TALK BACK by John Bayarong

I have an article on the vote buying phenomenon that hit the May 2013 elections, especially in Olongapo City, and the towns of Subic, Castilljos, and San Marcelino.

This was supposed to be a closing article on the election season. But I decided to put freeze the story after my brother, Anthony Bayarong, informed me that he and his staff received threats from a certain Danny Boy Patagan recently.

According to Anthony,the Patagan Facebook account sent them this message via private message:

“putang ina, muka, kilala kita, wag lang tau magkita basag muka mong gagoh ka!”

Any threat should be taken seriously. More so if a journalist, who has nothing but pen, paper, camera to defend himself.

I decided to print Anthony’s entire article, “Threat, cyber bullying, PNP and election hangover,” to avoid any misinterpretation, myself being his older brother. Here it is.

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Threat, cyber bullying, PNP and election hangover

By Anthony Bayarong

Election time is over, a new set of leaders has been elected, the reign of Gordon’s have ended in Olongapo but election hangover is not yet over.

Just this morning subictimes.com received threat from a certain Danny Boy Patagan which threatens to assault the staff of our website.

He sent his threats via our social network page in facebook.com saying “putang ina, muka, kilala kita, wag lang tau magkita basag muka mong gagoh ka!”

When my staff alerted me about this I said maybe it was miss sent, so I replied “Sir is this a threat or maybe you sent the wrong message.”

I decided to check the account of Patagan and it seemed legit, what shocked me most after checking his account is that he was posing a member of the Philippine National Police-Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT). His profile was full of pictures of him with a hand gun, His address according to his FB account is 131 Murphy St.

After a few minutes browsing his account I personally messaged him “We will give you up until this afternoon to clear things up because of this message after that we will take appropriate actions.”

The good thing is that I manage to print screen all the valuable information about his FB profile.

He replied by saying in a private massage in our FB account “Ulol mga gago! Gawin nyo wag yung puro daldal palibhasa tuta kayo mga bayaran! Ako pa tatakutin nyo mga bwisit kayo!”

After reading the message and going back to his FB page it was already gone.

The point is…… if it’s a ghost account or a real FB account Mr. Danny Boy Patagan should come forward and clear things out with us, we in subictimes would be happy to publish his side so that he can also clear his name.

If it’s a ghost account shame on the people who did this, stealing ones identity is a criminal offense.

This is not the first time we encounter an account raging havoc across facebook.

True or not we in subictimes take safety seriously, so, now our readers know who to look for just in case something happens.

The Philippine National Police also has a stake in this since he is posing as member of the PNP-SWAT, the Olongapo City Police Office should conduct an investigation on this. I took this threat serious because of this implication.

This is a classic case of cyber bullying and is it very sad to learn that the PNP is being use to do this.

To Mr. Patagan or his friends if you read this you can reach me @09173924391, lets talk and clear things out.

For the first time in nearly half a century, no member of the Gordon family holds any government position.

Former senator Richard “Dick” Gordon failed to regain his old seat. His younger brother, James “Bong” Gordon, lost the congressional race in the First District of Zambales. Anne Gordon sought the Olongapo City mayoralty post, to be vacated by husband Bong, but the electorate rejected her as well.

As if that was not enough, Dick’s son, Brian, and a nephew, Bugsy Gordon delos Reyes, were also trounced at the polls.

The David that slew Olongapo’s Goliath is Rolen Paulino. He won in all 17 barangays. He got 40,000 votes, while Anne secured 27,000. The third placer, Bugsy, got 10,000 votes.

It was a lopsided fight. By all accounts, Anne had 20,000 watchers who were each paid P3,000. Paulino did not have any.

“I just couldn’t afford it,” the mayor-elect said. “I had P300,000 at the start of the campaign. That was all gone on the eve of the election. I needed to pay for the gas, you know.”

The amount was, to extend the David-Goliath metaphor, a mere slingshot to the family’s estimated war chest of a quarter of a billion pesos, but the single volley hit the giant right smack on the forehead.

But the family was dealt its most humiliating defeat by Jeffrey Khonghun, outgoing mayor of Subic. He beat Bong by more than 35,000 votes. He received 10,000 more votes than his rival in Olongapo, the family’s supposed bailiwick. And seldom had he been seen here.

