Thus, said Gov. Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda during a dialogue with the Capampangan in Media, Inc. (CAMI) at the Bale Balita here on Friday after inducting the new set of officers and trustees of the group.
“Based on my experience, supervised food production will not only reduce subsistence costs but will also have salutary rehabilitative effects on drug users wanting to turn a new leaf,” she said.
Pineda also agreed with Columbia’s Cesar Gaviria’s message that a police method to the drugs scourge, often resulting in the gunning down of drug suspects, will not work if not complemented by measures addressing other aspects of a holistic approach to rehabilitating drug users.
Pineda said Gaviria has valid points and some useful lessons for President Duterte.
Pineda said the provincial jail is bursting at the seams since it can only accommodate 1,000 inmates but has now accumulated more than 2,200 detainees. Pineda pressed for a supplemental budget for bigger space, adequate facilities and staff for rehabilitating and making the detainees productive.
She said she was looking for suitable land for a spacious rehabilitation center with surrounding land for food production and skills development for the drug dependents.
Pineda was with former President Gloria Arroyo, now 2nd district representative and deputy speaker of the House of Representatives for the induction of the officers of CAMI.
For her part, Arroyo lauded CAMI for its unique objective of “revival and enhancement of the culture and tradition of the Kapampangans” in her keynote speech.
Arroyo also showed the detailed master plan made by renowned Architect Felino A. Palafox Jr. which will be implemented for Pampanga as a “megalopolis.”
Others present in the CAMI program with Rep. Arroyo and the governor were Provincial Board Member Olga Frances “Fritzie” David-Dizon, Mabalacat City Mayor Marino “Boking” Morales, BB International Leisure and Resorts Development Corp. president Dr. Irineo “Bong” Alvaro and Clark Investors and Locators Association (CILA) president Josh Go.
Sworn in by Pineda were CAMI offi cers and trustees: Dr. Cris Icban Jr., chairman; Ashley Jay B. Manabat, vice chairman; Federico Pascual Jr., president; Ernie Y. Tolentino, senior vice president (national operations); Ding C. Cervantes Jr., vice president (provincial operations); Dr. John S. Manalili, secretary general; Dionisio Pelayo, treasurer; Vitorio “Vot” Vitug, auditor; and trustees Jake Espino, Jose P. Cortez, Noel Tulabut, Narciso Turla Jr., Abel L. Cruz, Ner Dayrit, and Max Sangil.
