Ben Contreras
EDWIN Dael has been campaigning and seeing mutual friends to defend and air his side while discrediting Ralph. Ralph was never given equal time to defend himself, not even when he demanded a formal inquiry with media people around.
They have manipulated the “conflict of interest” issue to the hilt. But what is really “conflict of interest”? If they see it in Ralph, they certainly can’t be blind about Jonathan Gayla who used his position in the barangay council to get business from a developer.
If Ralph is about “conflict of interest”, then Atty. Giovannie has no business to be a member of CMRB because he is into Sand and gravel.
If Ralph is about “conflict of interest”, this congressman should not be asking Edwin to accommodate the request of Jonathan Gayla.
If Ralph is about “conflict of interest”, then people should know what these Councilors are really into.
If Ralph is about “conflict of interest”, then you can see it all over City Hall, even in the composition of the BAC or in the uniforms or in the……it never ends.
But let me say this. This is never about “conflict of interest”. This is all about money, greed and power. You will be shocked what one permit holder told me.
I would like to end this by going back to the question; what is more important, the advocacy, friendship or truth?
If Ralph is removed, then I will burn my bridges. Advocacy will lose its meaning when he doesn’t get the support from SULOG he so deserved. Friendship will suffer and have to lose some. But truth will remain. Bisan unsaon ninyo pagbaluktot sa kamatuoran, mutingbabaw ug magpabilin gihapon ang kamatuoran.
A case will be filed no matter who gets hurt.
It is earnestly hoped that this administration is not about “KAMI NA SAD”!
(Ben Contreras worked for a mining company but, at the same time, he was actively involved as a volunteer in environmental advocacy work. He and his close associate Ralph Abragan were also involved in the local mining regulatory board and in some actual operations against illegal miners in the city. Their involvement with the regulatory board stopped when the environmental group Sulog replaced Abragan as its representative to the board after finding out that he was engaged in the business of quarrying. Not even a punctuation mark in this opinion piece has been touched so that it can be read as is, and exactly how it was written in 2014. The author’s views do not necessarily reflect the position of this paper or any of its staff members who are in no way involved in mining or quarrying. -Editors)
