Marcos Jr. continues to woo ‘Ilonggo nation’

“I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.”

—Alexander the Great

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has continued to accelerate his efforts to woo the “Ilonggo nation” by going straight to Antique and Negros Occidental June 27 to personally distribute financial assistance from the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk (PAFF) for farmers and fisherfolk in Western Visayas recently hit by El Niño.

He could have delegated the distribution of cash assistance to his minions, but the President knew he needed to make his presence felt more in other “hostile” areas nationwide in a hope to consolidate the support of the local government units (LGUs), thus he gave them the priority just when the LGUs needed Malacanang’s support most.

The “Ilonggo nation” is composed of Hiligaynon-speaking regions or provinces, cities, and municipalities that didn’t go “all-out” for Mr. Marcos Jr. in the 2022 presidential election.

It is considered “a force to reckon with” during the national elections and could tilt the results in areas with neck-and-neck rivalries.

Mr. Marcos Jr. had also visited some regions in Mindanao with large Hiligaynon-speaking populations to give cash assistance during calamities and the like, belying accusations from critics that he is a “tamad” (lazy person) leader who grew up without being given any responsibility by his parents who lived infamous lives during the dark years of Martial Law.

 

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On June 27, at least 61,171 beneficiaries in Western Visayas reportedly availed the PAFF program, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCC).

PCC reportedly identified a total of 30,632 beneficiaries from Iloilo, 8,315 from Negros Occidental, 8,293 from Capiz, 7,067 from Antique, 5,023 from Aklan, and 1,841 from Guimaras represented by their respective governors, many of whom newly recruited administration party members, who personally received the cash assistance.

PAFF beneficiaries went home with P10,000 each “to help cushion the effect of the dry spell on their livelihood,” it was reported.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) also reportedly distributed farm inputs to identified beneficiaries aside from financial assistance.

El Niño, which lasted for several months early this year, caused around P2.9 billion in losses across the region, heavily affecting rice and corn production, according to report from the DA regional office. The phenomenon reportedly impacted over 84,181 farmers and about 122,702 hectares of farmland.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) also claimed that the prolonged dry season brought P49 million worth of damage, it was reported.

 

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OUR colleague in the Fil-Am Press Club of New York, Cesar YetBo LoveRita, reported for the Filipino Reporters June 26 that Dr. Alexander Baldonado, a Filipino Canadian and US permanent resident facing a $20.7 million medical fraud case, has been placed under house arrest by a US District Court in Newark, New Jersey.

Baldonado violated several court-imposed conditions, including failing to report to his pretrial officer and violating curfew, leading District Judge Susan Wigenton to modify his release to house detention after being initially released on $200,000 bail in May 2021. His trial is scheduled for February 3, 2025, reported LoveRita.

The charges against Baldonado, brought by the FBI, include conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the US, paying and receiving health care kickbacks, and soliciting health care kickbacks.

In addition to his legal troubles, Baldonado’s conduct towards journalists has sparked condemnation. The Filipino American Press Club of New York and the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines criticized his harassment of GMA7 correspondent Dave Llavanes Jr., who reported on his case.

Following a bail hearing, Baldonado reportedly insulted ABS-CBN reporter Don Tagala, using derogatory language by calling him “gagang bakla”. However, Tagala maintained professionalism and did not react, according to LoveRita.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

A relief for jaywalkers

 “A society without jaywalkers might indicate a society without artists.”

—Paul Theroux

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

SOMETIME in July 1994, then Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Capiz manager Jaime “James” Cabag and I were “arrested” by a traffic enforcer while crossing the busy Colon St., touted as the oldest street in the Philippines, in Cebu City.

We had already reached the other side of the street when we heard a loud whistle blown by a traffic enforcer, who reprimanded us: “Jaywalking kamo dong (guys you committed a jaywalking).”

He was right. The light for pedestrians was still red when we crossed.

James was pissed off not because we would be delayed in our seminar that morning. He was irked by the tone of the traffic enforcer’s voice.

A native of San Miguel, Iloilo, James angrily retorted in Tagalog, “Enimbarras mo naman kami sa lakas ng boses mo (you embarrassed us with your loud voice)” while giving the traffic enforcer a dagger look.

 

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He ignored James and escorted us to a corner where several other violators were waiting.

Two things came into my mind: either we would be penalized and asked to pay a corresponding fine right away, or be brought to the police station to be booked and detained.

Jaywalking is a serious traffic infraction in Cebu City. In split seconds, more traffic violators were taken to where we were standing. Sensing he could not attend to all of us, the traffic enforcer allowed us to go without asking us to pay any penalty. It was around nearly 10 o’clock in the morning.

In Iloilo City, a “humiliated” male lawyer nearly ran amuck when accosted for jaywalking by city hall traffic ordinance enforcers.

A retired male public school teacher nearly came to blows with the same enforcers because of similar infraction. A female GSIS employee engaged the same enforcers in an ugly verbal tiff that nearly ended in a physical scuffle. And so on and so forth.

 

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These were some of the regular scenarios we witnessed then at the intersections of Valeria and Delgado streets (near SM Delgado and Mary Mart Mall) and Delgado-Gen. Luna streets (near Atrium Mall) in Iloilo City.

That was before city hall traffic ordinance enforcers stopped imposing a fine as penalty for jaywalkers right away. Although they issued official receipts from the city treasurer’s office, the male lawyer questioned the legality of imposing a fine as penalty for violators without any court order.

The lawyer insisted it’s the court that should determine whether he pays the fine or he goes to jail.

Many legal experts said it is against the law to immediately collect fine upon apprehension or as a precedent for the release of a person caught violating a city ordinance.

 

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It’s unlawful for any law or ordinance enforcer to immediately collect a fine, according to them.

The violator must first be detained and proper charges be filed against him for violation of law or ordinance.

Then the judge will rule regarding the fine.

The City Council had expedited a city ordinance amending the procedure in arresting violators of city ordinances as prescribed under City Ordinance No. 2001-017.

When it was approved and signed by then Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, the unpalatable scenarios we regularly witnessed in the aforementioned areas and other busy streets and intersections in downtown, City Proper, become a thing of the past. Jaywalkers were no longer subjected to such inconvenience during the administrations of former mayor Jose “Joe III” Espinosa III and Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Trenas.

 

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Below is another poem recently written by Philippine Ambassador to Bangladesh, Atty. Leo Tito Ausan which he shared to us: PAALAM NA MANONG BARBERO, SA PALENGKE AT KANTO, AYAW NA PÔ KASI NI CLARK NAMIN MAGPAGUPIT SA INYO, SA MCQUEEN’S NA DAW ANG KANYANG GUSTO, ….ANG IBIG NIYA MAS MAHAL ANG GASTOS SA GUPIT NI WOWA’T WOWO!!..: KAYA SIGURO MAG AYOS-AYOS NA RIN KAYO, MAGLAGAY NG KOTSENG UPUAN, COLOR TV AT UNLI ANG PULBO,!!!, IBA NA PÔ KASI ANG LABANAN NGAYON, MANONG BARBERO!!!… ANG MGA BARKADA NI CLARK AY IBA NA RIN ANG GUSTO.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo. —Ed)