Delicadeza

The Congressional hearing at the Capitol by the Committee on Energy chaired by Rep. Mikey Arroyo was successful yesterday after the oppositors dominated the discussion in the absence of Ceneco President Roberto Montelibano, officials of NEA, and those of Kepco-Salcon. Congressman Monico Puentevella lectured to those absent that they seemed to be not taking seriously Congressional inquiries like this.

The hearing was made on the resolution of Congressman Kako Lacson. Congressman Jeffrey Ferrer was also there.

See the news reports in the front page.

I would like to correct my item yesterday. This was just typographical error. The price of coal reported last week was from $140 to $160 a ton, up from $30 a ton when Ceneco signed the contract with Kepco-Salcon. What I wrote was P140 to P160.

The oppositors were asked by Congressman Arroyo to consolidate their opposition.

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Delicadeza is a beautiful Spanish word, adopted by us. It means many things about honor. Delicadeza is fast losing its meaning for us. We hope we can have it restored.

Delicadeza is sensitivity to other people’s feelings. When Spaniards denounce another, they say, “Sin verguenza” or “Shameless.” To be called shameless is the worst thing that can be said of another.

New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned the other day on the charge of a sex scandal. If he did not resign, Spitzer, 48, would have been impeached. He chose the better way out.

Years ago, U.S. Vice-President Spiro Agnew resigned on a charge of tax evasion. Gerard Ford replaced him. President Richard Nixon also resigned in the wake of the Watergate scandal, exposed by two New York Times reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. Ford succeeded him.

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There are very many other stories of officials resigning out of delicadeza. What I can recall was the well-publicized Profumo scandal in Britain.

John Profumo was the Minister of War. He had an affair with a high class call girl Christine Keeler. Keeler was also the girl friend of a Russian diplomat Victor Ivanov.

Keeler was quoted to have said, Ivanov was better in bed than Profumo. I asked my British friend Neil what he thought of Keeler saying that. He said, Keeler had no delicadeza.

The Japanese have  the highest form of honor. They only do not resign from office. If shamed, he gets a big knife, looks up to heaven for forgiveness, pushes the knife deep into his stomach in a hara kiri or suicide or “self killing.”

Hara-Kiri is honorable in Japan.

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I don’t want to make conclusions. But will not our campaign against graft and corruption be more effective if we put into it the need for a delicadeza? Shame the wrong doer. Ostracize him.

The other day in the press conference held by BIR Regional Director Rodita Galanto I asked if BIR can give media the names of those who are tax evaders and media will name them.

Director Galanto said, they are barred by law. Of course, we will denounce the tax evaders. Seventy-two percent of the country’s revenues are earned BIR, she said.

And BIR is not made to be an effective tax collector.

Well, the law was crafted probably by the not too honest taxpayers in Congress. And who also have tax payers to protect. Delicadeza would have dictated they should have not done that.

I think BIR would have not met problems in meeting its target if an effective collection can be made. We want to be of help to the tax campaign.

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Meanwhile, my guest at Feedback tonight is Malacañang Deputy Spokesman Anthony Golez. I preferred not to take up political issues with Dr. Golez.

His forte is disaster control. And we need that, especially the expertise of Anthony Golez.

Golez believes in the Amity Volunteer Brigade in terms of disaster control.

We welcome Jun Lozada too like the welcome we made to Anthony Golez. I hope Malacañang does not stop Lozada from going around accepting invitations. Let him speak. We need to hear all sides. We must not be afraid of the truth.

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I am aggrieved by the reports of so many of our people being victimized by swindlers. I am angry with people who are naïve and greedy to fall for the wiles of these swindlers.

We need the ability to discern the motives of some people who come with juicy proposals.

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Vigilance is what we need. A few days ago, near my farm in Brgy. Taloc in Bago, residents killed one who they suspected of being a thief. This came because  the men put up night guards among themselves after a series of thievery, the most common object is fighting crooks.

At 1:30 a.m. two men from Sum-ag were passing by and what I heard, after catching one who could not answer convincingly why he was there at an unholy hour, they mauled him.

He was brought to a hospital in Bago half dead. That night, he died. I don’t know the other facts expecting radio would pick it up. It was not.

After that, I was told, no one was seen already roaming in our place at night.

Our people there vowed to continue patrolling at night and said, they will also take  care of the thieves the way they would see it fit.*

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