NEWS: Way Kurat asks Singapore embassy’s help for distressed Comvalenya

oct 23

COMPOSTELA – Calling with his cellphone right from his base here, District 1 Congressman Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora has asked the Singapore embassy to help a 23-year old Comvalenya who was earlier imprisoned in Singapore for overstaying and who could not longer be contacted by her relatives in Barangay Ngan in this town.

The congressman right away called on the Singapore embassy Tuesday morning after hearing that Ngan’s lass Vanessa Dendero, who went to work at Singapore on tourist visa, could no longer be contacted in her cellphone since last September 23.

Vanessa’s mother Neri told the congressman that Vanessa was apprehended by the Singapore police last Sept. 4.

Kins of Vanessa thought that she was already released but they are worried as they still do not know of Vanessa’s whereabouts at pres time.

Singaporean chancellor Chioga Yogaineran, at the other line, promised the congressman and Vanessa’s kins to help them locate the Vanessa and inform them on developments.

It was learned that Vanessa went with a group which went to Singapore as tourists but inevitably worked there beyond the allowable period of stay as tourists. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: cong way kurat zamora, way kurat, way kurat zamora ofw

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: Ramil will not run for Congress

“Ramil a good gentleman who has word of honor”- Way Kurat

oct 22

District 1 Congressman Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora said yesterday that Vice Governor Ramil Gentugaya is a “good gentleman who has a word of honor” in not breaching his earlier word of not running against her daughter Boardmember Maricar Zamora-Apsay for Congress by 2010.

In an interview, Cong. Zamora, who is currently in town for the recess in Congress, bared that Ramil had pledged not to run against Maricar at the presence of Governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy.

He said that the four of them- he, the governor, Ramil and Maricar had already agreed that Ramil would run for his last term as vice governor while Maricar would run for Congress, which “Ramil conceded while Governor Uy endorsed.

“Ramil has a word of honor… as well as the governor, and I will stick to

that agreement,” the congressman said.

“Ramil also a good politician, a good leader of the province,” Cong. Zamora said on the vice governor who became his ijado when he became one of the honored ninongs of Ramil and Joanna Ang-Gentugaya in their grandest wedding last Saturday.

The third-termer congressman, who has ostensibly established quite a national prominence, said that there has been no problem in the first place on the Lakas-CMD party in view of the forthcoming 2010 election, particularly in his District “as the only solution is already made, and that’s for Ramil to continue serving as the vice governor, while the governor has already said his piece, with Maricar as his choice” in in apparent displeasure to the possible division that would erupt in the unified Lakas party in the province and to the much-touted Comval in case Ramil would proceed to run against Maricar.

He said he has known of Ramil, “from a good boy to a good man… I molded him as an SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) federation president after Maricar’s SK provincial leadership until he became one good leader”.

In the same interview, Cong. Zamora took exception of the earlier Sidlak report that he “could not see eye to eye” to Monkayo Manuel “Junjun” Brillantes.

He said that on the contrary he and Brillantes have “leveled off” of their minds and have been meeting in one-on-one twosome of them unknown to the public.

He bared that Maricar,too has been in constant communication with the mayor’s brother Lito and the mayor’s sister Diel, the barangay captain of Olaycon, Monkayo.

Cong. Zamora defeated Lito Brillantes of the Liberal Party (Atienza wing)in the last 2007 polls (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: boardmember maricar zamora-apsay, cong way kurat zamora, gov. chiongkee uy, vice governor ramil gentugaya, way kurat, way kurat zamora, boardmember maricar zamora-apsay, cong. way kurat, gov. chiongkee uy, vice governor ramil gentugaya

NEWS: Compostela banana workers decry losing land, jobs by DAR- installed “dummies”

oct 13

Some 170 banana workers in Barangay Osmena in Compostela town

. Leaders of Namasco banana workers decry forcible takeover of their banana plantation in Compostela town during the press conference last Saturday with the Davao del Norte Press Radio and TV Club (DNRPC), Inc.at Cevannah Bar Café and Restaurant at Lapulapu St., Tagum City. At left is DNRPC chairman Greg “Loloy” Ybanez(Rural Urban News photo)

who are claiming to be the actual tillers of the land are protesting the forcible takeover to the 139–hectare of banana plantation by 159 “agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs)” after earlier given with Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) by the Department of Agrarian Reform.

