OPINION: Death of democracy in Davnor and Comval

BLOGISTA

By Cha Monforte

Our congressmen have backpedalled in their Con-Ass assault. We may surmise that days prior Friday’s Makati rally either our own congresssmen have stood in the sidelines yet supportive to the move of Kampi and Lakas to pursue the path of converting Congress into constituent assembly to change our Constitution by their own, or became part of the rabid Con-Ass movers led by Cong. Luis Villafuerte of Kampi and Speaker Prospero Nograles of Lakas.

We know for sure that Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario, being the Lakas regional chairman, would feign no qualm over the Con-Ass move. After all, he’s the one in charge to crack a party whip in this part of the country, for good or for bad for the party, while the Con-Ass move shows that it is just too divisive for the country.

There are expectations from the kanto that should the ilk of Villafuerte and Nograles made true the convening of the Congress into Con-Ass last week and sailed on despite the legislative stalemate posed by the Senate’s resolution of nixing the move, pro-administration rallies led by Lakas in the provinces would be mounted. We know of the superficial Lakas unity in Comval and Lakas-Kampi unification in Davao del Norte. Just like in Marcos time when a mammoth crowd of KBL kapitans and municipal officials could be mobilized in Tadeco using government resources, the Lakas in Davao del Norte and Comval could do a KBL separately in the provinces and pledge support while our Supreme Court tackles the legality of the Con-Ass without the Senate. But since Nograles had backtracked the other day while Villafuerte mumbled in the corner, The kanto expectations nevertheless died down.

This local show of support to the administration is one that is yet unchallenged. Fact is, there is yet no organized legal opposition in the two provinces. Our time hasn’t yet reached the time before when erstwhile opposition politicians in the provinces stood to be counted on in the fight against Marcos dictatorship. Before we have Bal Sator, Rolly Marcial, Tony Lagunzad, Jess Albacite, Rey Castillo, and later Florante Garcia castigating Marcos. What we have at present are the traditonally noisy organizations in the Left  But these are few, disjoined, scattered and only propaganda-obsessed. No politician of the caliber of Sator et al in their past mold (forget them at present) has yet taken even a voice of a legal opposition in Davao del Norte and Comval. And this is alarming to the democracy in this part of the country!

The check and balance of governance in the provinces and in the lives of towns and provinces has been practically played by opposition politician figures. When all incumbent politicians now, chiefly those constituting the legislative departments, bid for blessings for patronage of the Lakas chief executives and rabidly vie for inclusion to the Lakas party slate in 2010 polls, while politicians outside who lost in 2007 polls couldn’t yet shake off their losing Kampi membership or either constantly pray for inclusion to Kampi slate once again or the better as replacement for Lakas open post, and emerging ones are afraid to rock the Lakas boat, provincial and municipal governance is left to rot of itself. Check and balance becomes a misnomer. Politics becomes so opportunistic, so obsessed for political career’s sake. Transparency and accountability in governance are absent as these have been left at the discretion of power holders.

With the people in the sidelines, without the legal opposition, and with the Lakas-Kampi opportunistic politics foisted upon us, I must say a living democracy has already died in our provinces. It seems the death of our democracy comes voluntary with the acquiescence and opportunism of our politicians, reigning or otherwise, to the opportunistic baton of the pro-administration Lakas and Kampi parties. Time has indeed changed. (For online edition, visit my blog at: cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com)

Filed under: Bal Sator, death of democracy in comval davao del norte, Jess Albacite, kampi lakas party in comval davao del norte, Rey Castillo, Rolly Marcial, tony lagunzad, Bal Sator, death of democracy in comval davao del norte, Jess Albacite, kampi lakas party in comval davao del norte, Rey Castillo, Rolly Marcial, tony lagunzad

NEWS: Mayor Cee O: “No cause for alarm”

On rise of killings in Tagum

oct 14

Tagum Mayor Rey Chiong Uy in a report of DXDN Radyo Ukay in Tagum early morning yesterday said that the city’s statistics on killings reported by the police “is no cause for alarm” adding that that those “salvaged” or killed were bad elements in the society, “mga kawatan, holdupper, snatcher, akyat bahay… so walay dapat ikaalarma.”

Asked in an exclusive field interview the other day by Ruel Dagsangan, anchor of Radyo Ukay’s early morning newscast program, the mayor added that the city in fact had been banking on its good peace and order situation in receiving continuing confidence from people for its continuing development.

In the same Radyo Ukay report, Vice Mayor Allan Rellon condemned extrajudicial killings in the city saying that the “root cause of the problem” should be addressed to in an effort of helping the police solve it.

