OPINION: Way Kurat responds

BLOGISTA

By Cha Monforte

jan 20

Compostela Valley District 1 Congressman Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamorais making another act consistent to his public form. He is an anchor now of his early morning radio program over DXPA FM atation of Nabunturan every Tuesday and Thursday. Well, it’s good that he has been answering charges and accusations hurled by a mosquito press Birada that is being circulated in District 1 barangays in this political season. That little newspaper I managed to get hold by chance has been carrying stories about his failed promises of giving projects to barangays in the district, his alleged non-performance as a lawmaker and his alleged personal enrichment while in public office.

That’s a good side of Way Kurat- he responds to issues and accusations as he has all the right and means to reply in our democratic system. If he chooses a hilarious music stinger in his radio program- that song of Max Survan? “Sa hinambugay magdaug ta”, to poke fun to the accusation that he has been engaged in “politika sa pagyaga-yaga ug politika sa lingaw-lingaw”, that’s fairly being consistent to his old antics of belting out comic scene-stealing dramatics in the supposedly august halls of Congress

The allegations have been rebutted each time he goes on the air since two weeks ago. At one time he even belied an accusation but admitted that he owns not four but only three sabungans (cockpits) in the district as he called the attention of Liberal Party congressional standard-bearer Atty. Jun Lopoz. The congressman is also presently developing a “modern” cockpit ala inland resort with hotel features “ala Las Vegas ” in Sta. Maria, Nabunturan. One source said that Cong. Way Kurat bought an airtime to rebut charges and at the same time promote the candidacy of his daughter Boardmember Maricar, who’s running for congresswoman under Lakas-Kampi-CMD, after the latest province-made survey bared that Maricar is now being closely trailed now by Atty. Jun Lopoz by only 3-percent margin (Maricar gets 30 % while Lopoz has 27%, while controversial ex-police officer Cesar Mancao of Aksyon-Demokratiko has only 7%).

The survey is revealing the chances of Atty. Jun Lopoz. Being an abugado, he’s being seen differently and in favorable light by the electorate. There’s this towntalk that when an abugado runs for congress he has more chances of winning than if he runs for a town councilor as in the case of Nabunturan where all lawyers lost in the previous two elections. That happened, too, for one case in both Montevista and Monkayo, and for a vice mayoral case in Compostela town in 2007 polls. But that’s different to Maco town where two lawyers won for their series of term- Atty. Charles Suelto as vice mayor and Atty. Mario Sapilan as councilor for three terms. The latter is now running for vice mayor vs. Suelto. But maybe fate would be different for now with Atty. Carlo Ancla, who almost won for councilor in Nabunturan in the last 2007 polls. He has already a pondo of votes. Had he not been junked by an ingrate clanmate who campaigned vote-for-one with his rice, Atty. Ancla could have won handily.

Also for now, Jun Lopoz volunteers have also been effectively organizing alternative leaders and volunteers in all of the District 1 villages, remote or near to poblacion, in the besides the favorable mood of the electorate of wanting change this time as they’re already tired of the many ripoffs and scams under the present Arroyo administration. And Atty. Jun and LP presidential standard-bearer Noynoy Aquino represent for this strong people’s clamor for change.

That’s spells the difference in this polls despite the logistical insufficiency of Atty. Jun. But then that’s coupled with the hope that somehow the automation in the coming elections could spring upsets and surprises that would lead in the victory of true people’s choice despite the trepidations of the old money politics. Another conspiracy theory comes up now that says that maybe the May 2010 opportunist voters would still receive money from vote-buying candidates but since their votes could no longer be monitored as they have only to pencil-shade the ballots in clustered precincts ala betting for the lotto while machines do the counting, they would end up voting for what their hearts and minds have really chosen. Di na bitaw na nahibal-an sa naghatag natog kwarta, says one wag.

