Over in Mankayan town, Ibaloys were accused of “having no word of honor.” I do not know the basis for that statement or who it was referring to. I thought of the Onjon that attempted to adopt a politician as an Ibaloy.
But this did not push through as the planners backed out after several condemnations from netizens. If that botched adoption rite was what the accuser was referring to as “having no word of honor,” no one knows.
At the same time, the speaker accused former Benguet officials of “making promises that they do not fulfill.” But he could not criticize them because he does not know them personally. That is why I knew that the spinners who profit from the spoils he distributes were behind his words.
In Benguet, it is not the style of Igorot politicians to criticize others. Politics has always been a friendly exercise. If you ask me, this guy who gained from the untimely demise of our congressman in 2019 has nothing to show for—except several wasteful rock-netting projects that he profited from. For being wrongly placed, negative reactions on soc-med were written against him. He is officially unbecoming.
Because of his disrespectful pronouncements about the Ibaloys, former Congressman Ronald M. Cosalan issued a statement castigating the entrepreneur saying, “I am deeply saddened and disrespected by the recent pronouncements by Congressman Eric Yap who irresponsibly implied that because I am an Ibaloy, I make promises I do not fulfill.”
Atty. Cosalan said Yap’s personal attack was disheartening and not only an insult to him but also to the entire Ibaloy community and the people of Benguet “who have always valued reverence and honesty.”
For the more than three decades that I tagged along with Atty. Cosalan, since he became national executive director for cultural communities until he retired from public service in 2019, I never witnessed an occasion where he deceived the Ibaloys, Kankanaeys, Kalanguyas, Karaos, Iwaks, and migrant residents of Benguet.
After retiring from public service in 2019, Atty. Cosalan said he lived a quiet life, away from politics, but he cannot stand by silently when he and the people of Benguet were “dishonored by Yap whose actions are nothing more than politicking, as he furthers his ambitions by bringing down and undermining the integrity of others.”
For that length of public service, Atty. Cosalan, now an elder and a senior citizen, devoted most of his life to serving the people of Benguet with integrity and dedication. He is incomparable to the present congressman who says “mahal ko kayo” even if you do not know him, but you seem to like him because he gives you some government ayuda.
Lastly, Atty. Cosalan said: “To my fellow people of Benguet, let us remember this—there will always be people who will manipulate us for their personal gain. Let us not be deceived. Let us not be swayed. Always, let us remember who we truly are: respectful, truthful, and united.”
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There was this column by my friend that appeared in a national tabloid saying that a congressional bet in Benguet who sported the same name as the incumbent was disqualified because he was not a serious candidate and that the inclusion of his name in the ballot could only sow confusion for the voters.
That could be true. But this is one case where the end doesn’t justify the means. The votes of the confused electorate do not count in favor of the challenger who has the same name as the incumbent.
When both the challenger and the sitting official have the same surnames and are vying for the same elective post, the election committee usually decides in favor of the sitting official. That was the case in past elections.
If that rule still holds, then the votes cast for the congressional bet with a mono-syllabic name would be counted in favor of the incumbent official with the same name. However, now that counting machines have taken over manual counting of votes, no one can say if that still holds.
It is wrong to accuse rivals, further saying that they are benefiting from the confusion. Actually, I received information that the reason why the hopeful wannabe filed his candidacy for the lone congressional seat was that he was deceived by a promise in the last election.
Another theory was that the wannabe was duped into filing his candidacy by somebody with an evil intention so that another innocent would be blamed. Certainly, if that sinister plan clicked, the one who persuaded the candidate into filing his certificate would be the beneficiary of the confusion.
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Revisiting Pilando, after around three months into a “sinking” problem, I do not see any sign that the adverse comments about the road on a saddle would stop even while a temporary bypass route was constructed to allow the mountain economy to flow.
Up to now, there are soc-med critics saying that the Pilando crisis has been there for quite a time, but there is no solution in sight. Still other soc-med comments say the temporary measures, such as backfilling and gabion cliff protection, are a waste of money because the road continues to sink. The careless whispers do not help ease the problem.
What makes things worse is when such talk comes through the gadgets of persons who have not even physically stepped on Pilando soil. For those who are familiar with the Halsema stretch, there are sections of the road that have been sinking inch by inch through the years.
That section after the stinging Sinipsip fog is one of them. Into the first campaign for regional autonomy in 1989, then-Buguias mayor Stafin Olsim said that the road was built on a mountain of sawdust from the timber yards in the area.
Moving towards Bontoc from Buguias, some 50 meters before one hears vegetable vendor barkers selling “cardis” and “tinudok” at the Mabaay market, is another sinking section. This portion had not stopped sinking, forcing farmers to relocate their houses below the road to upper ground. Helpless, the DPWH has had to continuously backfill the road cracks.
But the Pilando saddle section is more baffling. Before any reckless discussion on Facebook proceeds, let it be told that the road is not the only part of Sitio Pilando that is unstable. The whole mountain is shifting centimeter by centimeter.
A bridge or a road surface stabilized by railings buried underneath could probably be the semi-permanent solution that could last for 50 years. But if the whole mountain is sinking, the bridge and railings could possibly sink with their host. A new route somewhere has to be opened.
