Tanada-Suarez-Alcala Gang of Three Want to Carve Quezon Province into Two Again

Erin Tanada, Danilo Suarez and Procy Alcala (who was linked to several anomalies before), the troika who tried and failed to carve the province of Quezon into several fiefdoms are at it again.


The troika recently filed a bill seeking the apportionment of the province into two: Quezon del Norte and Quezon del Sur. A few years back, when Quezon governor Raffy Nantes was still alive, these trapos tried and failed to get the approbation of the people.


Now that Nantes is dead, Tanada, Suarez and Alcala have teamed up and according to my sources, want nothing but the apportionment of the province. 


And you know why they want to carve the province out? This is nothing but sheer personal motives.


All of these trapos want nothing more but prolong their political reign in the province. Danilo Suarez's son is now the Governor of the province. And the trapo who ass-licked former president Arroyo's royal ass want nothing but to re-assure his political comeback.


QUEZONIANS RESIST THIS ILLEGAL AND IMMORAL MOVE BY THE GANG OF THREE! RESIST WITH YOUR VOICES AND YOUR ARMS!


BY THE WAY,


Giant oil companies are slated to increase their pump prices to about a peso per liter by next month. 


Since the start of the Aquino administration, pump prices have risen 30%! Is this the price we pay for electing Noynoy? 


We must resist this government. We must resist the rising corporatism being practised by this government. 

Quezon Province to be divided again by the Tanadas and Suarez

Who is this Congressman who made 54 million pesos out of the generosity of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office? This Congressman, now a Liberal, reportedly spent the amount buying pieces of property for his paramour(s).

The Congressman fielded his son in the last elections and used PCSO money to back his son's gubernatorial campaign.

What is the name of this big-time drug lord and gun-runner who happens to be the brother of a high government official in the Noynoy Aquino administration? This drug lord is involved in the high-stakes drug smuggling game in one of the provinces down South. He was also involved in the kidnapping of two Chinese businessmen, yet he evaded the law because his brother is reportedly very close to President Noynoy Aquino. Fact is, his brother is now a Cabinet official. 

This brother of a quiet Cabinet official is now the subject of a deep investigation by the PDEA due to his involvement in smuggling cocaine, shabu and marijuana. This brother is untouchable because of his involvement in high stakes gun smuggling. Reportedly, the brother managed to sell weapons and ammunition to the NPA and the MILF. The MILF reportedly bought war materiel from this person to the tune of 20 million.

Paging the Magdalos over there at PDEA--sirs, maybe you could give the People of the Philippines an excellent gift? Arrest this drug and gun smuggler. I have information that he spends his time in the capitolyo. This drug and gun smuggler is also deep into the use of cocaine and shabu. He's a certified drug addict and big-time pusher and druglord. He is the one causing all the problems of teenagers in his province down South. He uses the bay for his smuggling activities.  

Who is this brother of a high Cabinet official of the New administration that is involved in big-time drug and gun smuggling activities? Hint--his surname sounds like the Tagalog term for speculation.

Heard that Liberal party spokesperson Erin Tanada and their political ally, the Suarez are thinking of again filing a bill that will split or divide the province of Quezon into two.

The Tanadas spent their political capital banking on this proposal a few years ago. Quezonians, in a referendum, unanimously rejected the plan.

Why are the Tanadas and the Suarezes interested on this? Simple. The Tanada-Suarez wants to effectively control the entire province. They want the gubernatorship for themselves. And since they cannot occupy the post singly, they want to divide the province so that the Tanadas can govern as governor on one side, and the Suarez family on the other. Coool, is'nt?

What happened to the plan of the Quezon Provincial government to extend the Marcos highway up to Real and down to the plan to establish a port there? Former Quezon province Governor Raffy Nantes had this brilliant idea before. With his death, what now? Will the new governor continue this plan of Nantes?

The Mystery behind the death of Quezon Governor Raffy Nantes

Governor Raffy Nantes was one of the most beloved politicians in the province of Quezon. Raffy, prior to his death, was the Liberal party stalwart in Southern Luzon. He handled party funds and was chairman of the Liberal party for many years.