The plantation is then leased bv the Ayala-owned Davao Fruits Corporation until leasehold contracts expired and workers went on growership.

“Many of them are dummies, former DFC employees, already businessmen, even some area already living in Davao City and in United States,” said Zosimo Ombajin, president of the Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Compostela (Namsaco) in a press conference after Saturday’s “Ipalanog sa Katawhan” press forum of the Davao del Norte Press, Radio and TV Club, Inc., (DNPRC) at Cevannah Bar Café and Restaurant in Tagum City.

Ombajin said that last August 11 the ARBs, accompanied by District 1 Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora and some policemen, allegedly went into breaking their barricade, disarmed their security guards and forcibly takeover a half of their supposed land.

“We were surprised on that day that the DAR installation order suddenly arrived ejecting us from the land we have been productively cultivating for many years,” said Ombajin.

Zamora accordingly accompanied the ARBs to help them be installed on the land as the CLOA holders due to the congressman’s promise in the last elections.

The 159 CLOA holders are accordingly girding to takeover the whole of the 139-hectare land, while the 170 actual workers are holding on working on half of the plantation area.

“As a result our families are now starving,” said complaining of scarce jobs and excess workers since they have already to be content on working a half the 139-hectare land.

On the same press conference, Pantaleon Libre Jr, an officer of Namasco, said that after the takeover the occupied land have already new workers of new growers from CLOA holders.

The actual workers though would still get the last harvest from the remaining bunches in the occupied land, he said.

“What we are demanding is that we should also be included as CLOA holders since it is us who made continuous possession and production over the land for the past ten years since 1998,” he said.

He said that CLOA holders are former DFC employees and workers who were already compensated by DFC as early as 1994 due to retrenchment, resignation or retirement.

“We were not informed on the CARP application nor had seen in the barangay bulletin board of any posting on DAR notice to put the land we have been actually working under CARP,” Ombajin said.

The Namasco has already petitioned the DAR central office to revoke the CLOA. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: comval banana growers, comval labor union, way kurat, way kurat zamora, compostela banana growers, dar comval, namasco, way kurat zamora

OPINION: Comval in Delano’s probe

oct 10

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

Cong. Way Kurat Zamora’s chief of staff Robert Delano was shot and killed Wednesday while about to leave for Congress from his house at Kamuning Village in Quezon City. Our condolence to the bereaved family. I saw Robert for a couple of times or so when he was still young as chief of staff of former Cong. Roger M. Sarmiento. It was only the other day that I knew from reports that he was already a lawyer. He surely had studied law while working in Congress.

There’s that report that the Quezon City’s Task Force Delano would be extending its probe up to Comval as it included Diwalwal mining as one of the possible angles. From where I sit, it is remote and perhaps irresponsible police statement when Comval connection was right away included while initial leads have not yet been known. Cong. Way Kurat said that last weekend when he and Robert were biking in an outskirt there he knew that Robert had stopped and talked lengthily over his cellphone with someone. The police could have a good start on this.

Of course, all angles even if remote should be included in the probe. Robert didn’t know me and I’m not one of his friends in this side of the country. I just covered RMS then including the Sarmiento patriarch, grand old man in Davao politics, Don Enchong in the 80s. It was during RMS heyday in politics that I first saw Robert. During the late Don Enchong’s own heyday, I only saw Orlando Carvajal, Cleo Satina and other ex-priests employed in Sarmiento businesses. (I vividly remember now such run-around about a still unpaid full ad billing with Satina -where is he now?. Anyway, that was sure bad debts already after two decades).

I’m no chronicler in Way Kurat’s goings on in his first and second terms. From my sources, Robert seldom and rarely visited Comval even while being the Cong’s chief. I don’t also hear about Robert’s being one of the stakers in Diwalwal mining. In most possibility, Robert must have run afoul with someone in Manila and not in Comval.

Though including a Comval connection is a must to have a comprehensive police probe, that is, if the Quezon City police has not yet identified the motive and arrested the culprits until this writing, but this is sending troublesome implication to Comval knowing that it has still such so-called Comval Unity regardless of the divisive Ramil-Maricar positioning tiff.

The assailants must be immediately arrested, so that justice must be given to Robert who has served Comval by serving as chief of staff of RMS and Way Kurat.

BLOGBUZZ: Will Press Sec Jess Dureza come today or next week to grace for the Press Freedom affair of the National Press Club-Davao del Norte-Comval Chapter? Allan, there’s big problem in the world, which may gnaw at any moment. Our stock exchange might also crash, and it’s better to stockpile camotes now to survive. Sec. Dureza is badly needed there in Manila at the side of GMA today and tomorrow. But the good secretary if he comes can have good view of the present plight of our banana industry with the losing pole-vaulting banana growers… Comval’s vice governor’s post is also considered an open post for everybody among the incumbents to apply. The list of VG potentials is long: Cong. Way Kurat (although he was reported to be running for Compostela mayorship or for governoship itself, but don’t as ex-Gov. Joecab will also run for a three-corner fight ), Joecab himself (he’s willing if he runs in tandem with provincial elder Pros Amatong for gov), BM Maricar (if she’ll abandon her congressional bid so as not to wreck havoc to Comval unity and give the chance to VG Ramil as a gift for his fast approaching wedding this Oct. 18), former VG and BM Ruwel Peter Gonzaga, BM and No. 2 bartopnotcher Dexter Lopoz, BM Moran Takasan, Lito Brillantes, BM Armando Codilla (otherwise he’ll run to be back at Monkayo SB), Compostela Mayor Rey Castillo (if he’s not running as vice mayor in tandem with Way K or with VM Jess Bolo), and Nabunturan Mayor Macario Humol (although he’s reported to be eyeing to be the vice mayor of VM Romeo Clarin or Kons. Darwin Tan or Kons. Menchie Cabuga, who are eyeing for mayorship along with Kons. Raul Caballero) (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, email: chamonforte@yahoo.com, or ruralurbanews@yahoo.com)

Filed under: don enchong sarmiento, way kurat, way kurat zamora, enchong sarmiento, robert delano, roger sarmiento, way kurat

Congressional wannabes not to sit back and relax

If the charter change (Cha-Cha) via the constituent assembly (Con-Ass) will finally fly on the wings of federalism, on the assumption that the businessmen, civil society groups and Catholic bishops, and various opposition groups as well as the 2010 presidentiables from the Senate could not put up a united front like what they had made for several times during the time of Ramos, Erap and Gloria, chances are it could throw a monkey wrench to the political ambitions of front-running politicians in both Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley.

On the assumption that Cha-Cha via the Con-Ass is made, adding one more term to the presently allowed three terms of a congressman, then both the third-termer DavNor 1^st District Cong. Arrel Olano and Comval 1^st District Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora could still run for their last reelection. And since both of them belong to the Lakas party or the merged Lakas-Kampi party, by the equity of the incumbent principle, it’s they who would be bagging the standard bearer of the administration party. Such bodes ill to the ambitions of DavNor congressional wannabes. Likewise, Vice Governor Ramil Gentugaya and Boardmember Maricar Zamora-Apsay would have to stop their mutual back-biting and conveniently seek for their reelection. All’s well that ends well. 

But sadly or happily, the Ramil-Maricar silent positioning feud will continue. On the other hand, the eyes of a member of the divided politico-economic clan or of the DavNor vice governor, otherwise the one who kept on losing in elections out from his faded glory that came after his involvement in Piatco scandal or of the Dangpanan who never was,  will continue to be trained on what Olaño would be leaving, as from our vantage point it would be so hard these days of skyrocketing prices for the President to realize her pipedream of effecting a Cha-Cha without sparking a so noisy backlash and juggernaut of the opposition, not least the presidentiable senators who do not want an overstaying President blocking off also their pipedream of becoming the country’s next President.

