By NORDIS STAFF
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY—The tiger is about to leave and the rabbit will soon jump in.‭ ‬But Mutya,‭ ‬the only‭ ‬mutit critique alive will remain.‭ ‬So before we let the tiger go,‭ ‬let us look back at the most entertainingly infuriating stories it brought to us.

How about we start with those that happened first.‭

First on the list is the electoral circus in the first quarter of the year.‭ ‬The colorful costumes,‭ ‬clowns,‭ ‬magicians and flying voters are still present.‭ ‬Do not forget the play of the gold,‭ ‬goons and guns.‭ ‬This year,‭ ‬was even more interesting because apart from the usual colorful costumes and juggling of alliances was the most anticipated attraction,‭ ‬the PCOS machine.‭

After a circus act came a tragic incident.‭ ‬We extended our condolences to the families of the‭ ‬42‭ ‬passengers who were killed after an Eso-Nice bus bound to San Fernando fell into a‭ ‬150-foot ravine in Banangan,‭ ‬Sablan,‭ ‬Benguet due to failing breaks sometime in August.‭ ‬This was not the only road mishap this year but this was the one that claimed the most lives.

The bus crash indicates a need to implement regular inspection of public transport vehicles and strict enforcement of transportation safety-related policies especially on buses to ensure the security of passengers.‭ ‬Moreover,‭ ‬operators and drivers must seriously consider vehicular conditions before any travel.‭

The following month,‭ ‬the gambling lords‭’ ‬resounding denials echoed through the region.‭ ‬After Bishop Oscar Cruz named top ranking government officials who were accordingly involved in the opreations of the most patronized illegal numbers game,‭ ‬jueteng those who were named echoed one chorus.‭ ‬They all said the Bishop’s expose was not true.‭

Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan with the former Philippine National Police‭ (‬PNP‭)‬-Cordillera Regional Director Eugene Martin were among those identified as jueteng lords.‭ ‬Later,‭ ‬more governors and mayors in the Ilocos and Cagayan regions were being tagged as operators and protectors.‭ ‬As expected everyone denied any involvement in the said number games.

A few days later,‭ ‬PNP chiefs and local government unit heads one after the other annouced that their towns are jueteng free.‭ ‬Whether it is true that jueteng operations stopped,‭ ‬you be the judge.

The most recent of all is PNoy’s very first visit to Baguio City where by protesting students.‭ ‬He came to cut the ribbon of the‭ ‬700th store of a fast food chain in the country while the students were protesting the education budget cut.‭

The mayor confirmed later that PNoy declined the city government’s invitation to officiate the oath taking of the newly elected barangay officials but he accepted the food chain’s invitation.‭ ‬The ribbon cutting and the oath taking were just an hour apart and the veneus were a few meters apart.‭

After cutting the ribbon he went in to cut a giant burger.‭ ‬Outside,‭ ‬picketeers were being violently dispersed and an NDW reporter on ceverage was even maltreated by the Presidential Security Guards and police officers.‭ ‬They insisted that she was one of the protesters even after showing company ID and the accreditaion ID provided by the Philippine Information Agency and the presidential staff to cover the president’s activity.

The righteous path‭ (‬daang matuwid‭) ‬is getting crooked it seems.

There is this one issue that slipped Mutya’s attention.‭ ‬It did not land on its corner of the paper but still it was an outrageously entertaining show that captured the interest of thousands and in the end disappoint more.‭ ‬This is none other than the fake snow show that was worth nearly half a million pesos.‭

If it was to draw more people to Baguio,‭ ‬there are better ways.‭ ‬It would have been better if the city focused on cleaning and regreening the city.‭ ‬The snow show was indeed a grand idea that did not meet the expectations of expectators.‭

It was an ambitious production worth P400,‭ ‬000‭ ‬that popped like bubbles in thin air.

Truly,‭ ‬tiger was quite entertaining.‭ ‬But we have to brace ourselves for the rabbit.‭ ‬#nordis.net