Apologizing takes a lot of guts
It was very admirable of President Digong to make a public apology to Pangasinan Rep. Amado Espino Jr., Board Member Raul Sison and former provincial administrator Rafael Baraan for linking them to illegal drug trafficking.
The President offered no excuses; he just showed remorse.
“We were [somewhat] negligent. I am apologizing publicly to them. I am very sorry,” he said.
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That one error will make Mano Digong very, very careful in accusing people in public next time.
His subordinates will become extra cautious in feeding the President information on illegal drug trafficking.
If they embarrass the President next time, they should resign.
And if they have thick hides, they should be kicked out.
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President Digong’s apology became more dramatic when one of those he had offended, Congressman Espino, graciously accepted his apology.
“The truth has finally come out and I thank the President very much,” said Espino, a retired military officer.
A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, Espino said he has no hard feelings toward the President.
“The guy committed an honest mistake, Mon,” he told me yesterday.
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Knowing Espino, I had no doubt he would eventually be exonerated after the President linked him to the trafficking of narcotics.
I’ve known Spine—that’s his moniker—since the 1990s when he was commander of the Angeles City Metropolitan District Command (Metrodiscom).
The bemedalled officer cleaned up the “sinful” city in Pampanga of hoodlums, hired killers and drug pushers when he was its Philippine Constabulary (now defunct) commander.
That’s why I said in my column that linking him to illegal drugs didn’t make any sense at all.
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Espino got his medals for the capture of New People’s Army bigwigs—such as Bernabe Buscayno aka Kumander Dante— bigtime criminals, and for being wounded during a gun battle with communist rebels.
There’s an anecdote about Spine worth mentioning here.
The late Cesar Nazareno, then newly-appointed Philippine Constabulary chief, heard about Espino’s exploits and summoned the latter to his office.
Nazareno, who fought Muslim rebels in Mindanao and spent most of his military career there, looked down on fellow officers whose assignments were mostly in Luzon and the Visayas.
Nazareno wanted to test Espino’s mettle when he ordered the latter to report to his office.
“I understand you have received so many medals fighting the rebels in Luzon, but have you been assigned to Mindanao?” the general asked the young colonel.
Many officers, at the mention of a Mindanao assignment, tremble in fear.
Spine replied, “No, sir, I haven’t been assigned to Mindanao but if you allow me, I’d like to become the provincial commander of Sulu.”
Caught by surprise, Nazareno made him stay in Luzon and but gave him difficult assignments which Spine did with alacrity.
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Gaudencio A. Mendoza is an outsider at the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), yet he orders people around in the name of Commissioner Caesar Dulay.
Mendoza, who signs papers for Dulay and has appointed himself “chief legal counsel of the Office of the Commissioner,” had the temerity to give orders to Deputy Commissioner Clint Aranas, according to BIR insiders.
As deputy commissioner for legal affairs, Aranas is a presidential appointee.
Of course, he ignored Mendoza whom he considers a nuisance since the latter has no official appointment.
Mendoza, who signs papers as “G.A. Mendoza,” was kicked out as undersecretary of the Department of Finance during the time of Secretary Gary Teves.
Teves allegedly forced Mendoza to resign after the Commission on Appointments would not make his appointment permanent on account of Mendoza.
With Mendoza at the BIR, albeit with no official appointment, how can the Duterte administration have moral ascendancy in going after corrupt officials?