We think this new Cha-Cha call is another charade flouted by the administration in accomplishing at least two purposes: showing its irritation to the snagging of the peace agreement by the fiat of Supreme Court’s action, and putting a new smokescreen to the obsession of the President Arroyo to reach the end of her term by 2010. At least a new breathing spell can consume again a lengthy period especially so that our district congressmen are expected to return to be with us again from the comforts of their Manila offices for the consultations on Cha-Cha via Con-Ass for federalism maybe this week or two weeks for now.

It would be bad for the congressional wannabes in DavNor and Comval to just sit back and relax in taking ride of this new Cha-Cha pretense. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

Filed under: roger m sarmiento, tagum, tagum sp, way kurat, arrel olano, comval sex scandal, maricar apsay, ramil gentugaya, tagum sex scandal, way kurat zamora

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

A close encounter with PGMA

Blogista

By Cha Monforte

It was already twilight when the then senatorial candidate and now President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo arrived and called up to be on stage at a miting de avanci in Nabunturan in year 1992. She was in white shorts and in t-shirt. Yuppie-like during her first run for senator. The town folks giggled and became rowdy upon hearing of GMA’s name, knowing she;s ex-President’s daughter. When she spoke, GMA right away held the audience captive by her audible voice and Bisaya words. It was the first and the last time yet that the PGMA stepped on Comval’s capital town.

She could have stepped anew in Nabunturan two years ago when she did not skip her Capitol visit during the time of ex-Gob. Joecab after PMS and PSG earlier scoured the Cabidianan Capitol. But by sudden turn of events, the helicopter ferrying her went straight to Compostela to see for herself the kalamansi seedlings and wati in the district office of Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora. Joecab was left alone, and it was dyahi for him to go to Compostela and be with the group of his political nemesis who later caused for his defeat. But it was a so short visit, less than an hour or so on the 8^th of July 2006. But the brief PGMA’s pass with the Comval Lakas group was actually giving another shot of glory to Cong. Way Kurat at a time when there was another impeachment threat against the President.

But that time when the President went to Compostela town, Joecab was accordingly left at Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City where he was talking with the Chinese investors who wanted to do mining in Diwalwal and in Surigao. The Chinese investors were accordingly part of the PGMA entourage. Were they the ZTE Chinese investors that became the controversial subject of whistleblower Jun Lozada?

I got another honored chance of seeing, in fact meeting GMA so close when she was already a reelected senator in 1995. She accompanied her late father ex-President Diosdado Macapagal and late mother Dr. Evangelina Macaraig Macapagal at their ancestral house at Timoga, Iligan City. Well, her mother had inherited a good Timoga land overflowing with fresh and so cool spring waters, which some portions of which were occupied with what society calls as squatters, the dregs. There was a negotiation I facilitated between Dona Eva and the two groups of urban poor occupying the Macapagal properties at Timoga and Buruun.

The lasting impression I got when the negotiation ran between the urban poor and Dona Eva was that GMA and ex-President Dadong had never uttered a single word to intervene in the process. They just observed and listened.

At the end, the parties settled for the Timoga occupants to go for a relocation and the Buruun occupants to remain for an onsite settlement on interest-free direct purchase for a ten-year period under the administration of the Lualhati Foundation of the Macapagals. It was a win-win situation as the Timoga occupants were promised a relocation to Buruun property.

In huddle with GMA after the successful negotiation, she told the group of urban poor leaders she could well initiate for more legislations favoring the urban poor and asked me as a PCUP area coordinator then to send raw proposals from the ground. A close encounter with a still young PGMA could have you mum especially that she’s a really straight-talking intellectual. She uttered words like policy legislations.