Did the people of Olongapo and Zambales heed the nationwide clamor against political dynasty?

Michael Ted Macapagal, a 41-year-old Filipino-American businessman who divides his time between Southern California and Olongapo, thinks the people have simply gotten tired of the family. And this time, he said, the Gordons had no choice but to respect the will of the people.

“The introduction of automated elections made it impossible to manipulate the result and subvert the electoral system,” said Macapagal, who had taken the time off to campaign for Paulino and Khonghun. “That is, if there had been such a plan.”

But Macapagal could be biased. He was the eldest son of the late Teddy Macapagal, who fought the Marcos dictatorship on the national scene and the Gordons at the local level. A human rights lawyer associated with the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), Teddy was appointed Olongapo OIC by President Cory Aquino but subsequently lost to a member of the Gordon family.

Professor Armin Santos, who teaches graduate studies in Aura College in Olongapo, agrees with Macapagal’s assessment.

“The dissatisfaction over the Gordon dynasty has been brewing under the surface for decades now,” Santos said. “The 2013 election results merely uncovered that fact for all to see.”

Santos claimed vote-buying was rampant in all past elections in the city. When that failed, he added, there was ballot switching as a last resort. In any case, he said “the outcome was never in doubt.”

The Gordon family dismissed the charges as the handiwork of sore losers.

“Outsiders tended to believe them,” Santos acknowledged, “but how do you explain the fact that the family always made a clean sweep in past elections, from the mayor, the vice mayor, and down to the last councilor? No barangay captain could win without their blessings, either.”

In power far longer than the Gordons, the Magsaysay dynasty fared worse. Like Dick, outgoing Representative Mitos Magsaysay lost her senatorial bid. A son of hers, Jobo, came in third, trailing Bong, in the congressional race. Another son, Vic-Vic, was fourth in the Olongapo vice-mayoralty contest. (Manila Times)

Delos Reyes poses for a beach side shoot. (photo from her public Facebook page)

The 25-year-old marketing head of Lyceum of Subic Bay bested 46 other candidates Sunday night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

She is the first ever winner of the Binibining Olongapo organized by the Olongapo City tourism office headed by Kay Salumbides-Reyes, who herself was the first Binibining Zambales title holder.

Delos Reyes hails from New Cabalan and completed her  Bachelor of Science Nursing degree from Columban College.

The Batang ‘Gapo stunner wowed the judges with her answer to the question, ““If you could add another criteria to pick a beauty queen, what would it be?”

The beauty pageant veteran clamly answered, “a good heart or a genuine heart to take care of the environment…not just for ourselves but for future generations.”

She will take over the reign of Ms Philippines Earth 2012 Stephany Dianne Stefanowitz and will represent the country to the Miss Earth pageant, one of the biggest international beauty competitions.

The other candidates who got titles in Sunday night’s pageant were: Ms Santa Maria, Bulacan Bernadette Mae Aguirre, who won Ms Philippines Eco-Tourism 2013; Ms Fil-USA West Coast Alma Cabasal – Ms Philippines Earth Fire; Ms Zamboanga City Nancy Leonard – Ms Philippines Earth Water; and Ms Nagcarlan, Laguna Kimverlun Suiza – Ms Philippines Earth Air. (30)

OLONGAPO CITY – In a collaborated effort, Energizer Philippines and One Million Lights (OML) Philippines recently distributed 300 solar-powered LED flashlights to the indigenous communities of Zambales. 

Aeta residents of sitio Tralala, Brgy. Gordon Hgts. Olongapo City, recieves a solar powered energizer LED flashlights from Energizer Philippines a during the outreach program organized by the One million LIghts Philippines a non profit organization. (Photo by DANTE SALVANA)

According to Energizer Philippines brand manager Joan Mendoza, “When we began this project with OML, we really aimed at touching as many lives as we can through our safe, sustainable and eco-friendly lighting.”

She added, “By providing these off-the-grid indigenous communities access to clean lighting, we would be able to alleviate the social burden they go through every day. We hope this will translate to better opportunities for the families here and aid their children with their education.”

“We are deeply grateful for the strong support from Energizer,” says Mark Lozano, country head of OML Phils. He added, “They provided us with clean and efficient solar-powered lights which offered much needed aid to our beneficiaries.”

