Security shield

Every time I open my laptop, I get a notice that the notebook is protected by a Security Shield. The flash is an interruption, a delay but it is necessary step to tell me that the notebook is in good condition.

I am reminded of this security shield after reading the December 1 (Daily Inquirer) news report about the recent election for the Philippine Olympics Committee where Bacolod’s former Congressman Monico Puentevella lost in his bid for reelection to the committee. The slate of Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, the uncle of President Aquino and his group got all the posts.

Well, that goes with all elections. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose and I would have let it go at that. However, the following day’s issue, Beth Celis, the PDI columnist, wrote about the election of Cojuangco’s slate – Cojuangco and company did not have any rival.

But that is not all. According to her, the major contender Go Teng Kok confided the reason for this unopposed election of the Cojuangco slate.

Kok had wanted and pursued the top post in the POC but he backed out at the last minute . Why did he change his mind?

Kok, she wrote, sent out letters to his supporters saying that “even if Lopez (Manny) and Monico Puentevella were the ‘villains who had destroyed and crucified me without due process’” he would have fought on.

Kok’s crucifixion must have been so intense that while Kok said he had prepared for that day and that money was not an issue, he was forced to withdraw.

It would be interesting to know what sufferings Kok underwent from the hands of the masterminds.

Celis identified Lopez and Puentevella as “the masterminds of the persona non grata decision.”

That Puentevella lost the election although he was accused of being a “mastermind “of the effort to undercut Kok indicates that Puentevella has lost a dignified standing in the POC.

The question is whether he masterminded the “crucifixion” of Kok to open the flood gates for the election of Cojuangco. If he did, Cojuangco would be his strong security shield considering the plunder case that he is facing in the Sandigan Bayan.

This is a crucial question because what he did will have repercussions in his quest to the mayorship of Bacolod next year.

It is generally believed that the reason that the Sandigan is dragging its foot in the plunder case is the closeness of Puentevella to Peping Cojuangco. It’s in effect, Puentevella’s security shield. Take away that shield and the Sandigan might find it appropriate and just to render a decision on whether it should proceed with the case by issuing a warrant of arrest. Plunder is not covered by the right to bail which means that in the event that the Sandigan issues the warrant, Puentevella will have to wait out the conclusion of his case in jail.

It is vital for his political plans and for his personal life that he secured this security shield, meaning the continued protection of Cojuangco.

What is yet to be cleared to the voters of Bacolod is the earlier report that Puentevella had earlier attempted to get into the good side of Manuel Pangilinan by pushing for Pangilinan’s candidacy for the POC against Conjuangco. If he did, then Puentevella had dented his security shield.

Pangilinan, however, did not bite so that we can draw from the news report, that Puentevella allied himself with Manny Lopez. Was this with or without, for or against Cojuangco? POC is charged by the sports sector to be a political land mine.

It does not matter really for the people of Bacolod how the POC politics is played out except that Puentevella is perceived to be hiding behind the security shield of Cojuangco. Time will tell whether this shield is strong enough to prevent the hand of justice from taking its inevitable course.

The election campaign is yet to officially begin, although the media of Puentevella and his group are already firing their guns day in and day out.

Whether the Sandigan will decide or not, however, the plunder case will continue to hang on to Puentevella’s neck and as one broadcaster insists (ironically his own man) a plunder case is not as serious as the criminal case against Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez. Still a criminal case is a criminal case and in relation to Puentevella, the preliminary investigation has been completed that the case was filed by the Ombudsman before the Sandigan.

We shall hear about the plunder and other criminal cases that remain with the Ombudsman once more. They will be played out. These cases have one thing in common – they involve charges of raids of public funds.*

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