Victims of circumstance

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March Fianza

ITOGON, Benguet -- It’s back on its original marathon trail!

          Benguet, particularly the municipality of Itogon really has something to offer in terms of sports tourism. On November 19, The North Face (TNF) 100 Ultra Trail Challenge will return to its marathon tracks in Itogon after three years of absence.

TNF 100-km Ultra Marathon that is now on its sixth year since it began in 2008 is one most awaited sports tourism event in Asia, considering the winding trails above steep ravines that each participant-marathoner will negotiate.

Mountaineering buff and TNF contact person Xez Zueleta who trail-blazed and designed the route for the race said the Ultra Trail Challenge for the 11KM, 22KM, 50KM and 100KM races will kick off at the starting line in Camp John Hay in the morning of November 19.

Just like in the past, around 500 to 1,000 local and foreign runners are expected to traverse precipitous and zigzagging mountain trails of Sitios Cashet, Oling, Lusod and Domolpos that are just a  hundred meters below Mt. Ugu, parts of which overlook the 345-MW San Roque Dam at the southern section of Barangay Dalupirip.

Short of reaching the summit of Mt. Ugo at 2,150 MASL and experiencing breath-taking views of Itogon, each runner will navigate the rugged trails of barangays Gumatdang, Ampucao, Tinongdan and Dalupirip in Itogon, before reaching Barangay Happy Hallow of Baguio, just below the finish line at Camp John Hay.

The Itogon-Camp John Hay adventure race is considered as one of the toughest races in the country.

***

Recently, it was very noticeable that controversial issues came out facing scrutiny of the public eye, although the personalities can be considered as victims of circumstance because their entanglement in the disputes were unintentional, except maybe for a few who were scheming.

First, the unimplemented dismissal of 13 policemen under Oscar Albayalde, then the PNP provincial director of Pampanga. The director signed the police spot report of the raiding team about a drug bust on November 29, 2013 even when the report was not the truth.

That “successful raid” was the basis for Albayalde to recommend the 13 members of the raiding team and himself for a one rank promotion and commendations.

In that drug raid, the actual haul based on a separate investigation was more than 200 kilos of Shabu but only 36 kilos were surrendered, meaning, around 160 plus kilos of Shabu went missing. You know the rest of the story.

I believe, the raiding team were acting on orders of the provincial commander. For the team to agree with each other prior to the raid to conceal and sell a bigger portion of their haul without the knowledge of their boss is an impossibility. They were victims too.

The ninja cops story was incidental when it was broached out in the senate hearing on the good conduct time allowance, but the NBP probers, including Mayor Benjie Magalong who, at one time, investigated the Bucor, saw that the time has come for them to reveal what they knew about the persistent commission of drug crimes.

In the back of their minds, they knew that the anti-drug war was something that was not being seriously fought because even the top officials of the PNP had been involved in shenanigans in the past and could still be involved now.

Then CIDG head and now Baguio Mayor Benjie Magalong has good reasons to hold the bull by its horns, so to speak. We should help him in his fight to rid the PNP organization of scalawags, even if that includes PNP Chief Albayalde.

***

Dexter Dormitorio, the elder brother of the late cadet fourth class Darwin Dormitorio who was tortured to death at the Philippine Military Academy, along with his legal counsel Jose Adrian Bonifacio and Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) Director PCol. Allen Rae Co formally filed complaints at the Baguio City Prosecutors Office against his brother’s murderers.

At least, seven cadets were accused of murder, violations of the anti-torture law and anti-hazing law, along with two tactical officers as accomplices and three doctors of the PMA Hospital Station with dereliction of duty complaints.

I see the whole cadet corps or the whole military institution as victims too. And if torture and murder will not stop with Darwin as the last of those maltreated to death, then there is good reason to close the institution.

Just one beautiful life that is ended by evil means cannot be restored even with hundreds of PMA graduates becoming future officials in the armed service. No institution should be producing misfits in government. President Duterte despises this.

***

When NCIP Chairperson Allen Capuyan turns out to be an innocent victim of treachery by men under his office, then there is something wrong with the office he heads.

In celebration of the IP month last Tuesday, IPs in Baguio and the adjacent towns in Benguet had an audience with NCIP Chair Capuyan. But, since time was not a luxury because of so many topics that had to be tackled, the NCIP Chair asked that other issues be scheduled the next day, including that of the Baguio IPMR.

Baguio IPMR Roger Sinot Sr. was at the meeting venue the next day. Unfortunately, a guard was posted at the door to make sure that the latter will not be allowed on the floor.

Prior to the scheduled meetings, I already received information from an employee at the Baguio CSC that IPMR Sinot and his supporters will not be allowed to meet Chair Capuyan. Maybe so, in order to avoid controversial issues such as the IPMR, mini-hydros in the Cordillera, lands, etc.

If such manipulations continue within some service centers of NCIP, then clients do not expect good service from NCIP. Not even Dir. Roland Calde and Commissioner Gaspar Cayat are free from the suspicion that they are behind the manipulations of NCIP activities in the Cordillera.

They are supposed to be implementors of the IP Rights Act, not the other way around. And protect the rights of their IP clients and get rid of other interests. So much wrong have already been inflicted on the IPs. Instead of facing other things, Calde and Cayat are in a position to stop these wounds and injustices.