Will immigration dare to off-load Arroyos?

Everywhere in these islands frolickers accidentally drown in beach parties and trysts. People ascribe the incidents to the sea god demanding human sacrifice. Romanticizing only multiplies the needless deaths. It’s about time the authorities educate Filipinos on such hazards as drops and undertows. Local officials should post lifeguards and designate safe snorkeling and wading zones.

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The tit for tat between Camarines Sur Gov. L-Ray Villafuerte and 4th district Rep. Arnulfo Fuentebella rages on. The latest: they both have dug up Commission on Audit reports, with which to show fraud.

Villafuerte wrote President Noynoy Aquino to urge abolition of the Fuentebella-controlled Partido Development Administration. In the letter he cited a COA list of three-dozen failing government corporations, including the PDA. Unique in that it covers only one congressional district (Fuentebella’s) of 10 towns, the PDA lost P100 million in 2008-2009. This is on top of P1 billion in debts it incurred in the name of the national government, hence payable by the entire nation.

A House bill that seeks to scrap a fourth of some 120 state firms rates the PDA among the “unnecessary, under-performing and losing.” Villafuerte said in his Oct. 18 letter to Aquino that the PDA was formed 15 years ago on Fuentebella’s sponsorship to enliven the Partido district. Yet it has only managed to get five of the ten towns graded by the National Statistics Board among the province’s poorest. One of the five, Tigaon, is Fuentebella’s hometown, where son Arnulf Bryan is mayor. Another son, Felix William, was PDA chairman till last year.

As if in retaliation Fuentebella called up the COA findings of fund misuse at the provincial capitol in 2007-2010. Villafuerte’s administration reportedly ignored the prodding of the COA regional office in Bicol to correct the questionable disbursements and liquidations. The COA found 14 alleged wrongs, including unreconciled financial records, incomplete physical inventories, loose liquidations of cash advances, and unremitted collections from tourist and sports facilities. There were also findings of unserviceable equipment, including a catamaran ferry.

Before the skirmish concerning COA reports the protagonists had exchanged charges at the Ombudsman. Villafuerte accused Fuentebella, wife Evelyn as mayor of Sagnay town, and the two sons of plunder. Allegedly the four diverted P50 million in public funds to build roads leading to and facilities right inside their resorts and haciendas in Tigaon and Sagnay.

Villafuerte, wife Lara Maria, and sons Miguel Luis and Julio Mari in turn were accused of amassing P50 million in ill-gotten wealth. Ex-vice governor Mariano Trinidad alleged that Villafuerte misappropriated P105 million in public funds, from which his family took P50 million to build a tourist resort in Laguna. Villafuerte said Trinidad is fronting for Fuentebella.

The fight started apparently over Fuentebella’s bid to remake his district, plus two other towns and one city, into a separate province of Nueva Camarines. To justify it Fuentebella alleged that the Partido area has been neglected and so must go on its own. Villafuerte retorted that the Fuentebellas have controlled the district for a century, and were responsible for its impoverishment. Villafuerte’s father, Luis, as well a congressman, supports the separation.

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Have the Ligots fled hundred-million-peso plunder, forfeiture and tax evasion raps in Manila? Will the justice department let the Arroyos evade similar charges by foot-dragging on the indictments? People are asking such questions while recoiling from news that a touring friend or relative has been off-loaded at the international airport on mere suspicion of being an undocumented overseas worker.

A couple of readers’ reactions to last Monday’s update on the continuing harassments by airport immigration men:

Leonardo Santiago, Valenzuela City: “My son and his wife, both US citizens, are averse to revisit Manila because of their ordeal five years ago. Departing for the US, my son was stopped by airport immigration for purportedly being on a wanted-criminals’ list. Having been home for the first time since leaving for graduate studies in America in 1980, he inquired about the details of the charges. They couldn’t give any, and just kept hinting that the problem could be ‘fixed’. He refused to deal. They let him off only when his interceding in-laws came up with the consideration. He is told that such racket persists.”

Elizabeth S.: “My sister and I don’t look provincial, but very Chinese. Two weeks ago we almost missed our flight to Singapore when immigration questioned my capacity to travel abroad and where I was to stay. I told them to leaf through my passport and check the places I’ve been to. But they kept delaying me, as if waiting for me to give in and pay up to be let on my flight. They let me off only when my sister, who had checked in ahead, raised a fuss and called a powerful friend. And oh, we’re back in godforsaken Philippines, none the gladder.”

Readers David P. Ho, Rick S. and Greg Trajante asked the same question: how come the Estradas, Erap and Jinggoy, were detained for plunder trial within four months from losing power? But the Arroyos are still out, despite five separate complaints for plunder, one year and four months after term’s end?

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 “Life is beautiful because it is life; the beauty of death is that it leads to a fuller life,” Fr. Guido Arguelles, SJ, wrote. His interment will be today, Nov. 2 (not on the 4th as misstated earlier), at the Sacred Heart Novitiate, Quirino Avenue, Novaliches, Quezon City, after the 8:30 a.m. Mass at the Ateneo Loyola House.

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Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8-10 a.m., DWIZ (882-AM).

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