Ranking officers at the Catanduanes Police Provincial Office were understandably upset by last week’s headline story regarding Cpl. Dan Bagay’s allegations.
Through an intermediary, one such officer described Bagay as a “ninja cop” based on alleged intelligence reports. This writer requested a copy of the intel reports but none were forwarded as of press time Monday morning.
It is even claimed that the Camp Camacho leadership feels slighted by the failure of the search committee of The Outstanding Catandunganon Award (TOCA) to consult them regarding the nomination of the controversial officer.
Already, a subordinate of Virac police chief Maj. Bon Billy Timuat, who allegedly berated Bagay at the Virac Hometel parking lot, has questioned the Pandan policeman’s selling of expensive fish at his residence in San Isidro Village while he was then a member of the Provincial Special Operations Team (PSOT) tasked to enforce environmental laws, including one against illegal fishing.
There is no evidence, however, that Bagay sourced the fish from illegal fishers.
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The TOCA search committee, headed by Catanduanes State University (CSU) President Minerva Morales, reportedly had a hard time evaluating the nominees due to the rules governing the nomination and selection process.
Under the rules presumably crafted by the provincial government, the TOCA is intended to institutionalize public recognition of Catandunganons whose exemplary achievements are worthy of emulation.
Nominees could be male and female Catandunganons, deceased or living, whose dedication and commitment to their professions or vocations have advanced their calling, public welfare and provincial, regional, national or international development.
The awards categories are: Medicine and Allied Disciplines; Agriculture and Aquaculture; Finance; Law; Education; Arts and Literature; Community Development; Media; Government Service; Sports; Ecclesiastical; Research; and, Science and Technology.
According to the criteria, the nominee will be judged for his or her excellence in his field of endeavor and for outstanding contribution to the cause of humanity during a substantial part of his life.
The nominees will be judged on the following criteria: service to the community, 40 points; professional excellence in his field of endeavor, innovativeness and pioneering spirit, 40 points; and, moral rectitude, 20 points.
While there is scant information on who the nominees are, save for Bagay and two more individuals, any controversy that would arise from their nomination and selection could likely center on the criteria concerning the “substantial part” of their respective lives within which they supposedly excelled in their chosen profession/vocation or contributed outstandingly to the cause of humanity.
Another tricky issue would be on how the search committee evaluated the nominees based on their moral rectitude, which is good for 20 points.
Supposing a current or former politician is among the nominees, how is he to be judged on his moral rectitude when everyone knows nobody in this island wins an election without buying votes? Or that once ensconced in his or her seat, he or she tries to recover most, if not all of his or her campaign expenses from commissions on government contracts?
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A QUESTION OF SEX. A man walks up to a farmer’s house and knocks on the door.
When a woman opens the door, the man asks if she knows how to have sex. Not amused, she slams the door.
Again, the man knocks, and again, asks the same question. Still not amused, she screams at the man to go away. Later, she tells her husband of the incident. He offers to stay home the following day, just in case.
Sure enough, the next day the same man returns. The husband hides with his gun while the lady answers the door.
She is asked again if she knows how to have sex. She answers, “Yes.”
The man replies, “Great! Give some to your husband the next time you see him, and tell him to keep away from my wife.”