Ex-President Dadong jokingly complained that he retired a poor President and that the Timoga lot was the only piece Dona Eva got from her parents. When he tapped my back on how important a coordinator’s role in mediating contending parties in the government housing programs on the ground level, oh how I was honored to be with the senator who later become the country’s President and an ex-President, modesty aside.

Today, a new PGMA is coming out for her 8^th SONA. I don’t how Filipinos describe her after her speech, while the SWS has just did her in. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com)

Filed under: compostela, joecab, nabunturan, way kurat, cha monforte, compostela, pmga, pmga in nabunturan

The hammer of Way Kurat

Blogista

By Cha Monforte

Forget RMS in the equation 2010. Monkayo Mayor Manuel Brillantes Jr. would seem to have a point in this even if so many things would still have to happen before that Dream 2010. Well, we also heard about his brother Lito possibly gunning again to one of the best coveted political posts in a province. It’s either the post of the governor or of the district congressman that is fancied by next-in-line provincial and municipal officials in the country. Roger M. Sarmiento might have already his good, old days that he becomes a has-been. Not until Cong. Way Kurat has established his own name by pounding hardly his home district’s soil with a hammer he borrowed from RMS. That’s proverbially.

There’s also Vice Governor Ramil Gentugaya setting his own sight to the 1^st District congressional post that Cong. Way Kurat is leaving by 2010, but the latter, reports say, wants the hammer to be turned over to her daughter Boardmember Maricar than to its owner- RMS. It was some three years ago that I really enjoyed seeing a Way Kurat heaping all praises and thanks to RMS on ACQ TV as he was being interviewed by the self-appointed son of god Pastor Quiboloy. That was after his first term but before his current term. How he thanked RMS then who nodded to complete his series of term. Way Kurat was also anointed and praised by the interviewing pastor, though in the drowsy enthrallment that I was in in that night of the tete-a-tete interview, figures without halos came hovering in my mind. It was a throwback scene of the film “The Dumb and The Dumber.” Err, I didn’t intend that, pardon Father, just being honest.

Maybe it was the good ways of Way Kurat that he has established a solid leadership and following in his district. A district, not the province, which belongs now to a unifying and some say, statesman Gov. Chiongkee Uy. But who else is most popular person and politician in Comval now? It’s not The Undefeated Pros Amatong. Actress Iwa Moto of Casoon, Monkayo? But she’s only an actress who doesn’t want to be known as taga bukid for hailing from Comval. S_it! It’s Way Kurat. Thanks for his calibrated scene-stealing dramatics: in carrying the ballot boxes, sweeping the floor of the Congress, giving kalamansi seedlings to fellow congressmen at the height of the impeachment try against Madam Arroyo. The unwanted sight of Way Kurat seen over ANC was his comical background act of his getting of a dried speck on his nostril when an opposition congressman delivered his anti-Arroyo speech during the nominal voting during the impeachment proceedings in Congress. Well, he already knew this issue during the last local campaign period. I’m a fan of Way Kurat, too, especially that RMS had then chickened out from getting his hammer. But maybe, the former congressman was still recovering that time by the loss of a loving wife Korina.

BLOGBUZZ: The Gov said it the other day that VG Ramil is most senior than Maricar, and while though it’s painful for him the principle of the equity of the incumbent must rule and prevail in the newly merged Lakas-Kampi party. Looks like there would be early reconfigurations that threaten the unified political landscape in Comval. It’s good the cat is already out from the bag as horse-trading and backroom negotiations can still be made. The Gov can still iron out kinks and crack a powerhorse, gigantic admin party anyone could not beat and easily get the monolithic INC’s blessings. Not in the dreams of Joecab’s holdover followers that has more number than the Sarmiento remnants. It’s also good for Way Kurat to get the vice gubernatorial slot while Maricar can have her easy reelection for the last term as boardmember so as not to rock the boat. After all, a vice governor Way Kurat can only wait for two terms for Gov Chiongkee to graduate in his three terms. Yes, Time travels so fast, electorally. And be the next Comval or the first Davao de Oro governor by 2016. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com)

Filed under: way kurat, brillantes, comval, monkayo, way kurat