“Energizer has enabled us to fulfill our goal to make a difference in society through an affordable, safe and environmentally sustainable manner. We look forward to spreading more ‘positive energy’ among Filipinos for years to come,” he added.

With the help of local civic group Social Action Center of Zambales, the Energizer team and the OML group donated these solar-powered flashlights to five areas in Zambales, namely: Sta Rita in Olongapo; Tralala in Olongapo; San Felipe Town; Mapalad; and the Town of Botolan.

According to Mendoza, these solar-powered LED flashlights have the capacity to provide more than three hours of light after five hours of charging under direct sunlight.

Through the donation, the company estimates that some 2,000 off-the-grid individuals will benefit from these flashlights. The company has already distributed similar lights to communities in Kalinga, Apayao, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Catanduanes, Mindoro, Eastern Samar, and Rizal.

FRONTLINE by Armin Santos

What Rolen Paulino did was what opposition politicians have been trying to do for the last three decades. 

The last time that somebody, other than a Gordon occupied city hall was in 1986, when human rights lawyer Teddy Macapagal (TedMac) was appointed officer in charge (OIC) mayor.

It was also the last time that I stepped inside city hall, then a pre-war structure. I was a young man and full of hopes and dreams. But TedMac and a succession of opposition leaders tried but were unsuccessful in unseating the ruling family.

There was a time when I wanted to give up and just fade away. I surmised, maybe we were caught in a political time warp and there is no getting off.

But I realize there is still hope in my lifetime. The only politician who defeated the ruling family, Dr. Geronimo “Apache” Lipumano is dead. And so is Patoy Escusa, Demy Tuazon, Jun Suane, and Joe Pacheco.

It seemed there is no hope. In 2001, two opposition candidates cancelled each other out. It was another deathblow to the fractious local opposition.

It would be the last time that it would field several candidates in the same elections. I have always held that the ruling family controlled only 40% of the votes.

If the anti-dynasty forces would get it in their heads that they have to field a single candidate, it will be walk in the park.

Finally in 2004, the opportunity presented itself for unity.  A fever pitched negotiations ensured. With still some kinks to be ironed out, a “stand in” candidate filed his certificate of candidacy. Later, however, he does not want to be replaced.

The strategy backfired and we were stuck with a virtual unknown, non-entity as a mayoralty candidate. It was a golden opportunity missed.

In 2007, Rolen Paulino made his move towards the city’s top post. But it was still “dark ages” of elections; manual voting, manual counting and manual canvassing. Boy, the elections operator and cheaters has made a lucrative career peddling their devious trade of sabotaging the democratic processes. It was not yet time to wrestle power.

In 2009, a law was passed computerizing elections ironically sponsored by Dick Gordon. Personally, I thought it was another sophistry to thwart democracy.

The following year was a presidential election and with a lot riding on it, the local group still has a monkey on its back.

While I was at that time bullish, and thought even a third candidate would not make a dent in the opposition battle plans. I was dead wrong. We were defeated despite burning issues stacked against the administration. Maybe the people are not comfortable with our candidate?

Now comes Rolen and the rest is history. Maybe it is his political destiny.

Police authorities identified the victim as Ian Veracruz, 36, a lawyer, and a resident of barangay East Bajac-Bajac .

Sr. Insp. Gil Domingo told reporters that the victim sustained two .45 caliber gun shot wounds in the head causing instant death.

Neighbors said that they heard guns shot at around 8:45 last night (May 18) and saw Veracruz lying in a pool of blood near his car.

This is the second brutal killing in public in the city this year.

Last April 6, Australian Paul Dean Davy, 52, general manager of Blue Rock resort at Brgy. Barretto was shot in the head by an unidentified gunman inside his resort.

Witnesses said that the killer also fled using a motorcycle.

Police investigators learned that Veracruz just came from an Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) service near his home when the assailants struck.

Police investigators have yet to determine the motive of the killing. (John Bayarong)

Olongapo City —Days after toppling the 33-year Gordon dynasty, mayor-elect Rolen Paulino said he will focus on flood control efforts, improve health services, and ease the burden of businesses in the city within the next six months.

Paulino ran a campaign promising to stop graft and corruption, enhance public services, and improve doing business in a largely service-oriented local economy.

“Flooding is a major concern for me especially because the rainy season is about to start. Dredging the rivers and channel will start as soon as I assume the office,” the mayor-elect told www.subicupdater.com in an interview in his residence recently.

