BULL’S HIT

Rudy Garcia
Military espionage in campuses/ Kotong

I did not expect that the issue of promoting Jathropha or otherwise known by Pinoys as “Tagumbao” as an alternative source for biofuel would be back. Maybe Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri who is the brainchild of this project could not just drop his hat on the floor and says “I surrender.”

I already brought the Jathropha issue in my last columns when my kumare from Pangasinan introduced me to this project and I was bit convinced this could be a solution to worsening oil crisis.

But most Filipinos were not really convinced, so this project of Zubiri died naturally but resurfaced after a year of resting underneath the piles of records at the office of the Department of Energy.

While I appreciate the move of Miguel Zubiri in pushing on this project, the call is not timely for there are already a series of oil price rollbacks like in the Cordillera where vegetables are the primary crops being planted and traded.

What the good senator could do is to pinpoint an ideal place to start a pilot project and inform the public and government on results to determine if this could be accepted or not. For now, we have more oil rollbacks to expect.
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First, they killed, and buried the impeachment complaint against President Arroyo. The pro-impeachment honorables at the Lower House seem to be no match to the powerful numbers of the anti-impeachment honorables they could do nothing but to throw the towel at ringside.

Except for Rep. Joson of Nueva Ecija, party mates and allies eventually made it to score a knockdown to save their queen who lays golden eggs for them.

But the senators should be grateful to these congressmen and congresswomen who killed and buried the impeachment complaint for they could still be called honorables. After, all the dirty job meant them, is now buried six feet underground, hence they are now free from the wrath of every Juan dela Cruz.

But the game is not yet over, now that the Cha-cha resolution is reported gaining headway at the house of kamara. Will they kill this the same they did to the impeachment complaint? Surely, they will not kill but do every means to extend the term of the goose who lays the golden egg. If not then they should wait until after the 2010 election before passing their resolution. Right Congressman Mikey Arroyo?

Speaking of Cha-cha, former president Joseph Estrada said in an interview he will lead the masses in blocking its approval. If he means what he said then the pardoned ex-president should look for former President Fidel Ramos and invite to stand side by side with him. Look, Mr. Ramos said earlier that he is against Cha-cha. And if their heads would roll together then, they could dance the tango that could scrap the cha-cha!
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Joc-Joc Bolante was again arrested and placed under detention at the Senate. This means that our senators don't want to be taken for stupid monkeys by the alleged chief architect of the fertilizer fund scam. Better still, the Senate committee should now formalize their evidence and file a plunder case against Bolante to erase public doubt that the Senate is only good in the beginning but ends up nothing!
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I wonder if there is a law regulating the proper use of tear gas and other similar items of its kind. As far as I know, tear gas is not considered a deadly weapon. But this could be dangerous if used for other purposes and not for self-defense.

Take for example what happened last week inside a videoke bar along Mabini St. in Baguio. An unidentified costumer sprayed tear gas unnoticed that customers had to run outside for safety. Some customers who were not lucky enough to run were immediately brought to the hospital because of eye and respiratory irritation. Good that no one collapsed that time.

The same thing happened inside a girlie joint along Abanao St. sometime on the mid 90's. I was nearly thrown like a chicken by the crowd who were scampering for safety outside the building. And it took several months and weeks before my trauma brought by that incident was gone.
While it is true that we don't need any permit or license to own tear gas, there should be conditions before anyone could be issued or sold the same. Strict regulation for it's proper use should be observed by the handler and if found violating, then there should be sanctions against the owner.
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There's nothing new on this alleged surveillance by suspected military operatives on civilians in Baguio. Some students of the University of the Philippines claim they are being closely monitored by military intelligence agents for being suspected as members of the underground movement in the Philippines

I am not saying that the military had something to do with the disappearance of James Balao. But we should not wait for another James Balao to disappear before we act appropriately and accordingly. Public vigilance is still the best weapon in thwarting attempts by anyone or any group to silence suspected left-leaners. Dapat maging mapagmatyag at magbantay.
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This is to call the attention of regional Transportation and Communications director Federico Mandapat to investigate alleged extortion activities committed by his men. According to my bubwit, a concerned taxi operator of BYMAR TAXI with plate no. LYF 315 complained to him that his driver was apprehended by two “enforcers” from the DOTC-LTFRB afternoon of Nov. 23 along Naguillian Rd. for alleged failure to carry C.R. and O.R. registration papers of the said taxi.

Despite showing the original O.R. And C.R, the two DOTC-LTFRB men who were identified as “Duran and “Gomez” allegedly got the front and back plates of the said vehicle and told the driver to get or redeem these at the DOTC-LTFRB office at the post office loop.

Maybe the two needed money so badly that despite presenting the O.R. and C.R, they whispered secretly to the driver to give them the amount of P200. This could be a small amount but this means a lot to the taxi driver who is just depending his earning as a taxi driver to feed his family.

If this report is true, then, I know Manong Bong would not take this sitting down, right Sir? Sampolan!
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On Baguio politics, who would ever forget the tandem of Domogan-Vergara or Bautista-Fariñas and Yangot-Datuin? As an insight, more clashes of local politicians would be expected come next election. And as 2010 comes closer, there would surely be some twists of events like this report by a city hall insider that a mayoralty candidate who lost last election will be supported by a popular tandem who opted not to run this coming election. But in the game of politics no one and nothing is permanent and more so, expect the unexpected. Advance Merry Christmas Apo!