Which one will the
fountain bless?

Who picked former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza as a witness in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona? If it had been the defense, then it was not a very good decision, because the testimony of Atienza seems to further underline the suspicions that the Corona couple were not very transparent in their transactions involving money. One could even say, Atienza’s revelations only confirmed what the relatives of Mrs. Cristina Corona were trying to say, that she and her husband had taken advantage of them.

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Atienza was being asked about the purchase by the City of Manila of property worth some P34 million, supposed to be owned by the Basa Guidote company. He disclosed that, since he was dealing only with Mrs. Corona, he did not question the documents required for the sale, and just took at face value an alleged authorization from the Basa-Guidote company that she had the power to enter into the transaction. So, he admitted, even the check issued by the city in payment for the property, was issued in the name of Cristina Corona. He qualified, however, that it was specified that the check was in her name, but “in trust” for the corporation.

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Well, Madame Corona did not hand over the check to the corporation, she just deposited it in her own personal account. Doesn’t that sound like a certain politician here who also deposited government funds in his personal account? Anyway, I hope the Bureau of Internal Revenue does not swoop down on Atienza et al for paying with government money to someone who is not the sole owner of the property. What about the Commission on Audit, did it not see anything wrong with that transaction?

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Meanwhile, just a whiff of election scents in the air could instantly start maneuverings and positionings, and the abandonment of good intentions. Look at what is happening in the case of the Negros Occidental Fifth District. After its congressman, Iggy Arroyo died, the problem of who was to take over his district came up. There were proposals from the House Speaker to name somebody in a caretaker capacity, but, no, politicians won’t have that. And so steps were taken and rushed, and now an election in the offing there.

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Have you noticed how, at first, everybody being eyed as a potential candidate was demurring, but, as of the latest reports, true colors have started to come out? Binalbagan Mayor Alejandro Mirasol and Board Member Melvin Ibañez were earlier said to be anointed ones, and another Board Member Emilio Yulo was also a “Possible” bet, as was Quito Montilla, and everyone of them was initially claiming they would leave it to the party. And then comes Iggy’s sister, Marilou Lesaca, and Iggy’s “partner” (not mistress, ha), who had been repeating to everyone that she would leave it all to destiny, now pops up declaring that if the person she prefers to endorse does not get chosen, she may go into the ring herself. So, whose decision are they all waiting for? And, as the haunting sone goes, “Which one will the fountain bless”?

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So former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo did post bail on those NBN-NTZ charges. I thought bail was not necessary because she cannot even get out of the Veterans Hospital now. I hear bail was a hefty P70,000, but that should be peanuts to the family. What I hear she wants most now are a few more hours of getting exposed to the sun. Indeed, it must awfully boring being cooped up in a hospital room, even if it the most luxurious suite. But even if she is allowed to go sunbathing, wouldn’t those braces constrict her movements?

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Vice President Jejomar Binay has the highest approval rating of all the top officials of the country. That is the advantage of being a spare tire. You can go around the country, meet people, extend help, and be nice to everyone as nobody can demand much from you since you are only a “vice”. But of course the opportunities to establish a strong, political base are there. That was how Gloria Macapagal Arroyo did it, and even Erap Estrada, for that matter.

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Wow! Congratulations to our Toto Willy Tortosa on his graduation with a Master in Public Administration and Governance degree! And with honors, pa. When he first started writing for the DAILY STAR, and told us about his plan to run for Kagawad of his barangay, I thought it would only a passing fancy. Then he became a full-fledged councilor, and now, with this new title after his name, how much farther will he go? Quo vadis, Toto Willy? Wherever you are bound, good luck to you!*

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