Cagayan de Oro, Alas, Oka and the Rubberstamp

May 5, 2008

SCINTILLA : By Butch Z. Bagabuyo
A time there was when our city of gold used to be the nation’s producers of gold and the like!

First and foremost, our city was named Cagayan de Oro–or the city of gold–by one of our country’s brightest and the finest statesman–former Vice President, consistent most outstanding Senator and Congressman, Ambassador to the United States, Bar top notcher, ideal father of our country and his own family, the late Emmanuel “Maning” Pelaez.

In the field of politics, we Cagayanons were known all over the world and country as the home of brilliant and brave fighters of democracy: Don Apolinar Velez and his men valiantly fought the imperial army of mighty Japan during the Japanese occupation.

During the unlamented dictatorship regime of the late Ferdinand E. Marcos, the people all over the world admired and rallied with gusto the triumvirate of Homobono “Bono” Adaza, Reuben R. Canoy and Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr. (not necessarily in that order).

While the rest of the country cowered in fear, our city stood out and gave our nation the much needed brain and bravery.

Believe you me, one, if not all, of them would have been Philippine president by now, had they remained united to the cause of the Mindanao Alliance (not the party.)

Then we had the likes of Cecile “Tetel” Borja and Olga “Gigi” Neri vda de Fernandez, who led the nation in the firmament of beauties and brain, among the females.

And we were proud to know that our male species was not outdone.

We had top-notch scientist, Roger Posadas; the late Attorney Amadeo Neri, Sr., Attorney Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel-III and Attorney Camilo Sabio in the field of law; the first actuarian, Mr. Roa (whose first name escapes me for the moment); Doctor Aquilino “Jack” Pimentel II, in the field of medicine; Adrian “Loloy” Pabayo, Manuel “Manny” Valdehueza and Rafael “Ralf” Cecilio, again to name just a few.

This is not even to mention other Cagayanons who, for lack of time, space and memory could not be mentioned as of now but, are equally, if not more, brilliant and outstanding men, women and others.

From the very birth of our city, starting with the late City Mayor Max Suniel, the late City Mayor Justiniano “Tinying” Borja, the late City Mayor Jesus “Jake” Serina, City Mayor, Assemblyman, Undersecretary of Information, Reuben R. Canoy; the late Governor and City Mayor Pedro “Oloy” Roa;

City Mayor, Assemblyman, DILG Secretary and Incumbent Senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr.; and, up to Pedro “Ambing” Magtajas, our city was among the best in the country not only because our former city mayors truly loved our city and its rich cultural heritage but also because they made our city grow by leaps and bound.

They were all builders. Not gamblers! They lived in modest houses. Not one of them built a mansion. And, because our people adored them, they were not surrounded by mean-looking bodyguards.

But that was a long, long time ago!

That was then. This is now!

Today, we only have gamblers, his elks and nincompoops around City Hall. What we have today is a city mayor who wants to sell the city itself. And, what he cannot sell, he mortgages. He’s done it before. He is doing it again!

When he was governor of the then poor province of Misamis Oriental, he made sure that when he was thrown out of the Capitol building (The Supreme Court decided that Ruthie Guingona was duly elected governor of the province of Misamis Oriental), the coffers were empty.

When former City Mayor Ambing Magtajas ended his term of office, he left the City with more than enough savings and assets to make our city the premier city of Mindano, if not the country.

Right now, “Alas” and his rubber stamp are busy selling and/or mortgaging whatever the city has. He needs whatever it takes to recapture the Capitol and the impending retirement some of his elks.

Poor Oka! Look at what poor Oka is doing with the Capitol and its surroundings. Now the building and its park look like a miniature White House of the U.S.A. All indications point to a progressive province.

But, unless Governor Oka Moreno builds his own political party, there is no doubt whatsoever that in due time “Alas” shall find ways and means to have the poor governor declared “persona non grata” both in the party and in the province.

If we are to take as gospel truth the allegations of the oppositionists both in the city and in the province, “alas” has no qualms in betraying anybody who comes his greedy, bullheaded-ignoramus way.

According to a very good friend of mine, “Alas” has no friends. He is no better than a typical Chinese of old.

He treats one a friend only for as long as he could still use, if not suck, him. But, the very moment he’s got what he wanted, he would even deny knowing him from Adam.

Need I relate how he betrayed, disposed of and treated like garbage Nene Pimentel, the very person who picked him up from political dustbin and placed him in the pedestal?

How about, now Congressman, Danny Lagbas? Or for that matter, Governor Oka Moreno! According to the oppositionists, they could say a litany of what they had to suffer under the treacherous ways of “Alas”

Like all dictators, “Alas” believes he is above the law. How can you love a man of that kind?

The naughty ones would even dare say: not even his own mother could love him!

-oOo-

Abolish the Senate says the Lower House. Abolish the lower house says the senate.

I heard the rubber stamp of “alas” wants the Senate abolish only because there is a senator whose only qualification, he believes, is that he is a celebrity.

Believe you me, this kind of thinking is the direct consequence of one’s constant association with a bullheaded ignoramus called “alas” by his cohorts.

It is like burning a house to terminate a termite. Imagine that!

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Written by admin · Filed Under Butch Bagabuyo, Columnists