Dos Bastos

Hole of Justice

By Peter G. Jimenea

The Dos Bastos

By peeping and snipping on different doors at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol building (which I used to call a Kingdom by the River), an about to explode temperament is easily noticed among disgusted employees for reason they have yet to disclose.

It surprised me knowing that Gov. Arthur Defensor is doing everything to preserve the “Mr. Clean” title labeled of him by supporters and followers. But if there is smoke, there is fire and I tend to believe the governor has already an idea about this mess in some Capitol offices.

Good that the disdain of employees on how the uniform fund should be used was immediately quelled when he announced during the flag ceremony that the money for the purpose should be given directly to the employees.

Still, there are some sorts of discontentment easily glean from employees of the provincial government, Worse, as I noticed, the trend of discontentment is growing. Perhaps, sooner or later this writer will be able to discover the cause of discernment.

The atmosphere of “Reforma kag Pagbag-o” is still in the air inside the Capitol building. Gov. Defensor is doing everything possible to clean up the ass of the Kingdom by the River. But wise men say, Rome was not built in one day. So take your time gob.

One of the latest good news I read in Facebook is the supplies of medicine the province has provided to a hospital in Dumangas, Iloilo. This is something to crow about because flu and dengue are once again threatening our people in the province.

This deep concern of the governor to health and welfare of poor constituents is commendable. As noted, this is different from the previous administration with think-tanks who destroyed the image of their boss. Section II, Art. VIII of the 1987 Constitution provides:

” The State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to all people at affordable cost. There shall be priority for the needs of the underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women and children. The State shall endeavor to provide free medical care to paupers.”

But the bright heads in the administration of former Gov. Niel Tupas, submitted a plan to convert the 12 provincial hospitals in Iloilo into profit-oriented establishments. The think-tanks even called their soon to be converted hospitals “economic enterprises.”

They failed to understand what public service means. In fact, their purchases of medical equipments on the premise of improving hospital services, as it turned out, not good for hospital administrators who refused to accept the equipment when delivered.

The problem with former Gov. Tupas was his too much trust on the undesirable underlings he had been tapping. Thus, these sidekicks were emboldened to purchase that overpriced P1.2M autoclave sterilizing machine without their boss getting wind of it.

Maybe the governor sees in them Midas, the man who turns into gold anything he touches. It was only a misfortune for Gov. Tupas that they have a Midas touch-in-reverse. All their purchases did not turn into gold but smack for the administration of the governor.

This is not what we think the business of sidekicks is all about. Sad to say, as they cannot resist greed, it was eventually the governor who received the spanking that they deserved.  Respondeat superior – the act of the agent within the scope of his authority is the act of the principal so, let the one above reply.

Surprisingly, the sidekicks get-off the hook easily than Tupas does. Rumor mills are grinding overnight that if Gov. Tupas has Trio Los Bobos, King Arthur, has “Dos Bastos.” I hope to have made your day in this column folks. You ask for it, not me and Dirty Harry who ask others to make our day!