Hounding

One of the features of every electoral contest is the hounding, not in the sense of the “Hounds of Heaven” by English poet Francis Thompson who wrote this chilling and yet redemptive poem at the last half of the 20 th century but the kind that characterizes our elections – tearing the guts of the opponent. The election is an eruption as it were of the hounding.

Councilor Carl Lopez is the hound that runs after Monico Puentevella, digging and following up cases that had lain for years in the Office of the Ombudsman due to suspicious circumstances. Somehow Lopez has been successful in his hounding under the new government. Under the unlamented administration of Gloria Arroyo, the cases for graft and corruption against Puentevella had been kept at the bottom of the files for resolution.

Puentevella was vocal about this closeness with the former president who, like him, faces charges of corruption. Lopez, like the hound of the English countryside, dug them up. And lo and behold, the cases are moving despite the efforts of Puentevella's battery of lawyers to prevent them from moving an inch up the judicial ladder.

We must credit Lopez for his perseverance and determination to bring the cases against Puentevella to the fore and then hopefully to final resolution. It is good for all that these cases are resolved, not only for the people of Bacolod City but for Puentevella as well. At least he and the Bacolodnon will know which way the wheels of justice turn.

Following the same scent but not in tandem is Sammy Montoyo of the Save Bacolod Movement who is also industrious in writing follow-up letters. As our readers will note yesterday, the efforts of Montoyo have paid off and Lopez joined in to insure that the cases are not forgotten or once again sent to the bottom of the pile.

Take the case of the ukay-ukay that Puentevella claimed had long been dismissed. How can he say it was “long ago” when this case, also for graft, was filed only last year? Lopez, who appears to be a new kind of hound of heaven in search for justice, revealed that the preliminary investigation was just concluded. Lopez also said that he just filed his follow up letter before the Ombudsman last week. As usual, Puentevella feigns ignorance which appears to be an attempt to mislead, but the hound was quick to bark.

Puentevella is not alone in this case. I counted six but they are the big wigs in the city so that this case is indeed of great interest for the people. The matter might be small but remember that Goliath was felled by a small stone.

I recall a man who said that the greatest punishment in terms of pain is a pebble inside a shoe. With a hound chasing the pain can be multiplied a hundredfold.

Now that the Sandiganbayan has ordered the suspension of Puentevella in the computer case, which I detailed since the other day, I think that the hounds will be focusing on another scent – the case involving the millions of unaccounted money during the SEA Games held in Bacolod.

Information says this case will be resolved soon with an order but let me not deprive the two hounds of justice, Councilor Lopez and Crusader Montoyo, the pleasure of announcing it.

If the suspension arising from the computer case is giving some people the creeps, the BASOC case will be an earthquake of 10 points magnitude.

The investigation by the Ombudsman has reportedly been completed and soon the charges will be filed but, unlike the computer scam that allows the privilege of bail for temporary freedom, that of the BASOC case does not.

Anyway I am certain the hounds will be on the trail.

The elections campaign in Bacolod, as Puentevella reportedly described it, will be battle royale and surely it will be. A foretaste of the issues against Puentevella was revealed by Cong. Evelio Leonardia last Monday when he announced his candidacy for mayor of Bacolod. The congressman has indeed a lot of ammunition but I wonder what issues Puentevella will throw back, except the rehash of old ones that were proven false or are outright lies.

I noted it will be a long list of issues, but let me not take away the suspense by writing about their details. Moreover, the hounds will be enriching those issues as the election campaign goes into full gear. Indeed we are going to have an exciting year.*

back to top