Guns-for-Hire

Hole of Justice
by Peter G. Jimenea


Guns-for-Hire


Articles that delve on the brewing war between the camp of Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and Iloilo Press Club (IPC) Pres. Rommel Ynion are now getting attention from local and Filipino friends abroad.


Perhaps, visibly piqued by the title of my column "Si vis pacem, para bellum" (if you want peace, be prepared for war) posted in facebook, friends are compelled to submit varying commentaries and opinion after reading the story.


Old time buddies like Benjie Estuche, Deo Antonio Llamas, Romela Sanggalan, Ronald Gumban, Berd Vargas, Jose Allen Aquino and new FB friends in Rizalita Jagolino, Gina Apostol, Bryan Kevin Tung, Blessie Avetria Jardin, and many others, posted their comments too.


I want to share with you the opinion submitted by the following friends: Here's by Bryan Kevin Tung, in toto; "Ynion has all the pseudo-journalists behind him. All Mabilog has is Adobo Ilonggo. I am truly disgusted with these pseudo-journalists in the city."


He added; "Ilonggos are not dumbasses and douchebags! We had dethroned the self-proclaimed king of the city! We will never allow a barbarian to enter the city hall!" I think Adobo Ilonggo has found an ally in Mr. Tung.


Mr. Benjie Estuche's comments, also in toto; " You tagged us Peter. I share Bryan's thoughts about the ongoing word-war between City Hall and Iloilo Press Club. It was exciting at the start but now it became, and it looks pathetic." True, it is saddening.


He added; "The ilonggos had never tolerated a bunch of hoodlums to rule over them. Never before and never in the future. If Adobo Ilonggo insinuates that Rommel Ynion and company are a bunch of hoodlums, he may be right, but the Ilonggos will also know if the mayor and his cohorts are running the city like Al Capone." I've noticed neutrality in this remark. 


Ms. Gina Apostol also commented; "There is so much verbal war going-on between the media purportedly controlled by Mr. Ynion and the mayor and hearing and reading it, The Ilonggos are confused which one is the big liar and which one is the lesser liar. Perhaps the better war is to put it in the proper courts." What a good suggestion.


Rizalina Jagolino also commented the media has failed to observe thejournalistic ethics in the exercise of their profession. Mr. Deo Llamas subscribes to this. It gives us an impression without affirming the preception that media practitioners involved here are once constabulary soldiers turned guns-for-hire.


Ronald Gumban and Berd Vargas probably enjoyed it as they insinuate the mayor has power  to stop the ongoing construction of the Press Club building.  By golly, if he did, this neither stop the charges from coming in, nor getting out of the Court because of recklessness!


Look, while Manuel "Boy" Mejorada, an ally of Mr. Ynion, filed a graft case against Mayor Mabilog at the office of the Ombudsman-Visayas, the latter also disclosed during our cable TV program Kape kag Isyu, that he filed a P5M damage suit against two media people identified with the group of Mr. Ynion. 


There's a need for somebody acceptable to both parties to come in and mediate in the ongoing mess. A man of integrity and character. I said so as in Latin expression, boni judicis lites dirimere est - it is the duty of a good judge to prevent litigation.


At present, these warring groups thus far have shown that there is a grim possibility for peace to progress.  Yet, the recurring theme of the war is to discredit each other for thousand reasons. But cui bono? - For whose benefit, for what good and for what purpose? Well, "stay tuned folks!"