Drilon's worry with Diversion Road 'eyesores'

“A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work.” JOHN LUBBOCK

By Alex P. Vidal

SENATE President Franklin Drilon called the drinking establishments and talaba (oyster) stalls along the Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Sr. Avenue or Diversion Road as “eyesores” and wanted them removed from the widened areas.

Before the highway was rehabilitated and widened, it served as the enclave of videoke bars and talaba stalls for many years.

Drinking establishments mushroomed all the way from Brgy. San Rafael, Mandurriao district to Brgy. El 98, Jaro district since the incumbency of Iloilo City Mayor Mansueto Malabor in the 90's.

With the newly-refurbished Diversion Road, financed mostly by Drilon’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) funds or “pork barrel”, those establishments disappeared from the map one by one.

Either they were demolished to pave the way for the project, or were forced to transfer during the road-widening.

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Their locations have been replaced by spacious sidewalks and lampposts.

Which made us think which drinking establishments Drilon was referring to?

There are remnants of small talabahan in the back or within the parameters of the highway, but they can’t attract the sight of motorists who are, in fact, mostly impressed by the highway’s modern lay-out.

There are several restaurants, 24-hour mini-marts and hotels along the highway that serve beer and liquor to customers.

But they can’t be considered as “eyesores” because drinks are served inside the bars or premises of these establishments and restaurants.

And their existence is part of the “night life” in that area.

Without those establishments, there is no “night life” and warm bodies of people going to and fro the bars, hotels and restaurants in the vicinity.

If partygoers and tourists will shy away, businesses in this area will die a natural death.

We understand the concerns of Drilon, whose efforts to bring development and beautification in the metropolis became full swing and was fast-tracked under the administration of Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.

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By eyesores he probably meant private establishments “squatting” or “encroaching” on government property which were not immediately addressed.

Since massive works and development are still ongoing in the Diversion Road, it’s too early to segregate the businesses.

As more companies, restaurants, hotels and shopping malls construct buildings in the area, more problems are expected to surface in the long run.

It ain’t over yet until the fat lady sings, as the saying goes.

It’s good that Drilon brought the matter to the attention of city hall, which has an agency tasked to handle the matter.

Even if he is the third highest official of the land and a project donor (through government funds) to boot, Drilon cannot dictate to city hall on what to do with those “eyesores” or whatever they are.

It’s the job of the city mayor.

But Drilon can always suggest; and his suggestions always have the weight, he being the most influential and powerful Ilonggo leader in the national government today.  

Is ‘Boy J’ Javellana involved in illegal STL?

“There are many harsh lessons to be learned from the gambling experience, but the harshest one of all is the difference between having Fun and being Smart.” Hunter S. Thompson

By Alex P. Vidal

FORMER Iloilo board member Boy J Javellana has been reported to be “involved” in the operation of Small Town Lottery (STL) in Iloilo province.

His involvement wasn’t clear.

But the late board member Vicente “Bugoy” Molejona, Javellana’s colleague during the time of Governor Simplicio “Sim” Grino, confirmed Boy J, who hails from Calinog, Iloilo “was either a financier or just a supporter.”

Boy J quit politics after his term expired in 1992.

“Since STL has no legal status in the province of Iloilo, its operation is illegal,” sources told us.

Boy J could not be reached for comment.

The provincial board recently passed a resolution pushing for legalization of STL.

Its proponent, board member, Manny Gallar, a resident of Cabatuan, Iloilo, also hails from the third district of Iloilo like Boy J.

Gov. Arthur “Art” Defensor of Mina, Iloilo, also of the third district of Iloilo, has already given his green signal for the STL.

Under the STL charity fund sharing scheme, the host city or municipality gets the biggest slice of the STL revenue share at 10 percent.

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Capitol and the PNP will get five percent apiece.

Each of the five districts of Iloilo will earn 2.5 percent.

The move to legalize STL was first broached in 2010 when then vice governor now Iloilo first district Rep. Oscar “Richard” Garin Jr., acting as chair of the committee as a whole, introduced a board resolution.

Garin Jr’s committee in 2010 held public consultations and concluded that “the operation of STL in the province will not contribute in cultivating a culture of immoral gambling among the Ilonggos; the societal value of STL as a tool to eradicate jueteng, an illegal numbers game, may be enhanced by allowing its operations, and from the standpoint of government as the primary agency charged with addressing the needs of its people, it can be prudently argued that the funds generated from STL appear to promise available resources for a more responsive and effective delivery of basis services to its constituents.”

Weeks after former Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) administrator Oscar “Oca” Garin Sr. stirred the hornet’s nest on illegal gambling activities in the first district of Iloilo, Gallar came out swinging with his resolution pushing for STL’s legalization in the province.

STL is already legal in Iloilo City.

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THE guts and glory of Senior Superintendent Khasmir Disomangcop, the newly-installed Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director, will be tested in the campaign not only against criminalities but most particularly against illegal drugs.

