"WHAT ARE WE IN POWER FOR?"

     The quotation was uttered by late Senator Jose Avelino (Liberal Party) in a Malacanang Palace meeting  during the time of the Ilokano President of the Philipines Elpidio Quirino. He was with other lawmakers and other government officials discussing what should be done in certain circumstances. It was a matter of values that should guide them. What? Can we eat values, principles? What are we in power for? His quote was recorded by a media person who inserted himself in the meeting as an administration functionary

     An Isabela mayor and his cohorts in the local government, they who have amassed wealth beyond their expectations, are similarly situated. Oh, never mind what people say! Let them die of apal. And so they built their big houses out of the taxes of the people, using the municipal trucks and other perks to construct their houses. Recently, the mayor got the lion's share of bags of cement donated by a power plant. He allegedly used the cement to improve his expensive house in the village of Aguinaldo, according to political opponents.