Days after the announcement of Liberal party standard bearer Noynoy Aquino's victory in the presidential polls, news about Raffy's unexpected death spread throughout the country. Radio reports say, the helicopter which Raffy and some of his staff were riding on, exploded in mid-air. Initial probe indicates pilot error. Still, some of Raffy's close friends are convinced that his death could probably be caused by sabotage.

Sources whom I interviewed pointed out the following:

1. The helicopter which Raffy bought a few months ago, has flown thousands of hours worth of flight time. It's one of the safest helicopters in the market. In fact, prior to the incident, the helicopter flew without any problems from Manila to Quezon. This just means that there was an integrity check made in Manila before the aircraft landed in Quezon.

2. The person assigned in securing the helicopter disappeared minutes before the arrival of the former governor. That guy, who is still missing at this point, was supposed to secure the area. No one checked on the helicopter prior to take-off.

3. Eye-witnesses say they saw the helicopter lift itself up three storeys high, when the rotor caught an electric post. There was a mini explosion. The governor reportedly shouted for help. No one came near the helicopter. It then exploded before it hit the ground, according to eye witnesses.

Days before the elections, a series of politically motivated killings occured in Quezon. Most of the victims were allies of the beleaguered governor.

There was also information that some of the former governor's staff either worked for the other side or were instrumental for Nantes' defeat in the polls.

Nantes lost by about 60,000 votes. Some of those who helped Nante's campaign says there were numerous cases of fraud reported during the elections. On the eve of May 10, the memory cards of PCOS machines were reportedly replaced by alleged members of Nantes' opponent. This, however, is unfounded.

What is certain is that some of the staff of the governor reportedly took off with a huge cache of money from the governor. The monies  which are supposed to be allowances of local poll watchers did not reach the hands of the mayors, who were allies of the Nantes.

Some investigators told me that a certain "Mercy", "Aries", "Philip", "Jun L", "Dennis", "Villafranca", "Ryan" and even one of Nantes' cousins took off with the governor's money. One of them reportedly tried to do a Pontius Pilate--he told several town's mates that the governor did not give him a single cent. He was a local campaign coordinator in District 2, the biggest electoral area where Nantes had some problems. One of Nantes' closest associates however, saw the coordinator receiving money from the governor. "Mercy", another female coordinator, was reportedly given some money but did not remit these to Nantes' local allies. These people are now unaccounted.

Start of Nantes' travails

Nantes political problems began when he severed his ties with fellow Liberal partymate Erin Tanada and LAKAS-KAMPI Congressman Dan Suarez. When Nantes was just starting his political career, the Tanadas and the Suarez political clans supported him. He ran as a Congressman twice (?) and won handily over his opponents through the support of the Tanadas and the Suarez families.

Things started to change when he ran for governor. He won the post, with the support of the Tanadas and Suarez.

Nantes' relationship with the two reigning political dynasties drastically changed when Congressman Erin Tanada filed a very controversial proposal--Tanada wanted to divide the province into two. Tanada's plan is simple and practical--the province is getting smaller for the Tanadas, Suarez and Nantes. The proposed division was more of political accommodation than anything.

Nantes opposed Tanada. He rallied the people against the proposal. The Quezonians supported him. The planned political subdivision failed and it failed miserably.

That was a bitter political defeat for the Tanadas. Suarez, whose ambitions reportedly includes snatching the governorship from Nantes, sided with the Tanadas.

So, Nantes faced two formidable enemies--the Tanadas and the Suarez. Both Nantes and the Tanadas were political allies--they both belong to the Liberal Party, with Nantes as party treasurer. Suarez, meanwhile, is a Lakas-KAMPI member.

When Suarez reportedly failed to get a big loan from a government bank to finance his bid for the governorship, he shifted tactics. He allowed his son to challenge Nantes to the governorship. This reportedly was an acceptable alternative for the Tanadas, who, again based on very deep political sources, reportedly supported the Suarez political clan instead of their partymate, Nantes.

When Liberal party standard bearer Noynoy Aquino visited Quezon province, he tried to make the two camps, the Tanadas and Governor Nantes, bury the hatchet. Noynoy Aquino, according to party sources, is very close to Nantes. Erin, meanwhile, is also a former buddy of Noynoy when he was still Congressman of Tarlac.

