HERE’s a toast once again to the well-attended birthday party at the National Press Club (NPC) of good friend, Benny Antiporda, last Thursday.

The almost 300 guests present that night is proof once again that no matter what some quarters close to the powers-that-be say about him, Benny is a good man by nature and the best of friends to a lot of people.

’Yun nga lang, NPC President Jerry Yap, kahit nag-volunteer na akong kumanta, hindi pumayag si ‘Bentot!’ At dahil siya ang birthday boy, pinagbigyan ko na lang bagaman alam kong malaking “kawalan” ito sa naturang okasyon, hehehe! Happy birthday ulit, brod!

Ditto, best regards to Sen. Sonny Trillanes for gracing the occasion, proving too that among our senators, Sen. Sonny is, and shall always be, a friend of the NPC and its members.

And not to be left behind of course are former Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Richard Gordon, two gentlemen like Sen. Trillanes who can be relied upon to promote the interest of Philippine media practitioners in particular and press freedom in general.

***

Sporting a new mustache these days, Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Ricardo David is said to be as confident as he can be, so BI employees told yours truly.

Noon nga daw Lunes, habang “hinahagod” ang kanyang bigote, sinabi ni Comm. David na “siya” ang bosing sa BI “until 2016,” sa madaling salita, NPC President Jerry Yap, hanggang sa magtapos ang termino ng rehimeng Aquino. Hanep!

Talaga sigurong “full trust and confidence” kay David si P-Noy at ang kanyang “padrino” sa administrasyon na si DOTC Secretary at presidential troubleshooter Mar Roxas, kaya ganito na lang kahambog, ehek, katiwala sa kanyang posisyon si Comm. David?

Aber, wala siyang pinag-iba sa mga opisyales ng CAAP na bukod sa mga kamag-anak ni P-Noy, pangalan naman ni Executive Secretary Paquito ‘Jojo’ Ochoa ang ginagawang “agimat” para huwag masibak sa puwesto, tsk,tsk,tsk!

Hmmn. Hindi kaya nabubuwisit itong si ES Ochoa na basta kontrobersyal na ahensiya katulad sa BOC at CAAP, pangalan niya ang kinakaladkad bilang “protektor?”

At any rate, David’s self-assuring statement is, of course, despite the series of embarrassing episodes that has so far marred the term of David at the BI such as the escape last December 24, 2011 of Korean gambling cheat Kim Tae Dong.

As I have maintained in the special report I filed last week, it would be highly questionable if only the two lowly “jaguars” (guwardya) assigned to Kim got the full taste of punishment that should be forthcoming under the circumstances.

The last I talked to BI intel chief Atty. Antonnette Bucasas-Mangrobang, she said the investigating panel headed by her immediate boss, Assistant Commissioner Siegfred Mison, has “finalized” their report and recommendations.

That was two weeks ago and why nothing has been made public up to now is a question pregnant with a lot of speculations. Sa madaling salita, may gusto bang “isalba” ang panel ni Mison na kapwa niya opisyal?

But hopefully, the forthcoming report should also identify the “lawyer and high-ranking official” of the BI who visited Kim days before he disappeared. Sigurado kasing “sabit” ka, bosing!

Ditto, it should also identify ANOTHER top-ranking BI official who visited Kim around October or early November for the purpose known only to himself, ’di ba, pareng Jerry Yap?

And maybe too, Atty. Mangrobang and David should comment, for the purpose of comparison, the case involving one “Jung Myungsun,” also a Korean like Kim.

Ayon kasi sa mga miron, kahit “magkapareho” ang kaso nitong si Kim at Jung, magkaiba ang resulta, kung saan pinakawalan umano ng BI si Jung pero si Kim ay hindi? Magkano, ehek, bakit?


Readers’ reactions:

From 092779571xx--“Gud am, Paul. I’d like to thank you for the big help you’ve done for us. I’m one of the cabin crews of Capt. Jorino Ledesma last August (2011) at Kalibo airport. I hope you continue to help us because until now we are jobless due to unfair treatment of Airphil Express.”

From 091868392xx--“Thanks for posting at your website (articles on CAAP), truly, marami pa po talaga problema sa CAAP, pati mga items ng job orders ay hindi pa naayos. We’re 2.5 years in govt. service (still) without benefits. Sana kumilos na si (DOTC) Sec. Mar Roxas.”

From 092768130xx--“Paul, ang CAAP ay hub of corruption. Sa airworthiness branch, isang tao d’yan ay halos ’di na nagtatrabaho sa office, mag-aabang lang ng travel abroad.”

“Si Mr. Ariel C. ang money bag ni (ADG Elmer) Peña d’yan. Hagip ang general aviation at airlines sa extortion nila.”

“Ang isang grabe na tumataga d’yan ay si Col. Nap, upper class ni (DG Ramon) Gutierrez sa PMA. Siya ang money bag naman para pigain ang (mga) flying schools at mga technicians; siya pa ang chair ng bids and awards committee ng milyun-milyong projects ng CAAP.”

From 091583989xx--“Gud pm sir. Tama naman po mga sinusulat ninyo. Wala talaga  direksyon at hindi alam ni P-Noy (gagawin) para maalala siya ng taumbayan. Tama po, ginagamit lang siya ng mga tao na may political at economic interests.”

“Ewan ko, mataas pa rin daw ang rating niya eh, kitang-kita naman mas mahirap pa buhay ngayon, mataas mga bilihin, dami wala trabaho, corruption, killing, jueteng lumala pati bayad sa PhilHealth doble na sa July, gusto pa i-tax ang SSS premium.”

(For reaction, text at 09274711475 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ).