A father’s anguish

BENCHWARMER
Ramon Dacawi

There’s comfort in numbers. It’s one thing the 33 just-rescued miners in Chile had, but which Mayor Mauricio Domogan didn’t have.

Entombed (and initially in the dark) for 69 days, the courageous miners found relief and strength in each other’s company. They and their relatives above ground knew of their eventual rescue which inspired one of them to name his newly-born daughter Esperanza, which is Spanish for Hope.

Although he grew up in the mines, the mayor is no miner. Unlike the rescued miners, he was almost by his lonesome in the dark for 14 days. That was after he had the unenviable distinction of being the only Baguio and city official tagged as a jueteng lord in that list submitted by retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz to the Senate blue ribbon committee.

Committee chair, Senator Teofisto Guingona III, read the list in a hearing covered by national television and radio. The list became the national dailies’ headline the morning after.

Although he immediately called a press conference to deny any link whatsoever to the operation of the so-called poor man’s lottery or any other illegal form of gambling, the mayor had to wait for two weeks before he could defend himself before the same Senate forum.

I groped for words when I saw the mayor two days before his appearance in the Senate committee hearing. Words can hardly help ease the pain that, as a leader, he tried his best to keep to himself. Yet it was human enough for him to note, out of sadness rather than anger, that the accusation was totally unfair to him and his family.

“Kasla dakayo metten pinabasol iti pannakapatay ni Dr. Jose Rizal (As if you’ve been accused of having something to do with the execution of Dr. Jose Rizal),” I muttered. “Wen ngarud,” he replied, immediately taking the drift.

As it goes, he will never be able to fully clear his name in the minds of those who do not know him. He noted this in a talk with the Baguio media after his return home from the blue ribbon committee hearing.

What happened was not a trial by publicity, but an accusation by publicity, with those who do not know the man likely to think he’s into the gambling scam - or else his name wouldn’t have been in the list.

It’s a defenseless position he found himself in. The release of the list established a perception of his guilt - even without trial – among people who do not know who Domogan is. It’s human nature – if not folly – to assume, presume and believe somebody is guilty simply because you don’t know him.

Still, his testimony in the Senate provided him the much-needed relief and release from the tension generated by the accusation and the long wait for him to also be heard. By being able to air his side before the Senate, the mayor was able to pluck out the jueteng sting and ease the pain.

He admitted he was shocked to be accused as a jueteng lord. “This is totally unfair to me and my family,” he said. “In God’s name, I categorically deny such unfounded and baseless imputation.”

He pointed out that as a practicing lawyer and as a political leader, the protection of his name or reputation has always been a paramount consideration, as “it’s the only legacy I can leave my children”.

He was just sad that Bishop Cruz was not present when it was his turn to speak before the Senate committee. “I hope he is careful – as a man of God – to implicate (people),” the mayor said.

He pointed out that he ordered a crackdown on jueteng and other illegal gambling operations with the organization of “Task Force Jupiter” before Bishop Cruz raised the issue last September.

The campaign, reported to the committee, initially resulted in the apprehension of 58 persons and confiscation of over nine thousand pesos in bets, far more than figures in the first two quarters of the year.

If it’s any vindication at all, not one in the committee composed of Guingona, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senators Gregorio Honasan and Vicente Sotto
asked the mayor any question after he aired his side and grievance.

“It will take sometime to erase the stigma (triggered by the bishop’s accusation),” Domogan admitted upon his return home from the hearing.(e-mail:mondaxbench@yahoo.com for comments).