Nasty little things

In each of us there is always a little thing that we find nasty, things or people who are our favorite peeves. They, whether we like it or not, make a daily grind of living somewhat bearable as we have something or someone to preen our conscience or find outlets for our pent-up emotions.

There is snarled traffic, for instance. Despite the attempt of the city government to ease traffic in Lacson and Araneta streets, the clogging still gets into our nerves. While daylight parking is prohibited, to the chagrin of businesses in the area, pedestrians have to walk the streets because the sidewalks that are for them have been converted into instant parking spaces. The jeepneys still are on their bad habits of stopping at the middle of the street, either to discharge or take in passengers. Sometimes they wait for the passengers from the other side of the street, thus blocking the rest of the vehicles.

The traffic enforcers are just looking and these get more on our nerves for their stupidities, arising probably from narrow interpretation of their jobs – just keep the vehicles from parking. Of course, the enforcers are not blamed finally, but whoever fielded them there despite their ignorance.

They are just nasty little things, but where do the big one comes but from the cumulative effect of little things? They eventually get into you and you burst.

We can understand why Cong. Evelio Leonardia seems to think that about the series of incidents where his portrait at the Bacolod City Government Center gets in the news now and then. First the portrait, the last in the series of portraits of all city mayors, was covered. The outcry got the explanation – a worker forgot to remove a part of the exhibit. Second, the contractor of the Center was placed underneath his portrait. When there was public criticism , the tag was taken out with a lame excuse that somebody just placed it there. Then the latest – the portrait disappeared and was reportedly taken out for “repairs.”

One wonders, why of all the dozens of mayors only that of Leonardia got special treatment.

Elementary, elementary, my dear Watson, Sherlock Holmes would have said. Some like the mayor's portrait. And since the place is guarded 24/7, then the obsessed culprit must be an insider or under the control and influence of the insider. Who considers Leonardia a thorn in his neck or bone in throat?

Elementary, elementary, dear Watson. Who hates Leonardia enough to even issue an order that his name be not mentioned in the press conferences or anywhere inside the Center? Leonardia should not bother with this nasty little thing. This is a psychological problem or paranoia that the name alone should be disturbing to whoever hates the person or picture of Leonardia. Oremus.

Bacolod Councilor Carl Lopez is an official who does not mince his words or promises. So he becomes a nasty fellow to Monico Punentevella. Lopez cannot let things alone but followed up the corruption cases against Puentevella. These cases had been languishing in the Ombudsman and in the Sandigan, for what reason we can only surmise. Lopez is actually helping Puentevella who keeps on saying that he is innocent. If the cases take a long time then the self-proclaimed innocent Puentevella is denied justice, and Lopez wants to correct that anomaly. How nice of Lopez to help Puentevella who hates his guts. Maybe Lopez firmly believes in the Biblical injunction “love your enemies”.

Lopez is not only serving the cause of justice, he is also doing his work as councilor to put this city on course without graft cases hanging over the head of its mayor. Surely he is also doing something good for this country where people consider the wheel of justice grinding ever so slowly.

The court might be thinking Lopez is nasty for poking into their business but isn't it the court's business to insure speedy justice? Surely the lawyers of Puentevella would not want the cases terminated. Now don't ask a nasty question why.

The Commission on Audit is also being nasty a bit. Earlier City Legal Officer Rayfrando Diaz told COA to “cease and desist” from further investigating the fertilizer scam where his boss Monico Puentevella is involved. But COA in a letter of February 17, 2015 directed its auditors to proceed just the same. This case is an old one but somehow the COA has to be prodded. Can Carl Lopez also follow this up so Puentevella can get speedy justice?*

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