JPE, still intact

Aside from monitoring the results of pre-election opinion polls, people are watching how government officials are faring in surveys conducted by pollsters.

An interesting survey conducted by Pulse Asia March 16-20 showed that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile posted the highest gain in approval and trust ratings among top officials of the country. This came as a surprise in view of the brickbats thrown at him, particularly by bedfellows who are perceived to want to get him down his perch.

One remembers how people gave him high approval ratings when he handled the Senate impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona last year. A commentator gave him an A for his “legal expertise and statesmanship, as he gave both sides enough leeway in explaining their respective positions. In the end, he upheld the integrity and independence of the Senate sitting as an impeachment court, and managed to educate the general public on how an impeachment trial works as part of the system of checks-and-balances in a democratic set-up.”

Another observer points to Enrile’s handling of the Senate itself as “an institution.” Senate employees, he says, “are happy because they have gotten more benefits and more perks under his leadership. Previous leaderships should have given the same benefits and perks much earlier to them, but it was only Enrile who saw it fit to give both officials, staff and ordinary personnel higher-than-average salaries and benefits because of its big savings.”

There are those, of course, who are unhappy about his having given some senators millions during the Christmas season — money which, they say, should have been placed elsewhere to make conditions better for the less privileged.

All the criticisms the Senate president took in stride — just like a statesman, his loyal protectors say.

The negative publicity has had an effect on his son, Jack, who is aspiring for a seat in the Senate. Jack slid down in the rankings out of the top 12 in the senatorial race, according to a Social Weather Stations’ survey in February. From being tied at eighth and ninth places in January, Jack dropped out of the winning slots to 13th place in February.

The father is cognizant of political realities. He was quoted in a March 3 newspaper article as saying he had told Jack to campaign on his own, that he had to make good in the May 13 elections based on his own credentials. And his son, he said, has good credentials. He said, “With God’s help, it’s still a long way before the elections, there is time to explain the situation to the people.”

Although keeping himself out of campaign sorties on account of a right eye hemorrhagic condition, JPE’s stock shot up in the SWS March 16 to March 20 survey of approval and trust ratings of top government officials in the executive, legislative and judicial branches. The survey found majority approval and trust ratings for President Benigno Aquino III, head of the Liberal Party, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. Both Binay and Enrile are leaders of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

Enrile posted an approval rating of 53 percent, up by seven points from 46 percent in February. Thirty-six percent were undecided, while 11 percent disapproved of his performance.

Enrile posted majority approval in the rest of Luzon and the Visayas (53 percent to 57 percent) and across all socio-economic classes (52 percent to 53 percent). He posted an approval rating of 45 percent in Mindanao and 50 percent in Metro Manila.

The positive survey results notwithstanding, there are among his colleagues in the Senate leadership who want to get him out. President Aquino, however, has resisted any attempt to get Enrile out of the way, despite the fact that he and Enrile have not seen eye to eye on certain issues, such as the Reproductive Health bill.

Enrile has said time and again that those who are after his post should just muster the numbers and he would willingly vacate the position — “without any rancor or bitterness whatsoever.”

Enrile’s mandate as senator ends in 2016, or three years from now. Between now and then, the nation should let him continue to share his vast experience as a public servant, his skills and training as a lawyer, and a brilliant mind.

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Colorful lanterns lit the sky, and the sound of gongs reverberated in the neighborhood of A7 in Sagada, Mt. Province, where a throng had gathered to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of Flora Abad Bondad Abeya two weeks ago. Flora was lying in bed in her room at the time, aware of the hustle and bustle of well-wishers who included her children and grandchildren and great grandchildren who had come from Baguio, Manila, Australia and the United States to honor one of the town’s respected figures.

Flora was the first woman barangay captain of Poblacion Sagada, and her advocacies included cleaning the environment, putting up of toilets near the Episcopal cathedral, improving the water supply, and starting women’s adult education. Earlier, she was the first lady of the poblacion when her husband, Ricario Dowagan Abeya served as World War II mayor. Ricario, who passed way on Nov. 5, 1988, had finished his secondary education at Broadway High School in Seattle, Washington, USA.

Flora, who finished the elementary school certificate at Baguio Colleges Foundation, now University of the Cordilleras, taught at elementary schools at Balugan, Ambasing and Sagada. In 1954, she resigned as teacher and migrated with her husband to Tabuk, Kalinga, Apayao, where she set up a sari-sari store and “botika,” while her husband managed a farm.

 While in Tabuk, Gloria was active with the Philippine Episcopal Church and was one time president of the ECW-Episcopal Church women. She pioneered in a weaving business with her sister-in-law, Andrea D. Bondad, then before she knew it, was elected first woman barangay captain of Sagada.

 At her birthday bash, all her living children were present — Jane Claver, Juliet Fiagoy, Nellie Pitog (all widows), Edwin and his wife Mia, Jerry, and Gondina, wife of her late son Richard. All her eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren were present.

 The party began with a thanksgiving mass at the CSMV, with the Rt. Rev. Edward Maledan, prime bishop of the Philippine Episcopal Church as celebrant, assisted by the Rev. Constancio Naoy, rector, the Rev. Asti Dal-is, and The Rev. Jerry Sagayo, homilist.

 Among the guests were Dennis Faustino, head master of the School of Saint Mary of Sagada, Lulu Fangasan of Benguet State University, Richard Yodong, vice mayor, and former Sagada mayor Tom Killip.

 In the evening of April 8, dinner was served, tributes delivered, and favorite songs of Flora sung. Lovely light classics were provided by Mao Patongao and violinists Joseph Ganibe and Gemma Bicaldo of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. The crowd was awed by the gymnastic exhibition of Matilda Kenney Torrevillas, nine-year-old daughter of Luke Abeya Torrevillas. Luke is one of Nellie’s four children - the others being Ike, Shelley and Jessel.

 Nellie said she tried to live by her mother’s example of “doing all the good you can for people. It has been a hard act to follow, but I am still trying.”

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