There are already proposals to haul the sand that clogs the waterways without cost to the local government.

“If their tests show that the sand is marketable, they will even pay the city,” he explained.

Two decades after the Mt. Pinatubo erupted, the millions of city and congressional funds were used to dredge the waterways to ease the flooding. However, the situation has gotten worse over the last few years. Last year, the city was shut down by severe flooding, the worst in its history.

Health programs

His campaign also highlighted the expensive health care program ran by the local government.

Almost all the barangays in Olongapo have health centers, Paulino said, but they do not have doctors to help the patients or medicines to dispense.

“We will instruct the city health office to ensure that the needs of the health centers are met. This will decongest our hospital, and reduce the cost for the patients. Sa barangay pa lang, magagamot na sila,” Paulino said, adding “kahit anong meron ka, mababalewala kapag nagkasakit ka at na ospital.”

The city-run hospital has privatized many of its medical services, in some cases, its services are more expensive than the privately-run health facilities.

“This public health model will not continue. There is humanity in a system where the government gets a cut from the exorbitant fees collected by the private medical service providers inside a government funded hospital. To think that the bulk of the patients that go to the James Gordon hospital are those who already have less in life,” the teary-eyed incumbent vice mayor noted in one of his campaign sorties in Old Cabalan.

Business-friendly

The businessman-turned-mayor also wants to improve services to the business sector.

Paulino said he will fast track the releasing process of all business permits.

“Hindi ko maintindihan bakit hindi ini-issue (ang permit), bayad naman na ang mga tao. Ini iniisyuhan lang nila ng resibo, pero hindi business permit,” he noted, adding that the permit is an important requirement for financial transactions.

The business permit, he says, is one of the requirements for bank loans, which is critical to many companies.

“Kasi kapag maayos ang negosyo, may trabaho. At pag may trahabo ang tao, may pambayad ng bahay, pang eskwela, at pang kalusugan,” Paulino added. (with John Bayarong)

This despite the overwhelming vote for incumbent vice mayor Rolen Paulino over his wife, Anne Marie Gordon, in last Monday’s elections.

In an interview with GMA 7, Gordon insisted that he still controls the city council.

“I think we’ve won. Because of the majority. What does majority mean? I might not be there but I still control the majority,” Gordon said during the interview.

He also brushed aside the impression that political dynasties are bad, saying the Gordon dynasty “is a good dynasty.”

Gordon ran for the first congressional seat of Zambales but lost to former Subic, Zambales town mayor Jeff Khonghun.

Election result showed that both Bong and Anne Gordon lost in almost all the barangays in Olongapo City, a known bailiwick of the Gordon family.

Senatorial candidate Dick Gordon, however, topped most of the precincts in the city and is still in the thick of the fight for the 12th and last spot in the Senate’s magic 12.

Reacting to the video clip, Mega Delavega hoped that the councilors will work for the people of the city.

“Mag-iisip na mga council(ors) natin. May tiwala pa rin ako sa kanila na they will prioritize what is for the good of Olongapo. Andito tayo para magmatyag at demand for the transparency at the session of the city council,” Delavega posted.

Some resident said that they will give the elected city councilors a chance to show their sincerity.

Of the 10 city councilors, seven are members of the Gordon Straight Ticket (GST), two from Bangon Bayan group (BB) and one from the Team Khonghun sa Olongapo (TKO).

Meanwhile, defeated congressional candidate Jobo Magsaysay congratulated Paulino in a post at the Vote Rolen Paulino For Mayor Movement facebook page.

“Alam kong pagbutihin mo ang iyong pamamalakad. Kahit ano pa man ang resulta ng eleksyon, ang importante sa lahat ay tao ang panalo,” Magsaysay said. His mother, senatorial candidate Mitos Magsaysay, conceded last Wednesday.

Paulino and Magsaysay were allies in the 2004, 2007, and 2010 elections but parted ways when Paulino opted to team up with his Mason brother Jeff Khonghun this year.

RIPPLES by Jerome Caluyo

For the one familiar with biblical history Gaza was the place of the Philistine, where Goliath was subdued by a small man David. It is also in the same place where the super strong Samson was duped into cutting his hair by a woman Delilah.

