“YOU GOT the sangguniang panlalawigan at its worst.”
So greeted me a Capitol oldtimer – from the Gov. Estelito P. Mendoza era – at the Fiorgelato coffeeshop at SM City Pampanga. He referred to the piece Legislative lapses here a while back.
He agreed absolutely on the inanities and ineptitude currently obtaining at the SP. A far cry – if not a totally alien setting – from previous SPs. And so he got me into a reminiscence of my stay at the Capitol during the first of Gov. Lito Lapid’s three terms – 1995-1998 – with the SP ever putting us on our toes, if not on tenterhooks.
One was our worst nightmare; the other, our collective migraine; and the third, our stinging headache.
Vice Gov. Cielo Macapagal-Salgado and Board Members Bernadette Herrera-David and Resty Capulong really made life one continuing Calvary for the Lapid administration.
But they were never strait-laced obstructionists to every Lapid initiative, er, initiatives attributed to Lapid. Rather, they served as the crucible that cleansed these initiatives of their impurities, whether legal, moral and many times, even farcical.
Thus, on one hand, the easy passage of resolutions on disaster mitigation – the lahar rampages were at their height then, poverty alleviation, and the Capitol employees’ amelioration; and the supportive push for health services, peace and order and education.
Thus, on the other, the Ombudsman case versus Lapid on the P104-million Maimpis land scam. And the definitive NO to Lapid’s wish list of a half-million-peso Sea-Doo four-seater watercraft and the step-van purportedly for Rescue 21.
Guided by Madame Cielo and flanked by Dette and Resty, the SP then really lived up to its very reason for being – the co-equal counterbalance to the executive arm of the provincial government.
The three – backstopped by the erudite Atty. Eddie Chu of the second district, and the then-Benjamin of the SP Crisostomo Garbo of the first district already showing some spunk and savvy – lived up to the appellation “solon,” learned, if not truly wise, lawgivers. And even beyond, as protector of the public coffers and as guardians of the people’s interest.
So I – as Lapid’s spinmeister – had had bitter run-ins with Madame Cielo in both the media and confrontations face-to-face. So I had my arguments with Dette. So I had my rows with Resty. So did then-Provincial Administrator Rico Quiambao. So did then-disaster management chief Dong Manabat. So thanks to Madame Cielo, Dette and Resty, there existed the essence of democracy at the Lapid Capitol. Discussion and debate being alive, albeit at times raised to some decibels too high. Especially that time when Acting Gov. Cielo was given the run-around over the P1-million disaster fund at the height of the August 1997 floods. (Lapid was caught by the storm in Hongkong celebrating his birthday with his immediate and extended families including aunts, cousins, and other relatives).
I miss Madame Cielo – now into a religious ministry, Dette – now settled in the United States, and Resty – now the Eduardo Ermita to Clark Development Corp. President-CEO Benny Ricafort. Not so much for the stimulation of my thought processes at each and every verbal tussle as for the sorry state the SP is currently in.
And my Capitol oldtimer friend could not but heartily agree.
So greeted me a Capitol oldtimer – from the Gov. Estelito P. Mendoza era – at the Fiorgelato coffeeshop at SM City Pampanga. He referred to the piece Legislative lapses here a while back.
He agreed absolutely on the inanities and ineptitude currently obtaining at the SP. A far cry – if not a totally alien setting – from previous SPs. And so he got me into a reminiscence of my stay at the Capitol during the first of Gov. Lito Lapid’s three terms – 1995-1998 – with the SP ever putting us on our toes, if not on tenterhooks.
One was our worst nightmare; the other, our collective migraine; and the third, our stinging headache.
Vice Gov. Cielo Macapagal-Salgado and Board Members Bernadette Herrera-David and Resty Capulong really made life one continuing Calvary for the Lapid administration.
But they were never strait-laced obstructionists to every Lapid initiative, er, initiatives attributed to Lapid. Rather, they served as the crucible that cleansed these initiatives of their impurities, whether legal, moral and many times, even farcical.
Thus, on one hand, the easy passage of resolutions on disaster mitigation – the lahar rampages were at their height then, poverty alleviation, and the Capitol employees’ amelioration; and the supportive push for health services, peace and order and education.
Thus, on the other, the Ombudsman case versus Lapid on the P104-million Maimpis land scam. And the definitive NO to Lapid’s wish list of a half-million-peso Sea-Doo four-seater watercraft and the step-van purportedly for Rescue 21.
Guided by Madame Cielo and flanked by Dette and Resty, the SP then really lived up to its very reason for being – the co-equal counterbalance to the executive arm of the provincial government.
The three – backstopped by the erudite Atty. Eddie Chu of the second district, and the then-Benjamin of the SP Crisostomo Garbo of the first district already showing some spunk and savvy – lived up to the appellation “solon,” learned, if not truly wise, lawgivers. And even beyond, as protector of the public coffers and as guardians of the people’s interest.
So I – as Lapid’s spinmeister – had had bitter run-ins with Madame Cielo in both the media and confrontations face-to-face. So I had my arguments with Dette. So I had my rows with Resty. So did then-Provincial Administrator Rico Quiambao. So did then-disaster management chief Dong Manabat. So thanks to Madame Cielo, Dette and Resty, there existed the essence of democracy at the Lapid Capitol. Discussion and debate being alive, albeit at times raised to some decibels too high. Especially that time when Acting Gov. Cielo was given the run-around over the P1-million disaster fund at the height of the August 1997 floods. (Lapid was caught by the storm in Hongkong celebrating his birthday with his immediate and extended families including aunts, cousins, and other relatives).
I miss Madame Cielo – now into a religious ministry, Dette – now settled in the United States, and Resty – now the Eduardo Ermita to Clark Development Corp. President-CEO Benny Ricafort. Not so much for the stimulation of my thought processes at each and every verbal tussle as for the sorry state the SP is currently in.
And my Capitol oldtimer friend could not but heartily agree.
