both the administration and opposition senators and congressmen even as several of them crossed party lines in giving similar reactions.

The resolution principally authored by Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel called for the creation of 11 federal states through a constituent assembly. It was signed in April by 12 senators

Talk of amending the Constitution emerged after the government secretly hammered out last month a Memorandum of Agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on ending four decades of fighting in Mindanao that has claimed more than 120,000 lives and displaced 2 million.

The Supreme Court put the brakes on the signing of the MoA in Malaysia on Aug. 5 after local executives got temporary restraining order in protest to the inclusion without consultations of their barangays (villages) in an expanded Bangsamoro homeland.

But the signatories in Senate are now re-thinking their position as most of the senators are opposed to change the Constitution before 2010. Senator Panfilo Lacson has so far withdrawn his support to Senate Resolution 10.

Presidentiables from the senators have all but slammed the Arroyo administration for its renewed bid for Charter change. They included Sen. Manny Villar (Nationalista Party), Sen. Manuel Roxas II (Liberal Party), Sen. Loren Legarda and Sen. Francis Escudero, both of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and Sen. Richard Gordon. .

Even administration senators have crossed party lines to reject Malacañang’s insistence to put in place Cha-cha before the 2010 elections as they are unconvinced over claims that the sudden proposal by the Executive on the matter is aimed at bringing peace in Mindanao.

Palace allies in the upper chamber, Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Joker Arroyo, stood opposed to tinkering with the 1987 Constitution at this time, even if the Executive itself is calling for it.

In Davao City, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza dared yesterday the senators who signed the Senate resolution to defend the measure.

“They should stand firmly on their reform agenda on the creation of federal states,” he told the members of the Bishops Ulama Conference at a meeting Wednesday at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao.

“I was surprised by their (the senators’) reaction but at the same time I was also expecting it,” Dureza said of the senators’ displeasure at Mrs. Arroyo’s expression of support for the resolution.

“How can there be term extension when there is nothing in it that says about it?” he asked. “There is nothing in the resolution that says about term extension. So, how can that benefit the President?”

Saying it should be best left to the people to decide on whether the 1987 Constitution should be revised, amended or otherwise, Speaker Prospero Nograles said he will be issuing a directive to all members of the House of Representatives to get back to their respective districts next week and meet their constituents.

Nograles said that he will ask the lawmakers for an accurate report on whether or not the people want change in the Constitution.

“I want feedback on the ground…It is the people that should decide on the issue, not us the leaders,” Nograles said.

While results of an informal survey of the lawmakers in the House of Representatives showed that 118 out of 129 who signed the form are in favor of the Charter Change, Nograles said that the survey is just the view or opinion of the solons but not the people.

According to Nograles, the issue of Charter Change is very divisive as this requires intense debate in the Congress.

Nograles said he himself will go to his district, Davao City, to convene all the barangay leaders and ask them what is there feeling about the proposal. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com with various reports

Filed under: arrel olano, cha-cha con-ass, cong. anton lagdameo, cong. bobong amatong, way kurat, arrel olano, bobong amatong, Cha-Cha for federalism, cong. anton lagdameo, way kutat