EYES WIDE OPEN

Some of the members of the board of the association
 at the sala of the our house in Oscariz. Not in photo is the blogger who made the shot.

The main sala of the blogger's home.

Linda, my wife Estelita, and the lay-out artist Myra

     EYES WIDE OPEN

     
        
     For the record, the following attended the special meeting of the board of the Timpuyog dagiti Mannurat iti Iluko iti Filipinas at the blogger's residence last Sunday, January 19: Linda Tugade, Myra Madayag, Franklin Macugay, Rogie Baysa, Rodel Ramos, Cecilio Castilio, Juan Bao-il, Isaganie Bermosa, Rheo Domingo, and Andy Toquero.  Apo Errol L. Abrew and Engr. Aurelio Battad failed to attend the affair

Dr. Dedicacion Agatep Reyes and Apo Aurelio Solver Agcaoili
 of the University of Hawaii at Manoa

A million thanks to Myra and Linda and Isaganie for braving the night and the long distance to Oscariz, Ramon, Isabela. They respectively came from Marcos, Ilocos Norte; Naguilian, La Union and San Jose City.

     
      

TMIF BOARD MEETING

     The blogger will be hosting tomorrow, Sunday, the board meeting of Timpuyog dagiti Mannurat iti Iluko iti Filipinas. Venue will be the Julian residence  at 23 Oscariz, Ramon, Isabela. TMIF President Franklin P.Macugay said 10 members and the BOD will be attending including Myra Madayag, TJ layout artist and Linda Tugade, sister of Tito Tugade, founder of TMI-Global. Unfortunately, Tito called last night from California,  saying that Linda would not be coming. Tito, one of the Coromina writing boys, is now living in in the US Mainland. 

     The agenda are the planned purchase of a printing machine and publication of the tabloid version of Timpuyog Journal including Tito's suggestion on fundraising for TMIF.

NO SHOOTOUT INDEED BUT A RUBOUT

     Senator Panfilo Lacson of the infamous Kuratong Baleleng massacre spoke too soon on the Atimonan, Quezon killing of 13 cops and soldiers including several civilians on January 6. He said those killed were guns-for hire and alleged criminals.It turned out that some of those killed were innocent civilians who hitched a ride on the vehicles whose riders included the "jueteng" lord and his bodyguards (cops and soldiers who were also slain?) in what was reported first as a shootout.

     The truth will always come out, as in the case of the Mindanao massacre of journalists and Muslim politicians. Some witnesses are bound to show up and dispute statements and allegations.
 

THE DEATH OF 13 ALLEGED CRIMINALS AND HOUSE OF ILOKANO WRITERS

Sheep in the resort called Paraiso Tribu Vizcayano in Diadi,Nueva Vizcaya.

EYES WIDE OPEN

BY  PETER LA. JULIAN

      It was sad that one of those killed in the alleged Atimonan, Quezon shootout was an innocent insurance agent and salesman. He was in one of the vehicles and probably was wrapping up a condominium sale to the highest ranking police officer who was also gunned down at the checkpoint.

     How sure was the allegation of Senator Panfilo Lacson of the infamous Kuratong Baleleng gang killings that some of those killed were hired guns targeting (Bicol and Southern Tagalog even Metro Manila?) politicians.

     Needless to say, the violent killings (the police and military versus their counterparts) only proved that the police, nay enforcement officers, is deeply involved in the illegal numbers game. And that the government is practically a protector of jueteng despite the pretensions of the former that it did not have anything to do with it. 

     The killings should send also a message to other jueteng operators that include politicians, retired police and military officers and their fronts. It is an open secret that local officials--governors, town mayors, even village chiefs--are recipients of jueteng money. Ditto for town and city police station commanders, regional and provincial directors including media persons and publishers of local tabloids. What do you say, Villamor Visaya? Joe Gonzales, Silver Sarmiento? Jun Elias? And Gabriel Cardinoza? And you, my good friend Hermie Calica?    

     In the pathology of evil, jueteng is in heart of our moral construct. Absurd. Indecent as the display of pubic hair and panties in public by guest relations girls and scantily-clad starlets. As indecent as the act of the Ilokano Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile who gave away millions of pesos (hey, that's the people's money) as Christmas gifts to chosen colleagues. 
                                                                    *****
     Manang Pacing Saludes of GUMIL- Hawaii was in the Philippines the day after last Christmas Day for a reunion with her siblings in Badoc, Ilocos Norte. She look alright in her 84 years but she gets sick now and then, she said. It (reunion) may not come again, she said.
     She is coming out with another Ilokano-English book: Dagiti Balligi ti Puli (Triumphs of the Race), a 200-page compilation of features about successful Ilokanos in Hawaii and the US mainland, poems and short biographies. Publisher is Annak ti Kailokuan iti Amerika. 
     She only stayed for five days. 

     We were able to locate her in her ancestral home in Saud, Badoc. Of course, as usual, she was asking about the Gumil House in Suso, Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur for which she and her group contributed a big amount of dollars for its construction. Only Jose Bragado, Dionisio Bulong, Eden Cachola and Rey Duque, to our knowledge, can satisfactorily answer the only tri-media woman in Hawaii. 
      Ariel Tabag, Honor Blanco and other officials of GF can also explain to her how the money was spent for the house that  was never completed. It has become a "dugol" of the organization, according to Prescy Bermudez, who has written Judge Vivencio Baclig, GF president, to sort of resolve the many questions surrounding the patta.

     Kastoy ti dialogo ti blogger ken Manang Pacing iti maysa a malem: 

     Manang Pacing: Kaano a nairugi ti Balay ti Gumil?
     Blogger: 2002, idi ni Apo Jose Bragado ti presidente ti Gumil Filipinas.
     Manang Pacing: Ania a bulan?
     Blogger: Diak ammo, Manang, ta awan met dayta iti financial reportda.
     Manang Pacing: Kaano nga insardengda ti trabaho?
     Blogger: Diak ammo, Manang.
     Manang Pacing: Mano ngarud ti nagasto? 
     Blogger: Segun ti 2005 Financial Report, adda ngata P800,000 no suma totalen dagiti nagastuanda iti labor, purchase of materials, kdpy.
     Manang Pacing: Adda dagiti resibo ti purchase of materials? Mano ti semento, mano dagiti tarikayo?
     Blogger: Awan dagiti resibo a naisubmit, Manang, kas kuna ti maysa nga oficial ti GF.
     Manang Pacing: Saan kadi a kiniddaw ti auditor dagitoy idi pirmaanna dagiti financial report? Sinno aya ti auditor idi?
    Blogger: Ni  Fernando Sanchez, Manang.
    Manang Pacing: No kasta ti kadakkel a kantidad ti  magasto, kasapulan dagiti resibo, gagangay dayta. Insuratda laeng iti ima dagit cost of labor and materials?
     Blogger: Kasta met ti makita kadagiti financial reportsda, Manang.
     Manang Pacing (agwingwingiwing): Sayang dagidi rinepreppet a kuarta a pangisukatanmi kadagiti doliar tunggal agatendarkami idi iti kombension ti Gumil.   

DEPARTURE FOR US MAINLAND

We saw them off yesterday after breakfast at Rosales, Pangasinan Chowking,  bound for the NAIA airport for their 5:00 PM flight back to the US Mainland. They--Anib-Israel, his wife Diaine and their sons Jeric and Jun were aboard the Starex of their friend Rodolph Russel Morales, a nursing graduate and now a successful Cabugao, Ilocos Sur businessman, and his wife Macon. The kids who bonded with their cousins from Isabela and Baguio for many days in Oscariz during the holidays will be back after two years.