“Dangal”
By Minguita Padilla, MD

Only the most callous person could have been spared from feeling some degree of outrage in the light of successive instances of blatant corruption that assaulted the nation’s collective psyche the last few months. The ZTE NBN Senate Investigation, while far from being over, has already convinced even the most simple minded of individuals that the Filipino people would have been robbed of billions of pesos in kickbacks to shameless high ranking government officials had the would-be thieves not been stopped in their tracks.
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Vote-buying still rules

First the bad news.

It came as no surprise that last Monday’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections were marred by vote-buying.

The practice is so culturally ingrained that the Pangasinan language actually has a word for it: Pakurong. Language, indeed, is one of the most earnest reflections of a people’s way of life.

Nonetheless, while reports from the provincial Commission on Election (Comelec) office about loads of complaints of vote-buying may not have come as a shock, it still makes for very sad, bad news.

The pakurong last week was no different from the kind of vote-buying that takes place during national and local elections such as in the local elections last May.

Cash was doled out, albeit P50 bills were accepted by the compromising voters, an amount that would have most likely been frowned upon at the municipal and city level polls.  Still, complaints verbally lodged before the Comelec also indicate rates went as high as P500. Goodies were also generously distributed. Early in the lone week of campaigning, voters in some barangays nonchalantly walked home carrying plastic bags containing rice, sardines, instant noodles and other grocery items after coming from the campaign sorties of candidates.
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Remembering Karina on Nov. 1 and 7

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

Last November 1, our family observed the 44th death anniversary of my sister Karina, who at age 11 drowned off the Bonuan beach in Dagupan City in 1963 at high noon, and 6 days shy of her birthday.

It was a day in my life that will forever be etched in my mind. (Accounts of that day and succeeding days were recorded by Fr. Arsenio Jesena, S.J.  in a book he published titled “Karina and Ermin.”)

November 1, 1963 was the day I learned and understood what death is all about, and what losing a loved-one in the family can mean to its members.
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Akyat-bahay heist in a Baguio Hotel?

By Gerry Garcia

THE pork barrel in Congress, hidden gold-mine in this two-tiered legislative body that has and had been magnetic attraction   to even the clowns from Pinoy filmdom will now be “open” to the public. This was most recently revealed by House Speaker Joe de V when he launched his call   for a “moral revolution” in Congress to rid the house of undesirable practices.”

Joe was referring to the hefty share of P70 million each for his 240 fellow lawmakers and P200 million each for the 24 senators each year.
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Jeremias Andrade Carrera
5 Nov 2007

 

 

Gonz’s Observation of the Civilized Sanitation Facilities of Bohol:

Gonz is inviting us to visit Bohol to emphasize their civilized toilet facilities, but I expect him to invite Gov. Spin to check not only the tourist and public sanitation facilities but also the hospitals and school facilities in Pangasinan to see if those are “civilized” facilities. Never mind the “World class”, ONLY civilized facilities.

Maybe the problem is that the governor and the people of Bohol are more civilized than the governor and people of Pangasinan.

Are the facilities in Bonuan of Dagupan City and the Hundred Islands of Alaminos City civilized?

If columnists really want to make a public service, they must not spare those who are “IN CHARGE” even though they are their close friends. Not even a reminder to Gov. Spin? And your column reads “Playing with Fire” and there is not even a “SMOKE”?

Rafael L. Oriel, Jr.
5 Nov 2007

 

 

Mr. Gerry Garcia and to all at Sunday Punch, thank you for informing our Kabaleyans about the Asian Journal Fil-Am newspaper published by Pangasinense from Binalonan.

I like to add that Asian Journal newspapers are published in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Anaheim, New Jersey and New York to inform, empower and serve the largest Filipino American community outside of the Philippines.

The newspaper publications can also be read globally via its print edition online at

www.asianjournal.com, a website designed and developed for Filipinos living and working in North America and other parts of the world.

The website provides the latest news from the Philippines and a collection of current events and news items about, and for Filipinos in North America and around the world.

This website contains a comprehensive collection of immigration information; links to websites for and maintained by Filipinos; facts and trivia about the Philippines and Filipinos; a guide on how to market to Filipinos; and a marketplace of Filipino-owned and non-Filipino-owned businesses that actively markets to members of the Filipino communities in North America and around the world.

I like to ask our Kabaleyans to check out Asian Journal website by clicking or surfing the following url address: www.asianjournal.com​ Check​ also our video online by clicking or surfing the following url address: http://www.youtube.c​om/watch?v=ICTVgefwiEY

Please spread the word. Godspeed to all.