Iloilo’s white elephant

By Alex P. Vidal

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche

EVEN before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Works and Highways will conduct an investigation on the shoddy P680-million Iloilo flyover project, otherwise known as the Ungka flyover (UFO) reportedly in the third week of July 2023, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Iloilo Province has already made its own inquiry.

In fact, Board Member Rolando Biaca Distura, an engineer by profession who presided over the two SP hearings on October 12, 2022 and June 2, 2023 in his capacity as chair of the Committee on Infrastructure, described the hearings as “exhausting.”

“The bottom line and logic will dictate the Geological Study and Design flaw are among the culprits,” Distura, a former mayor of Dumangas, Iloilo, informed this writer.

Distura also confirmed they have passed a resolution endorsing to both the Lower House (House of Representatives) and Upper Chamber (Senate) of Congress the holding of a formal inquiry not only of the UFO but also of the Aganan flyover both in the Municipality of Pavia.

The two SP hearings may have served as the dry run for the forthcoming congressional hearings which have no definite date and venue yet as of this writing.

Until concrete steps are made by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to solve the mess in the defective UFO after securing the P250 million needed for the repair, that pesky structure will remain as Iloilo’s white elephant that is visible in the sky.

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Instead of suppressing Apollo Carreon Quiboloy’s rights to freedom of expression if they think he really has become a “menace” to society with his propensity to commit “disinformation” in the social media and in any platform where he has the chance to open his mouth, why don’t they just arrest him to finally neutralize all his “dangerous” activities and actuations?

By arrest we mean literally by virtue of his being listed as one of the most wanted in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for human trafficking and sexual child abuse.

As a free man, he is entitled to exercise his freedom of speech and expression as long as it isn’t inimical to public interest.

Youtube and TikTok looked ridiculous when they suspended the flamboyant pastor’s accounts only because somebody, a netizen, had supposedly alerted the Youtube and TikTok administrators that he has a pending warrant of arrest with the FBI.

Anywhere in all the major social media platforms—including Twitter and Facebook—there are active accounts owned by the most notorious criminals and sex fiends and they weren’t suspended or banned.

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Some people in dire straits will use even the names of Jesus Christ and Lucifer to earn money, thus it is not a surprise that the name of Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Trenas was reportedly used by unscrupulous individuals to solicit money.

Every now and then the names of a mayor, governor, congressman, senator, vice president, and even president are used to fool businessmen and unsuspecting donors.

When it comes to monkey business, nobody is spared.

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NATO leaders begin July 11 a hugely symbolic two-day summit in Vilnius, Lithuania — one of the Baltic states once forcibly folded into the Soviet Union.

CNN report said topics on the agenda include Sweden’s bid to join NATO, which is being held up by Turkey and Hungary. Ukraine is also seeking membership in the alliance, and late last week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he expects allied leaders will agree during the summit on a “package with three elements to bring Ukraine closer to NATO.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)