As I walk into the long stretch of narrow corridor of about one kilometer from Israel side to Gaza, I can just help thinking about the history of this land. This was the Land of giants and land of strong men who sowed fear to the tribe of Judah. But now this land is the largest open air prison in the world.A reversal of realities through mis-dispensation of power.  Once the mighty, now…

As folks back home are changing tirades over the social media concerning the political process, it am just amazed how Olongapenos came to terms with themselves and have them weaned from the control of political giant: Bong and Anne Gordon.  While I have all my respects with Dick Gordon, I feel somehow angry about what his brother, Bong, did to the coffers of Olongapo.  The good things his parents and sibling did to Olongapo, he unceremoniously nihilitated by simple mismanagement; or even perhaps more than mismanagement. Brian Gordon and Bugsy de los Reyes are victims of Bong’s managerial indiscretions as the city chief executive as well. Sadly his election battle dry is an oxymoron: SuboksaLiderato.

Fact that majority of those elected in the City Council are from Gordon ticket simply says that the electorate is just fed up on what Bong has done to the city and not to the legacy of the family.  Kate Gordon left the city with good financial standing and even got the notice of the World Bank for its resource management and generation best practices; but Bong put it to ruins. The man should have put premium to the common good rather than putting premium to personal gains.  In the process, he destroyed his family legacy.

If I was asked for advice I would have told the giant not to put himself and his wife to test this election. Bad records are screaming that a non-thinking person would not even consider placing a bet. He could have given the slot to Bugsy and it could mean an exciting fight.  This election in Olongapo is a losing proposition to both Anne and Bong. And they know that right from the start. The flooding of posters in areas not designated were indications of weakness and the alleged vote buying attempts were an open admission of a losing proposition hoping that through money there will be a reversal of fortune. As violence is the weapon of the weak, economic posturing to win votes is the weapon of the desperate.

And Just how David put Goliath to his knees, I pray that RolenPaulino, Mayor elect,  be given the strength to reverse the potential fiscal cliff of Olongapo left behind by Bong’s fiscal mismanagement.

For Jeff Khonghun, Congressman elect; It would be difficult to match the positive records of Mitos Magsaysay.  But given that, it should serve as his challenge to do more. To out-do, to out-run, to out-perform. And I am willing to help from there.

As I tread across Gaza, the land of Philistines, the land of giants; I can only hope that may the changes of leadership from the giants to the simple folks, there will be significant improvement in Olongapo’s well-being.

God bless Olongapo and the First District of Zambales for this new breed of leaders.

The new set of provincial officials for Zambales were proclaimed by the Provincial Board of Canvassers yesterday (May 15). From left: Fiscal Jorge Baculi, PBOC Vice-Chair, Atty. Panfilo Doctor, PBOC Chair, Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., 1st Dist. Representative Jeffrey Khonghun, Vice-Gov. Ramon Lacbain II, and Zenia Mostoles, PBOC Secretary.

The rematch was a closer contest with Ebdane winning by just 22,655 votes compared to 2010 when he won by 29,090 votes. Deloso got 10,000 more votes this time around.

The final result was 129,828 for Ebdane, and 107,173 for Deloso.

Cheryl Deloso, daughter of Amor Deloso, on the other hand, got 97,924 against the 75,919 votes of incumbent 2nd district congressman Omar Ebdane, who is the son of the Gov. Ebdane.

This rematch had a different result. In the 2012 special congressional elections, Ebdane edged out Cheryl.

In the town of Iba, the provincial capitol, Rundstedt Ebdane won against incumbent mayor Ad Hebert Deloso.

All the winning candidates in the province of Zambales were already proclaimed by Comelec as of 5PM this afternoon.

There were some delays in proclaiming the provincial candidates because of defective CF cards in San Marcelino, Botolan, and Masinloc.

Official Comelec Result:
Governor:
Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. – 129,828
Amor Deloso – 107,173

Congressman, 1st District:
Jeffrey Khonghun – 79,587
James Gordon Jr. – 47,004
Jesus Vicente Magsaysay II – 19,846

Congressman, 2nd District:
Cheryl Deloso-Montalla – 97,924
Jun Omar Ebdane – 75,919

Vice Governor:
Ramon Lacbain II – 122,744
Rica Victoria Diaz-Arambulo – 84,711
Reynaldo Tarongoy – 10,754