‘Bangag’ tag won’t harm BBM

By Herbert Vego

PAST president Rodrigo Duterte has been tagging President Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos “bangag” when speaking in “prayer rallies” here and there.

BBM seems to be living up to that allegation. He said he would not surrender Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face trial for the “extrajudicial killings” (EJKs) committed during his term.

Duterte’s yarn is that BBM was caught sniffing cocaine together with actress Maricel Soriano once upon a time.

I am inclined to think that “bangag” is meant to divert public attention away from the issues against China, one of which is the “gentleman’s agreement” between Duterte and China’s President Xi Jinping  that has encouraged the China Coast Guard to blast water cannon against our own at the West Philippine Sea.

The “bangag” issue, I predict, would not explode. It’s a “lumang tugtugin” that has made millionaires out of big drug dealers identified as Digong’s friends.

The frantic, well-funded rallies desperately ask Marcos to resign, obviously to elevate the accuser’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, to the presidency by way of succession.

Why does BBM refuse to avail himself of a potent weapon to keep himself in power? Is he that masochistic?
That weapon is to allow the ICC to haul Duterte to the ICC  to face trial in The Hague, Netherlands for crimes against humanity which the police had committed during his six-year reign.

The President knew he was lying when he said that the ICC has no more jurisdiction over Duterte.  Let him be reminded of this decision promulgated by the Supreme Court on March 16, 2021:

“The International Criminal Court retains jurisdiction over any and all acts committed by government actors until March 17, 2019. Hence, withdrawal from the Rome Statute does not affect the liabilities of individuals charged before the International Criminal Court for acts committed up to this date.”

Marcos has certainly not forgotten that he was one of the 17 senator-members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations who ratified, as proposed by President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino,  Senate Resolution No. 546 dated August 4, 2011, concurring our country’s membership to the ICC.  The others were Loren Legarda (chairperson), Miriam Defensor Santiago (deceased), Ed Angara, Francis Escudero, Teopisto Guingona III, Gregorio Honasan, Ralph Recto, Bong Revilla, Migz Zubiri, Manny Villar, Lito Lapid, Jinggoy Estrada, Tito Sotto, Allan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes and Juan Ponce Enrile.

As to why none of the above talk about it, it’s either they are dead, or they owe Duterte a favor.

-oOo-

MORE POWER ON TRACT

THE current year is the 5^th year in service of MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) as Iloilo City’s power-distribution utility (DU). Considering its five-year timetable for modernization at a budget of ₱2 billion, it will have completed that goal by February 2025.

One recalls that although the law awarding it a 25-year franchise was supposed to have taken effect in 2019, it was only in 2020 that MORE Power kicked due to legal kinks that had to be resolved in court.

There is no more issue being raised against its capability to serve its expanding clientele. Its financial stability rests in the hands of its chairman, Enrique Razon Jr., who is in Forbes’ list as the third richest man in the Philippines.

Likewise, the appointed president and chief executive, Roel Z. Castro, has lived up to his reputation as the best in the industry.  He had previously held executive positions at the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), Monte Oro Resources & Energy, Inc., Palm Concepcion Power Corp. (PCPC), Peakpower Energy (PEAK), and Hydro Link Projects Corp. (HLPC).

“After we complete the five-year modernization plan,” Castro told us, “expect a robust distribution system with maximum tolerance to causes of unintended outages, capable of handling bigger demand from consumers and industries.”

-oOo-

MIA MAKES IT

Congratulations to our good friend Miami “Mia” Yturiaga for clocking first in the 5-K run (for 50 years old and above) here in Iloilo City last Sunday.  Naturally, she deserves her illusive championship trophy. Her runners-up are Sky Reis and Rogen Rosalios Aguirre..

This writer first met the beautiful Mia in the early 1990s when she was secretary to the then congressman of Iloilo City, Rafael Lopez-Vito. She looks 20 years younger today at age 51.