The BSU leadership / Media ‘grants’ Gloria’s wish

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March L. Fianza

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Discussions on who should be the next president of the Benguet State University does not seem to die and continues to be the talk among circles concerned with the deteriorating state of affairs of the government school.

On another front, students could have heard of these things but just let the issues be blown away by the BSU breeze because there are more urgent matters to worry about like finishing their courses.

Certainly members of the faculty, the non-teaching sector and those working in the administration building have knowledge about these things, but just like the rest of us, our stomach grumbles louder than our conscience.

That is why the dirty things that need cleaning in the university that carries the name of Benguet just lie on the wide gardens of the school and the corners of properties being rented out year in, year out.

The issues being raised in conversations of informal circles in the vegetable fields, in the park, the barbershops and canteens and wherever, ranges from collections of rentals from the lot properties of the school to unpaid or uncollected rentals of buildings.

I wonder why such things happen in schools such as BSU. Is it because of outside elements that influence the decision-making of school officials? Is it because some people do not care about what will happen to the future of the BSU – anyway they are not from Benguet and they only care about enriching themselves by milking the school?

By the way, I was also told that in the list of BSU workers qualified to participate in the drawing of lots for a segregated housing project, many were surprised why the name of a member of the board of regents who is not an employee or faculty member of the school was included. But that is another story.

Those tasked to pick out the next BSU leader should consider that their choice should have the burning desire to remove the irregularities that have been prevalent in the school.

A new president should not perpetuate the existence of illegal activities of people in BSU. An honest to goodness accounting of the properties being leased out to private persons should be made, and collections should be done.

Those who have utang should pay. But wait. How can these anomalies be removed if one of the candidates for BSU president has been seen in a restaurant in Baguio mingling with a member of the board of regents and a property lessee who has more than a million pesos utang?
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Wittingly or unwittingly, the media that covered GMA at the airport in her attempt to leave the country, fell into the trap. The media coverage turned into a mini commotion of photographers fighting for the best photo angle of GMA.

The former president garbed in her hospital “costume” that looked like an astronaut’s headgear, together with Atty. Mike Arroyo, was being pushed on a wheelchair after airport and immigration officials stopped her from boarding her flight to Singapore.

On the sides, we saw airport guards and immigration officials just watching by as if nothing was happening, while the not so natural hullabaloo went on.

That may be exactly what GMA and his spin directors wanted to happen – for the media to go out of control at the airport tarmac and win the sympathy of televiewers.

The expected scenario could be for media to highlight her not being able to leave the airport on an airplane flight to anywhere and shift the sympathy of televiewers to her, and that was exactly what happened.

What if she was not stopped? GMA could have launched her flight to “outer space” like an astronaut, and who knows if she would ever be seen again? A prominent lawyer in Baguio believed that once GMA left the country, she would never come back.

She could ask her co-accused to go with her but will they have the means to stay outside the country for a long time? They may be supported by GMA but not for long. Isudatikaasi.

GMA’s spokespersons have accused DOJ Leila De Lima of rushing to have her arrested by virtue of an arrest warrant, but the accusation was thrown back at them.

Atty. Topacio said they were not given the due process and that immediately after the Comelec filed the case of election fraud against GMA with the court, a warrant of arrest was immediately issued.

But apparently, who was rushing things? Even before a TRO on the hold departure order was issued by the SC, the lawyers on the side of the government learned that GMA’s camp was already arranging flight bookings.

How the hell could GMA and her cohorts know that a TRO was to be issued by the SC in their favor, unless someone from the SC told them?

Maybe the conversation could have gone this way: “Hoy Rene, aalis na ako papunta Singapore saLunespero wala pa namanyung TRO.” And the answer was: “Yes madam, di bale, pwede na kayo mag-book ng flight.” – marchfianza777@yahoo.com