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| Passengers and drivers while away the hour watching television in a Torrijos terminal. |
Media – particularly local radio and cable television that the poor and patient Marinduque masa may have access to are utilized to the hilt with what could only be described as propaganda programs that are re-broadcast, as often as possible, for maximum impact, Lenin/Goebbel style. 'Yes, but that’s just the way it is in local politics', one might just have to say and the oft repeated phrase, ‘wala kitang magagawa’.
But, but,
what if your conscience resists to swallow the new and wholesale lies offered
in such political “staged shows”, as one observer puts it? What if you still
cling to the idea that people in government should actualize their mandate to
move our island-province forward at last? This, as opposed to just watching
coldly the slash-and-burn method they employ to rid themselves of political
opponents, the only thing that occupies and dominates their mind since day one of their assumption into office as in the quoted speech? Force of habit?
The staged show method.
The method. For radio broadcast purposes, first, pool the people who are still under pay, or had been under the
pay of your administration at various times for propaganda or media-related
assignments you’ve given them – to fool the people. Then let these people cook
up loaded questions, making sure that they speak of your enemies with extreme
bias and condescension, propping up your own imaginary wonders through their teeth
at every turn, for their job is to please your ears, remember?
Then
start pulling it off right away when answering their scripted questions, but keep
repeating, at every single turn, your role as a mother to your children, as an example, not
necessarily in synch with the saying “The perjurer’s mother told white lies”
(O’Malley, Keystones of Thought).
There
must be something for everyone in such staged shows. So, as regards the matter concerning the targeted Php 300-million Marinduque Capitol term loan that some people these days so
desperately desire, let's listen to such amazing answers:
Reyes: “That’s for farm-to-market roads for the
barangays, because not a single peso has been allocated by the Department of
Agriculture (DA), due to liquidation issues committed by the previous
administration”.
Feign
ignorance of the unprecedented number of farm-to-market (and national) road
projects, that are in various stages of implementation by DPWH province-wide; feign ignorance of the ongoing farm-to-market road projects funded by the DA under the watch of your perceived enemy; feign ignorance that these FMR's were simply neglected for decades because on this island foxy rulers could just flagrantly say "bayad na kayo" to constituents and that's it!
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| The Marinduque Airport runway |
The runway pre-empting game.
Reyes: “That’s for runway rehabilitation of Gasan
Airport to prevent the cessation of operation of Zestair because of the runway
condition; for tourism promotion, particularly the promotion of Bellaroca...”
Gov. Reyes, the interviewee, calls
it ‘contingency’ in the event DOTC is not ready yet with the funds, but if that part of the loan intended for the runway is not used in case DOTC responds
earlier, the funds may be returned and will no longer be part of the loan, she says. Oh, yeah?
At the outset, it's like P100M for the runway, where the biggest part of the loan goes, goes up in smoke, as special accommodation to Zestair
and Bellaroca. Or is it just about the real threat of somebody else succeeding in solving the airport problem/s in due time, some issues of which have already
been addressed?, It must be ‘me’ only ‘me’ who should take credit for that runway even at the expense of the taxpayers, you could almost hear being said in whispers.
Also feign ignorance of the fact that years earlier, the previous national
government had in fact allocated funding even for a bigger airport and
facilities, initiatives that someone in high office effectively blocked, driving an
obviously irked former governor to remark in a public speech, “why does he/she think he/she is
more powerful than the President?” Now we, Marinduquenos, have to pay for it while singing 'Hallelujah'?
But what
is it really all about? Don't you think it’s just all about another case of pre-empting (pre-empt: to appropriate, seize,
or take for oneself before others)? We've seen that played out over and over again. Fact is, through her perceived enemy’s
representation, budget for concreting of this airport runway has been earmarked
both by the CAAP and DOTC for implementation in 2013, no less than the SP
got that confirmation from the DOTC, even expressed in the former’s resolution: “the
Body is likewise happy to know that the DOTC had already plans for the proposed
extension and rehabilitation of the Marinduque Airport Runway…”
But some people in politics will always find a way to get into the picture, twist facts, painstakingly conjure up artificial situations, only in the spirit of epal.
Afraid
that Zestair (they seem to have permanently delayed flights and growing complaints for charging exhorbitant fees, remember), would cease
operation in Marinduque? Let it be. But what obstruction would be undertaken next if the powers-that-be find
out that other airline/s are in fact ready to service Marinduque with 32-seater aircrafts similar to those that fly to
Caticlan to ensure continuity of air travel? Will there be business/political interests around to thwart it?
This game
of politically-motivated pre-empting, Marinduque style, has become exceedingly scandalous, ridiculous and should be condemned as such. It is grossly, outrageously disadvantageous to government and to we, the people, most of all!
(to be continued)
