Unnecessary stealth
triggers uproar

The installation Wednesday of 53 of the Task Force Mapalad members in Hacienda Velez-Malaga could have gone off smoothly sans any violence did not DAR Secretary Nasser Pangandaman decide to undertake an unnecessary drama to highlight that installation. The reason - earlier, until 12 midnight - landowner Roberto Cuenca and La Castellana Mayor Enrico Elumba had already agreed not to contest anymore the Pangandaman move.

In short, as pointed out in local parlance, planchado na.

Now, Pangandaman findS himself on the receiving end of a court suit from Cuenca and the members of the workers union and the cooperative members who are filing a case for contempt, etc.

As I had mentioned earlier, there should have been no more contested issue. The 53 TFM members were not being challenged. In short, the landowner and the union members had agreed to allow them as entitled to share in the agrarian reform area.

But, no, Pangandaman had to do his thing. Perhaps, he tried to dramatize his move, but that only succeeded in embarrassing him further.

Worse, he virtually bypassed again Negros Occidental Governor Joseph Marañon who had, the last time two weeks ago, warned him to coordinate with local government officials before doing anything. That time, Marañon forgave Pangandaman his slight of the father of the province.

Because he is a Cabinet secretary does not confer on Pangandaman any special privilege to do his own thing in the province sans the knowledge of the provincial or local officials. That is supposed to be a No-No.

And that is why Marañon had been persistent in his advocacy of the need to include the provincial and local government officials in the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program provincial council.

Why? After all, when something happens, Manila officials simply go back to the national capital and watch for events to unfold, leaving the local officials to untangle the mess they may have created.

And Senior Supt. Pedro Merced. I have always been an admirer of the police official. But I have noticed a change of his mindset from the previous gentleman to hardened officer. Now, he has resorted to the same attitude of some hard-sell officers - "I was ordered to."

And that was his excuse Wednesday in stopping mediamen from entering Hacienda Malaga. Worse, it was not only the mediamen that he stopped from going in and out of the farm, the students who were taking their final examinations and their teachers were also barred from going through the Regional Mobile Group cordon at the bridge leading to Hda. Velez-Malaga.

I suggest that Merced apologize to the schoolchildren and their parents. Otherwise, these aggrieved residents have as much right as the union members to file charges against him and his men.

Anyway, there's nothing to do now but wait for the outcome of the investigation into the installation mess and the filing of the cases against Pangandaman, et al. I just remembered. A close friend tried to call up Merced over his cellphone Wednesday and dropped it in disgust when the police official failed to answer his call.

****

Well, there is something that deserves the attention of Bacolod City residents. It is the reported water rationing resorted to by the Metro Iloilo Water District following the drop of the water level in its Barangay Talanghauan, Sta. Barbara town.

The lowered level of water at the reservoir is reportedly due to the decrease in the flow of Tigum River.

MIWD interim general manager said Maasin, Cabatuan and subdivisions in Pavia, can have water every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday three hours only from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Those in Jaro, including Barangay Tabuc Suba and Alta Tierra can avail of water for the same hours on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

He also warned consumers to conserve water because summer is already on and the water level at the reservoir can be expected to decline.

***

Does the case against Rep. Ignacio Arroyo (5th) now encourage former Rep. A. Lozada to run again this election?

From the standpoint of the Filipino electors, a scandal of such magnitude is sufficient cause for a drop in popularity. But in the case of Iggy, it seems he has done a lot more for his district that he could remain difficult to challenge.

Of course, neither can I assess his mindset or his plans. But, at least, I can more or less predict the outcome considering that he has introduced into his district an unprecedented amount of projects that are really helping the poor and the needy. It will take Lozada a long time to be able to challenge Iggy. Yet.*

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