In one of Noynoy's sorties, the two politicians vowed to support each other and to forget their differences. Erin and Raffy reportedly shake hands before Noynoy and Erin even raised the hands of Raffy.

Unknown to many, Tanada has allegedly ordered his local campaign coordinators to campaign for Nantes' opponent. In one of the party meetings, one source even testified that one of the Tanadas even asked their supporters to abandon Nantes or "they will lose the trust of the famiy." That explains why the local Liberal party chapter in Quezon failed to marshall their poll watchers at the time of the counting to secure and protect Nantes' votes.

Tanada grassroots organizers, who were all Liberal party members, campaigned for the younger son of Dan Suarez, a Lakas-Kampi stalwart. District 2, which is the biggest legislative area and traditionally, the place which brings the "votes" to the winning candidate, was slowly converted. Local political pundits say, Nantes' opponents poured millions just to get the support of the local government executives, down to the barangay captains. Sacks of rice were distributed to depressed communities. Some barangay officials, again based on third party sources, were even treated to leisure trips and at least five were reportedly sent to a famous honky tonk bar in Manila. One influential official got his dream date, courtesy of Nantes' political opponent (the date is a famous actress).

Political advisers of Nantes warned him of his impending defeat, but the camp of the governor allegedly refused to believe it. As a contingency, the governor reportedly allotted several millions to finance the poll watching operation for the Liberal party. It turned out, however, that the millions the governor gave to his campaign coordinators did not reach the mayors in time.

Nantes' rise and fall is a classic case in Philippine politics. It tells of a story of a poor, yet idealistic man who rose from extreme poverty to be one of the richest men in the province of Quezon. His sheer determination to succeed and his strong will to defeat poverty, are admirable traits. From just an industrial battery saleman, Nantes worked his way to the top. Through patience and hard work, Nantes transformed his small business into one of the largest in this country.

When he became legislator, Nantes' made his provincemates proud by being one of the most honest and the most beloved Congressmen. He shared his blessings with the poorest among his townmates and never missed a single time with them during their hardships and sufferings. He died a Patriot, a true blue Quezonian who conquered those who want to divide his province just to satiate their insatiable political avariceness.

Nantes, the beloved son of Quezon province, deserves justice.

President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III should order for a re-investigation into the true cause of Raffy's death. I understand that Raffy's wife already asked the US government to investigate. And I remember Aquino's statement when he visited Raffy's wake--that it is best for the people to know what really caused Raffy's sudden death.

Better if the Philippine government initiates the re-investigation to put an end to speculations about Nantes' death. Nantes' family deserves a closure. Was it an accident or plain and simple sabotage?

Erin Tanada---The Soft-Spoken Nationalist

One of the things I find very encouraging is this---familiar names that once shaped the nationalist history of this country are again, taking part in its re-birth. And I am talking about the likes of the Rasuls, the Oples, the Dioknos and of course, the Tanadas.

Amina Rasul, daughter of former senator Santanina Rasul continues on her advocacy to strengthen the role of Muslim women in Moro society. She is one of the most active promoters of peace and development in Mindanao. She now heads the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID) whose primary goal is to strengthen the involvement of ulamas in the promotion of peace in Filipino Muslim community.

Another is, of course, Susan "Toots" Ople, daughter of Ka Blas Ople. Her advocacy is fighting for the welfare and rights of local workers and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). She continues the legacy of her father.

Maria Serena Diokno, daughter of nationalist senator Jose Diokno, teaches still at the University of the Philippines in Diliman. You know, the very first job that I took when I was still in college is being a researcher over at the Jose Diokno Foundation. Nice one.

Of course, who will forget Cong. Erin Tanada? Erin is the grandson of the late Senator Lorenzo " Ka Tanny" Tanada.

Like his forebears, Erin continues to work to uplift the quality of life of his fellow Filipinos. He serves as Congressman of Quezon province. He is now on his second term.

The question really is---when will Erin make the leap to the big leagues? I mean, the Senate needs someone like him and had I known that he is running, I would have included him in my Magic 12.

Anyway, let's support Erin Tanada's advocacies and pray that God gives him the strength and bless him always so that he will always serve the People.