Korean stew at Pagcor

When President Aquino assumed the Presidency, there were high expectations that he would clean up the notoriously corrupt offices in government, among them the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue and Pagcor.

It certainly looks like there has been no change in Pagcor, but just a continuation of the old practices under the FG/Genuino leadership.

Maria Teresa “Tengay” Luciano, a close friend of the Aquinos from Concepcion, Tarlac fired off a letter to P-Noy charging Chairman Cristino “Bong” Naguiat and Pagcor Directors of serious irregularity in the hasty approval of two casino junket licenses to Parana Korea Corporation, owned by Ms. Choi Yeon Sil, contrary to P-Noy’s directive to archive all pending applications for casino license.

Ms. Luciano reported to P-Noy that Chairman Cristino Naguiat, Directors Rogelio “JB” Bangsil and Eduardo de Guzman, accepted an invitation from Parana Korea Corporation to visit Korea which they did in October 2010. Two weeks after they arrived back from Korea in the 2nd week of November, the application for casino licenses of Parana Korea Corporation was approved without putting up the $1 million cash bond required under the Genuino administration.

Ms. Luciano also reported to P-Noy that Mr. Patrick Puno, a brother of DILG Usec Rico E. Puno refused to join the junket to Korea and objected to the Parana Korea deal. He was overruled, upon which he tendered his resignation telling friends he could not stomach the anomalies being perpetrated at Pagcor.

To date there’s no improvement at Pagcor. One indication of this is the fact that to date, no charges have been filed against former Pagcor chairman Ephraim Genuino, no licenses granted by Genuino have been cancelled, and unqualified people like car salesman from Cebu, Chris Tio, has been appointed vice president for marketing.

*      *      *

SUPERMAN. . . President Aquino has explained that former Senator Mar Roxas’ duties as Presidential trouble shooter will be to help him investigate, analyze and recommend solutions to problems and situations confronting him.

It certainly, implies that President Aquino does not consider his present Cabinet Members as good enough to advise and help him solve problems. He did say that Cabinet meetings were “unproductive”.

It must be conceded that Senator Mar Roxas, former Congressman, Senator and twice Secretary of Trade under Presidents Estrada and Arroyo is well qualified to become a super adviser, even as a de facto President. The only problem is that the electorate rejected him to be Vice President or No. 2 man in the government. He, therefore, has no moral standing to be a de facto or Assistant President by appointment.

The other potential problem is, as has been shown the last 7 months, he is overly protective and totally obsessed with his Liberal Party partisan interests. He will inject too much partisan politics into the administration. Being antagonistic to all those who did not support him in the elections he will not be objective in his recommendations.

*      *      *

NO FEAR. . . Despite the President’s directive, criminals still did their thing the day after. The land cruiser of Margarita Araneta Fores, a first cousin of Presidential trouble shooter Mar Roxas, was carjacked in Makati. The Toyota Grandia of ABS-CBN broadcaster Carl Balita was carnapped in Quezon City.

Ilocos Norte RTC Judge Fredelito Pingao is stabbed dead inside his house in Currimao, Ilocos Norte. 

Barangay Chairman Arsenio Bucao of Barangay Tolok was shot dead in San Fabian, Pangasinan. Also in San Nicolas Pangasinan, Barangay Chairman Moises Lagua and his wife was shot and seriously wounded by a retired Navy man. The LBC branch in Bocaue, Bulacan was held up by two armed men who posed as customers.     

Angeles City Rep. Carmelo Lazatin has accused four Angeles policemen of a hulidap crime, extorting P400,000 from his nephew after planting shabu on his person.

It certainly, looks like the criminals are not afraid of P-Noy.

*      *      *

GUESS WHO? . . . A provincial governor was scolded publicly by President Aquino for protecting illegal loggers in his province.

A Congresswoman who is separated is the love interest of another Mindanao Congressman.

*      *      *

NOW BIKE-JACKING. . . The breakdown in peace and order is highlighted once again by Senator Pia Cayetano’s complaint about the alarming cases of robberies victimizing bikers. Pia, a well known biker herself, reported a rash of bike jacking incidents in Las Piñas, Parañaque and Muntinlupa and the neighboring areas of Laguna and Cavite.

Pia reports that on January 15, a group of 20 bikers in the Daang Hari area in Las Piñas were confronted by armed men who successfully took away 7 mountain bikes. She also reported that on Jan. 11, a lone biker in BF, Parañaque was beaten up, his bike and helmet taken by a group of armed men using an L300 van.

Kidnappings, carjacking, theft of transmission cables, flood sensors, Philpost mail truck, now, bicycles and motorcycles are being stolen or hijacked. No item is sacred.

Again, we ask you Mr. President, can you act more decisively to provide protection for the ordinary Filipino who cannot even take a leisurely walk or a relaxing ride on a bike without being robbed? As my Manong Emil Jurado would say “Santa Banana!”

*      *      *

TIDBITS. . . Architect Manny Dimaculangan denies he was the one who gifted P-Noy with a 911 Twin Turbo Porsche. He’s not that rich.    

Congratulations to 17-year old Danica “Ica” Flores Magpantay, a UP Fine Arts student for winning the 2011 Ford Supermodel of the World contest in New York City, the first Filipina to win the title.

Happy birthday greetings to Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio M. Umali.

Our condolences to Cabanatuan Mayor Jay Vergara on the death of his favorite auntie, Belen Vergara, 90. Condolences too, to the family of Fernando “Pocholo” Jacinto Jr., 60 who died from a cancer ailment.