BLOGS AND BITS: Noynoy Aquino is still a survey topnotcher in the latest Comval survey despite the reported inching up of the ratings of Manny Villar to that of Noynoy Aquino. Maybe that closing in of the ratings happened only in other parts of the country or maybe it’s just a manipulation of  the surveying firm commissioned and funded by Villar to do the survey that would favor him little by little to condition the people that he is, too, a winning, presidential candidate…. There are over 18,000 new first-time-to-vote voters in Davao del Norte. Presumably, these are the youths who could not be bought. That bulk of number could clinch who’ll win in a two-corner fight. To whom will these first-time youth voters vote in the case of Davao del Norte Vice Gov. Baby Suaybaguio vs.  Boardmember Dangpanan Israel ? I bet my five cents in favor to Baby as he’s handsomer than Dangpanan. Dyok!…. The Jampayas-Gonzaga alliance in Mawab town in Comval remains as both Mayor Evalina Jampayas and Vice Mayor Bingo Gonzaga seek reelection in the same tandem. Good for them- politically- as they’ll not spend in the coming polls. For four decades the Gonzaga and Jampayas clans then are arch political enemies. (e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com)

Filed under: cong. way kurat, Boardmember Maria Carmen Zamora-Apsay, atty. jaime m. lopoz, congressman way kurat zamora, maricar zamora-apsay

NEWS: Pros Amatong: “DA, real recipient of Bolante fertilizer”

His office just coordinated the distribution

nov 21

Former Compostela Valley District 2 Congressman Prospero Amatong bared yesterday that the real recipient of of the so-called Bolante fertilizer was the Department of Agriculture-XI and that his congressional office then just coordinated its distribution to the farmers in his district.

“We just identified the recipients of the fertilizer,” he said in an exclusive interview.
He added that the fertilizer was a cargo and he shied away from micro-managing it.

“Sila na adto, bagahi to siya ug kapoy kung ako pay mangunay adto,” he added.
Even then, he said there was an auditing team from Commission on Audit which went to his congressional office and cleared the transaction.

“The Bolante fertilizer just passed in my congressional office,” he said, adding that he had not much thought of it since he saw mayors and farmers in the province also coordinating DA-XI to access it.

He said his office ultimately received goods in the form of fertilizer and not money.
He recalled that his office received the fertilizer close before the elections and that its distribution went beyond the elections due to the election ban.

Asked on how he is seeing the investigation on the P728-million fertilizer fund scam reportedly pulled  by former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante before the May 2004 polls, he said that the current drift of pinning down the suppliers and the DA “is good” and that those culpable could be uncovered through a “paper trail” and “missing links”.

The recognized provincial elder has been undefeated in electoral races in his 50 year of public service during which not a single Ombudsman complaint, even from anonymous sender, was filed against him. His son Cong. Rommel Amatong is taking his footsteps at present.

Earlier, several incumbents during the 2004 polls had already spoken on the Bolante fertilizer scam.

Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario in a TV report said he did not receive the Bolante fertilizer but drip irrigation projects to boost vegetable production in his province.

At that time he was the national president of both the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP)

On Monday Davao del Norte Cong. Arrel Olano (District 1) admitted he received Bolante’s fertilizer and distributed it to some 6,000 farmers in Asuncion, Kapalong, San Isidro and Talaingod towns. He said his recipients could be verified right in the field.

Olano said that he started distributing the fertilizer before the May 2004 polls and stopped when the election period began. He said he continued distributing the fertilizer after the elections.

Last Sunday, Comval Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora (District 1) admitted, too, he received fertilizer but only in August 2004, after the May polls in that year.
Zamora said his recipients included even the farrmers belonging to the militant Kilusang Magbubukid sa Pilipinas in his province.

He said the transaction was “duly accounted for” and that he has a list of recipient barangay captains throughout his district except Monkayo town. where he did not distribute the fertilizer as Zamora were at political odds then with Mayor Manuel Brillantes.

Both Olano and Zamora said they did not receive money but only fertilizer.
Early last week, former Comval Gov. Jose Caballero said he did not receive any fertilizer nor money for it, although he complied with the requirements asked by the DA for him to access the so-called Bolante fertilizer.

Former Davao del Norte Cong. Antonio “Tonyboy” del Rosario (District 2) has yet to issue a statement on the issue to the local press.

Bolante has been accused of engineering the alleged diversion of P728 million to the 2004 campaign kitty of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whom he had cleared to have not been involved in the scam, along with other names of local officials and congressmen who were identified as proponents of the fertilizer funds.

A total of 103 congressmen, 53 provincial governors and 23 mayors were identified as among those who availed of the funds. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: cong. olano, cong. way kurat, former comval cong. prospero amatong, former cong. tonyboy floirendo, cong. olano, cong. way kurat, former comval cong. prospero amatong, former cong. tonyboy floirendo