Edgar Cadagat

The local and regional NBI law enforcement agencies, are once more bedeviled with charges of being involved in irregularities, including carrying out lightning raids on business establishments and engaging in extortion, masked as part of its legal mandate. But highly-reliable sources who requested not to be named, have declared that those behind the large-scale scams have capitalized upon the agency’s fearless reputation to intimidate personalities and business establishments, in an effort to produce money, tainted with fraud, sources said.

The complainants include used clothes dealers in the city, who swore that for months on end, a man representing himself as a confidential agent of the bureau, has been the bagman of the extortion activities. But confidential agents have as early on last year, been eliminated by an order of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

BECAUSE IT IS JUST RIGHT. There are now discussions and debates on the holding of elections in the basic or lower level of governance and which is the barangay.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes has recommended that for the sake of adequate preparations, elections in the barangay be postponed either in 2014 or early, 2015 because it is too early for this. A lot of preparations are needed, says the Comelec honcho. But those who decided on the October 2013 date, must be men who are wiser than most, congressmen and senators.

Of course, barangay officials to include councilmen and those in the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) would push for elections later, to promote their own interests. They will continue to receive privileges, benefits and their wages while they are staying in office.

Those who are facing anti-graft complaints or actual anti-graft cases in the Sandiganbayan Bayan, will benefit immensely too, from the poll’s postponement.

AND EXULTATIONS OF VICTORIES. The recent senatorial, congressional and local governments’ election was one of surprises, even more so shocking defeats for well-entrenched candidates vying for reelection or political clans.

In some cases the pains of defeat were marred by incidents akin to applying salt on gaping wounds.

The recent elections also, in a way pinpointed the ills and weaknesses, the glaring imperfections of the country’s electoral system.

Among the most exulting victories was that of the hotly-contested gubernatorial battle, nay, war between Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and erstwhile political ally Lim-ao Alvarez which also meant a humiliating defeat for a once-assumed political honcho, a billionaire twice over.

A political ally of comebacking municipal mayor Cicero Borromeo, sees positive development for the backwater town, after his win in the May 13, 2013 election.

Anti-Graft campaigner Penuel Tanio, a loyal political ally of Borromeo, who campaigned doggedly and determinedly for the comebacking mayor said, things are looking up for the town, after Borromeo wrested the local government once more away from Manzano. Borromeo, who had earlier returned to the province from the US, won an unprecedented one term over Candoni Mayor Jechonias Manzano but in the last election, he once more lost to Manzano.

Now, Borromeo, according to Tanio, intends to make up for lost time as mayor in a mountain town, which Tanio said could be at the top of underdeveloped municipalities in the province.