“President Tugade did what he thought was right, legal and moral because he is committed to uphold public interest as the head of CDC. Remember that CDC is our national government’s management entity for Clark.” So was Casanova press released as commenting over CDC’s eviction of Clark locator Eung Il “Steve” Kim from his leased property called Hollywood Park.
That CDC action constrained Kim, better known in the community as among those who pioneered hot air ballooning at Clark, to take Tugade to the Ombudsman and subject him to a disbarment case.
“Partnerships with local or foreign investors and the government must be treated with mutual respect,” Casanova clarified, hence delinquent lessees “must be dealt with accordingly because public interest in the development of the special economic zone should be one of the most important considerations.”
Right reasoning there. Wrong person to reason. Yeah, Casanova should be the last man to talk about dealing with “delinquent lessees.” For at Camp John Hay, Casanova epically lost his case against lessee developer CJH Development Corp.
Only last March 27, the Baguio City RTC Branch 6 confirmed the “Final Award” by the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center Inc. to CJHDC ordering BCDA to return to the company P1.421 billion, representing the total amount of rentals the developer has paid to Casanova’s agency.
News reports said that RTC Branch 6 Presiding Judge Cecilia Corazon Dulay-Archog also confirmed the PDRCI ruling that CJHDC is not liable for any unpaid back rent consistent with the ruling that “rescission and mutual restitution is proper in the case.”
A triumphant Robert John Sobrepena of CJHDC said “the ruling dealt a black eye to the government’s private-public partnership program as a result of miscalculations by the BCDA under Arnel Paciano Casanova.”
To apply now Casanova’s defence of Tugade on himself: “President Casanova did what he thought was right, legal and moral because he is committed to uphold public interest as the head of BCDA. Remember that BCDA is our national government’s management entity for Camp John Hay.”
And to iterate for effect: Casanova miserably lost his case. Writings on the wall there for Tugade in his own tussle with Kim.
ACT 2. Coming to Tugade’s relief too is Clark International Airport Corp. President- CEO Atty. Emigdio “Dino” Tanjuatco III who press released, just a day after Casanova did, that Tugade “deserves all the support and cooperation necessary in his advocacy to instil a culture of professional management and accountability at CDC and responsible corporate citizenship among its locators.”
“If there is anything beyond doubt about (Tugade), it is his utter seriousness to follow President Aquino’s leadership towards good governance,” hailed Tanjuatco of the CDC boss who, he said, “has done a remarkable job at CDC and made the entire Clark Freeport a haven for investment opportunities that benefitted Pampanga and the rest of the country.”
How Tugade did that, Tanjuatco did not say.
Laudations more: “We highly appreciate and value Atty. Tugade’s insights and continuing support for the successful growth and development of the Clark Airport as a major gateway to the Philippines.”
How? Again, Tanjuatco did not say.
Talk of surreptitious correlation: Recent chronology though shows that with the arrival of Tugade in Clark, immediately followed the final departure of Emirates and AirAsia Philippines from the Clark airport. And no new airline has come to roost in Clark since. Passenger volume in 2014 hit a low of 877,757 from its peak of 1.3 million in 2012.
With what growth at the airport is Tanjuatco referencing to Tugade now? When coincidence, if not Providence, points to Tugade as having jinxed the Clark airport. Malas sa dilang malas, sa kanya natapat.
Still, his faith in Tugade unshakeable, Tanjuatco said he found the “controversy” hounding the former “totally unwarranted, and almost comical.”
Comical, indeed. Not so much for the “controversy” as for Casanova and Tanjuatco’s act of coming to the rescue and relief of the embattled Tugade.
A sanguine comedy for one – not so much for “blood-red,” as for being “optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.”
A farce, really. Tugade’s well-cultivated, if uncultured, character of the Tatalonian tigasin – read: the tough guy from Tatalon, Q.C. — unmasked as pathetic put-on. In his tussle with his tenant Kim, Clark Big Bossman Tugade, famed for his brusko ways, has yet to be backed up by his cohorts Casanova and Tanjuatco? No astig or siga or maton worth his dibdib will need his kakosa or karancho in a mano-a-mano, especially against one perceived as his inferior in punching power, a pipitsugin.
Laughingly incongruous. By coming to his relief, Casanova and Tanjuatco only managed to show the wimp in Tugade. And the bully in all of them.
Humorously ridiculous. Three big-shot attorneys ganging up on an expat upstart.
There’s the comedy. The joke in all three.
Birthed now on Clark stage, the Tatlong Itlog of yore. Though not exactly with the original’s patented bugok inhered in each of them.
