THE Gold Star Daily story “Korina tells Pagatpat folk: Don’t vote a thief into office” caught my attention.No doubt, she was referring to Vixw President Jejomar Binay. No doubt, she was promoting her husband as the alternative to a thief. The question is, are there no thieves among members of the Liberal Party? Of course, there are. But Korina would rather turn a blind eye tothe anomalous transactions because they are allies of the Liberal Party of which his husband Mar Roxas is the head.But what do you call a man who turns a blind eye to his partymates’ sins––a conspirator, right? Giving tsinelas to the poor is cheap politics. Korina maybe a known TV personality but certainly not a popular one. Her endorsement may result in the exact opposite.Mar Roxas missed his shining moment right after the Mamasapano incident. He need not leave the LP but he should have resigned as DILG Secretary when he was kept in the dark of the operation. That would have given us the impression that indeed, Roxas has that character of a principled man. Sayang! •• Mayor Oscar Moreno first asked for P2.8 billion. The following year, he sought P3.7 billion. Now, he wants P4.8 billion.This is quite a budget given that people have no idea about how their money are being spent. Moreno is known for lavish spending amid budgetary constraints. One of these days, businessmen would complain of non-payment of this and that, a reflection of what some have experienced when the mayor was the governor. And expect the overused excuse of politicians caught with their hands in the cookie jar: “My signature has been forged.”The P4.8-billion budget target is for 2016, election year. It won’t see the light of day because the city council majority won’t approve it. But the majority would look more bad in the eyes of the people.When Moreno asked for a P3.7-billion budget for 2015, the majority gave him only P2.2 billion. Amid cries of sabotage, Moreno went on with his lavish spendings as if the local government is awash with cash. So what’s the increase of P1.1 billion for? Councilor Leon Gan asked: “Asa man mag-gikan ang sapi?” My question to Gan: Do you know how much income city hall generates? I mean the real income. And how much went to the wrong pockets? •• Spending a few hours with Bro. Alex Noble gave me some insights into his life as a soldier and a reformist. Why he rebelled against the government were reasons better left untold to protect certain personalities, people who don’t have to be unwittingly maligned.There are a few anecdotes he wouldn’t mind telling. But I don’t want to commit the mistake of putting words into his mouth. I wish he would come out with his own memoirs. Frankly, his story is worth retelling. The frustrations with our system, the danger he went through as a renegade, the unexpected support from the government side, his eventual surrender, his incarceration, his amnesty, his new life, all these are good ingredients for a true-to-life story on film. He may now be leading a quiet life. But he is silently active, working for what is best for Mindanao if things don’t work out well for the nation. He refused to just fade away. •• How much income is Clenro generating from the quarrying of filling materials? If Edwin Dael would care to answer, I certainly would appreciate that.He still has my number.A text would do for me.Quarrying for filling materials is said to be controlled by politicians and government officials. But that is not the point. As long as the city government gets what it deserves, then it’s okay with us. Otherwise,an investigation is in order.