The mayor’s and vice mayor’s statements came close to the heels of provincial police reports on the rise of crimes against persons particularly shooting incidents in the city that accounted the bulk in the reported cases throughout Davao del Norte.

Provincial police director PSSupt. Benelito Bianzon bared a total of 54 shooting incidents from January to October 10 in the city last Friday’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s human rights committee hearing-inquiry initiated by Boardmember Antonio Lagunzad, the committee chairman.

The crime statistics included the still unresolved slaying of long-time serving former Mankilam barangay captain and kagawad Noel dela Cruz.

PSSupt. Bianzon however that police has solved 23 crimes and a lot of petty crimes like stabbing, hacking and others and recovered many loose firearms in their Operation Kapkap.

But he also bared on increasing death threats which he said the police has been meeting difficulties in responding to all requests for protection considering the limited number of police personnel.

In that committee hearing, the police director admitted difficulties and loose ends in stemming off the rising crime index in the city primarily owing to the lack of police personnel to secure the high city population even as he said that the province is still generally peaceful.

He called on for active civilian support while asserting that police has all been doing its work to secure the populace.

Also in that hearing, Bianzon downplayed reports on the presence of death squad operating in the city, but he admitted the police is looking into reports on hired killers. PSSupt. also cited various causes and motives in the rise of shooting incidents in the city.

The hearing led to various initial proposals in addressing the problem of criminality which the SP committee had documented.

Boardmember Lagunzad said that extrajudicial killing is a human rights violation and vowed to continue his committee’s probe. He planned to conduct activities with barangay officials to address the problem.

Also present during last Friday’s committee hearing-inquiry held at Lakan’s Place were Boardmembers Jose Recarido Federiso, Ely Dacalus, Artemio San Juan, Salvador Royo, and SK federation president Dennis Café, Tagum City police chief PSupt. Dario Gunabe, CIDG-Davao del Norte provincial director PSupt. Rowena Garma, and some members of the family of the slain Dela Cruz who shared their fearful plight to the committee. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: allan rellon, board member larry caminero, boardmember artemio san juan, boardmember ely dacalus, boardmember jose recarido federiso, boardmember salvador royo, boardmember tony lagunzad, CIDG-Davao del Norte Police Supt. Rowena Garma, mayor rey uy, police supt gunabe, PSSupt. Benelito Bianzon, rellon, tagum city crimes rise, Tagum police chief Dario Gunabe, tony lagunzad, boardmember tony lagunzad, CIDG-Davao del Norte provincial director PSupt. Rowena, killings crimes in tagum city, mayor rey chiong uy, Tagum City police chief PSupt. Dario Gunabe, vice mayor allan rellon

NEWS: Lagunzad abstains on City Council’s “vague” ordinance

In the end Tagum’s old political turk Antonio Lagunzad was left out in the cold: he was alone and had abstained from voting in what he considered as a “vague” ordinance of the Tagum City Council which sought for reclassification of a parcel of land from institutional to residential use.

The eleven other boardmembers present voted “yes” for the reclassification on Monday’s session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
But Lagunzad’s abstention came after he and proponent Boardmembers Roger Israel and Artemio San Juan wrestled on floor discussion over how to correct the phrasing of City Ordinance No. 297 which had thrown boardmembers into confusion whether it was the one hectare of the two hectares or the two hectares as a whole that was the subject of land reclassification.

“There is vagueness in it,” Lagunzad said adding that the ordinance sought by Tagum City councilors had not specifically identified the location of the 1-hectare portion of the two-hectare parcel of land owned by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), which is located at Barangay Magdum. Said portion is to be used for the employees housing project.

Lagunzad said that on the second vein the land involved was given by the national government to NIA and that he wanted to be clarified on this.

“Maybe there is already arrangement on this,” he said but did not explain further as Boardmember San Juan defended his measure of confirming the city ordinance in SP Resolution 477.

Earlier, Boardmember Ely Dacalus sparked the verbal skirmish by citing that a piece of legislation needs to be brief and concise.
Later, he asked the body to return the measure to the city of origin citing that under the SP’s parliamentary rules the body could not introduce amendment to an ordinance.

San Juan however defended that his committee had only corrected and arranged English words in the ordinance to make it precise and appropriate.

But when Boardmember Gregorio Facula dared ask the provincial board to recommit the ordinance to the joint committee and to invite the city councilors for a new round of committee hearing, Israel opposed saying it just implied that the joint committee’s output was not good. “They’re thinking that someone is destroyed (in this),” he said.

The measure with fresh modifications made by San Juan and Israel was however allowed to be approved on third and final reading as facilitated by the presiding Vice Governor Victorio Suaybaguio Jr. with Lagunzad abstaining during the voting. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: tony lagunzad, artemio san juan, greg facula, roger israel, tony lagunzad