Lapses

Columnists are not faultless. They have their lapses, too.

Let me enumerate them from my column yesterday.

I wrote yesterday on Jun Lozada’s book “Corruptionary”. Media people give their ATM deposit number for corruptors to deposit money to their account. There is no paper trail, I wrote.

No! said my British friend Neil Honeyman who spent his years in Hong Kong fighting corruption as member of the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Neil texted me, “ATM journos should take care. Hongkong Shanghai Bank’s electronic trail nailed Ex-New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Electronic trail is stronger than paper trail.”

I am happy I have no ATM Card except at Land Bank which was a requirement through which the Supreme Court pays us for our services in mediation.

* * *

NFSP president Nene Rojas also called me to correct an error. I wrote that the NFSP Foundation Training Center “accommodates children of planters affiliated with NFSP.” Wrong! All along I knew what are accommodated are “children of laborers of planters affiliated with NFSP’s planters associations”.

These are lapses. Journalism is really history in a hurry.

By the way, it’s not only children of planters’ laborers who are accommodated. Others are also accommodated.

The tuition fee is free. And very many have already landed jobs abroad after undergoing the skills training.

* * *

I got another text telling me to look after the Negros Press Club. I was told Neal H. Cruz of Daily Inquirer already had two articles on the abuses at the National Press Club. This might happen to your Negros Press Club, he said.

I assured him this cannot happen here. There are many differences between the Manila NPC and the Bacolod NPC.

1. They have reelection, we don’t have. Their officers stay for years getting reelected. Then they abuse, like selling a very valuable painting for millions and even the piano.

2. Their elders abandon the Club to the “young turks,” and even allow membership for PR men of politicos. Here we are strict. A member who has no outlet is classified as associate with no voting right.

The elders or past presidents of our Club are active in the Club.

* * *

Manila and Bacolod NPC have their lot upon which their buildings stands on lease from the government. But the similarity ends there. They borrowed money from the GSIS to put up the building. When they failed to pay, GSIS foreclosed.

Our NPC building, estimated to cost now more than P6 million had no loan. Every time I would meet a former Manila NPC president, the likes of Max Soliven and Amado Doronila, I always told them, “Our NPC was better planned than yours.”

I was telling our NPC officials to work on the renewal of the incorporation papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission and working for putting the lot now in the name of the Negros Press Club.

We also encourage opposition among the officers. In the last election, I was told one group was for inviting MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando as guest speaker. But majority of the board decided on Sen. Ping Lacson. So, they had Lacson.

* * *

Yesterday, during the reception after the burial of Manolo M. Lopez, Mayor Bing Leonardia told me that Bacolod wanted to make a big welcome for Boxing Champion Gerry Peñalosa but, he said, this might not be good for San Carlos where Peñalosa comes from.

I hope San Carlos City Mayor Eugene Lacson will allow Bacolod to welcome Peñalosa and give him a big parade here. All media are here.

Bing will just be too happy to do it. Gerry had called and asked him to hold Gerry’s belt like what Bing did for Pacquiao. Bing begged off because of earlier commitments. He said, “I told Elsa (his wife) I have a new career now as belt raiser.”

* * *

A reader called up and said he is a rice trader and wants to also import rice as per instructions from the President. He complained that in yesterday’s news, it said all importations will again pass through NFA. “And they will fleece us of what little profit we make?” he asked.

This is the problem with NFA. It has earned such a negative reputation that whatever they do, they are always under suspicion.*

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