It was his chance to prove his sincerity to serve the people of Porac. But it turned out to be an announcement, a confirmation that he loves the pigs and chickens more than his constituents.
It was the first time I heard a mayor defend and chose animals over human beings who voted and put him in power.
“If I have my way, I will immediately close them,” he said in a live interview over CLTV36’s Hamon Central Luzon recently. He was referring to the 12 piggeries and some poultries that emit foul smell and have caused sufferings to thousands of people in Barangays Manibaug and Sta. Cruz for 25 long years.
With this statement, Mayor Roger Santos admitted his helplessness to close down the poultry and piggeries in Porac. He and other barangay officials are now sending a strong message to all the Filipinos: “Let the people die of stink, of foul smell, because these poultries and piggeries follow the law and they have permits to operate.”
This is probably how they define local governance – empowering the pigs and chickens while weakening the people; decentralizing their operations by giving them special treatments while sacrificing the progress and development of Porac.
It also gave a new attribution to what a democratic government was referring to:
“Governance that this town [Porac], under piggeries, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the pigs, by the pigs, for the pigs…”
And recently, this swine republic has gained the support of some local officials in Angeles City, harassing one of Pampanga’s pollution crusaders.
Thus, this alleged “conspiracy” leads to one thing: that they want Porac to remain a swine republic, a place where Senator Lito Lapid and Philippine Tourism Authority General Manager Mark Lapid live.
At any rate, it is saddening to note that Mark, being a top tourism official, has failed to develop and promote his town. From a lahar ravaged area, Porac could have become one of the Philippines’ top tourism destinations by now.
He could have redeemed himself for all his failures and shortcomings as a governor by simply joining his townmates and concerned groups in the fight against polluters. But what do we expect from the Lapids?
So the people keep on asking – how do we solve this problem?
The 2010 election is nearing, and the power to solve it is in your hands. “Sa isang araw lang”!
It was the first time I heard a mayor defend and chose animals over human beings who voted and put him in power.
“If I have my way, I will immediately close them,” he said in a live interview over CLTV36’s Hamon Central Luzon recently. He was referring to the 12 piggeries and some poultries that emit foul smell and have caused sufferings to thousands of people in Barangays Manibaug and Sta. Cruz for 25 long years.
With this statement, Mayor Roger Santos admitted his helplessness to close down the poultry and piggeries in Porac. He and other barangay officials are now sending a strong message to all the Filipinos: “Let the people die of stink, of foul smell, because these poultries and piggeries follow the law and they have permits to operate.”
This is probably how they define local governance – empowering the pigs and chickens while weakening the people; decentralizing their operations by giving them special treatments while sacrificing the progress and development of Porac.
It also gave a new attribution to what a democratic government was referring to:
“Governance that this town [Porac], under piggeries, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the pigs, by the pigs, for the pigs…”
And recently, this swine republic has gained the support of some local officials in Angeles City, harassing one of Pampanga’s pollution crusaders.
Thus, this alleged “conspiracy” leads to one thing: that they want Porac to remain a swine republic, a place where Senator Lito Lapid and Philippine Tourism Authority General Manager Mark Lapid live.
At any rate, it is saddening to note that Mark, being a top tourism official, has failed to develop and promote his town. From a lahar ravaged area, Porac could have become one of the Philippines’ top tourism destinations by now.
He could have redeemed himself for all his failures and shortcomings as a governor by simply joining his townmates and concerned groups in the fight against polluters. But what do we expect from the Lapids?
So the people keep on asking – how do we solve this problem?
The 2010 election is nearing, and the power to solve it is in your hands. “Sa isang araw lang”!