When he was still commander of Precinct 3 (Jaro Police Station) in 2006, Disomangcop was among the four ICPO precinct chiefs who submitted a zero accomplishment relative to the campaign against illegal drugs.

The other zero performing precincts in the war versus illegal drugs were Police Precinct 1 (City Proper) under Insp. Dande Deocampo, Police Precinct 5 (Mandurriao) under Senior Insp. Kim Legada, and Police Precinct 6 (Arevalo) under Insp. Hari Decena.

Their zero performance was reported by no less than by their superior officer, then ICPO director, Senior Supt. Norlito Bautista to then mayor and now Rep. Jerry Treñas

Since Bautista is now the city administrator and one of those who have direct access to Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, he can perhaps give additional pointers to the city mayor regarding the record and performance of the new ICPO chief.

Castañeda a good choice for city LEEO portfolio

“Not everyone can be trusted. I think we all have to be very selective about the people we trust.” Shelley Long

By Alex P. Vidal

IT’S the trust and confidence that matter most.

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog made the right decision to appoint Ariel Castañeda as the new chief of the Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO).

The apprehensions registered by key leaders of market vendors associations in the metropolis about Castañeda’s “lack of experience” to handle the job are but natural, but experience alone is not the end-all and be-all qualifications to manage and rebuild the anomaly-ridden LEEO.

Castañeda, Mabilog’s hitherto political affairs consultant, is a reformist who carries with him the competence, dynamism and idealism of a leader necessary to streamline and iron out the kinks in the LEEO.

In choosing Castañeda, Mabilog was not entertaining a quick fix solution to the mess left behind by the office’s previous boss, Vicente de la Cruz.

Mabilog wanted to infuse integrity back in the LEEO and revive the people’s faith in the office marred previously by accusations of irregularities and mismanagement.

With Castañeda’s solid background in leadership and good credibility, Mabilog is confident the LEEO will once again experience a renaissance under a new manager.

Marker vendors associations will easily get along with the unassuming Castañeda as he is one of the most accessible and easy-to-approach members of the Mabilog cabinet.

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THE church's silence on the proposed legalization of the Small Town Lottery (STL) in Iloilo province is deafening.

They have not made a stand or issued a statement since Governor Arthur “Art” Defensor Sr. announced last month that he was in favor of the move of the provincial board which had passed a resolution pushing for legalization of the numbers game.

With Defensor’s full approval, it’s only a matter of time before the resolution authored by Board Member Manny Gallar will bear fruits in favor of the STL.

Three operators have been queuing for the franchise to be issued by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). 

They are: Around D’ World Gaming Corp., Fairpoint Marketing Corp. and Iloilo Small Town Lottery Gaming Corp.

The grapevine says the PSCO will soon approve the franchise to any of the three. 

Like a thief in the night, STL will invade the Iloilo province without any resistance.

The church has been actively spearheading the clamor to halt any attempt from the local government unit (LGU) to legalize any form of gambling in the past.

Priests even used the pulpit to chide those who pushed for legalization of gambling.

Why they are silent on this issue is what boggles the minds of the Ilonggos.

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THE image of Boracay Island will suffer in the global tourism industry if reports were true that the level of coliform bacteria in the beach increased 47,460 most probable number (mpn) per 100 ml and, therefore, “not safe” for swimming.

Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) regional director Jonathan Bulos had clarified that the water sample containing the high level of coliform bacteria was taken from the mouth of Bulabog Beach where there was a drainage system.

For a body of water to be considered safe for swimming, its coliform bacteria level must not exceed 1,000 mpn/ml, according to the EMB, an attached agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The presence in the Boracay waters of coliform bacteria, found mainly in human and animal waste, soil and vegetation, have been reported many years back but the DENR assured beach goers the situation was not alarming.

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FORMER North Cotabato Gov. Manny Pinol, a part time boxing manager and sportswriter, told me recently that he was not sure if he would go to Las Vegas to watch the Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather Jr. duel on May 2.

“Ka mahal sang ticket. Makahuluya man kay Manny (Pacquiao). Kon tag P200,000 per ticket e times mo ina sa 50 ka tawo nga mangayu libre mga P10 million na ina. (The ticket is so expensive. If Manny gives each of only 50 persons free tickets it’s already P10 million),” Pinol said.

I told Pinol that Pacquiao spent some P20 million for the tickets he bought from the Top Rank for distribution to fellow congressmen, showbiz characters, friends, hangers-on, and members of the Boston Celtics when Pacquiao fought Ricky Hatton on May 2, 2009.

“Against Mayweather, even if Pacquiao will spend an equivalent of P50 million for the freebie tickets, he won’t mind it,” I told Pinol.

“Bisan pa. Kahuluya. Kuarta man ina gihapon. Ang iban ‘ya wala lang naga paminsar. (It’s still money. Those who ask for free tickets should think about it and have some shame.),” he replied.