Grand Plan in the Kingdom by the River (25)

By Peter  G. Jimenea/  HOLE OF JUSTICE

King Tura declared he would plant a million trees in the Kingdom by the River this year. His subjects rejoice, including your Hole of Justice. He did great things with the kingdom's forest in his previous nine years term.

His successor King Lean neglected that aspect of governance when he took over from King Tura.

He emphasized fruit and native trees so that aside from the regreening,  people in the immediate area shall have food and livelihood. Native trees will not pose dangers of exotic pests colonizing the kingdom's forests or dislodging others in the ecosystem. In areas where native trees and fruits may be slow to establish, there will be options to plant exotic species like gmelina and African mahogany.

So King Tura ordered the kingdom's aquaculturist, este, agriculturist to mobilize the preparation of 1 million tree seedlings last January with the target of at least 80,000 seedlings per month so that by the end of the year, the target can be met. He also enlisted the dukes of the municipalities to complement his effort.

It is now middle of May or over four months since his decree and the kingdom's nursery has produced a little more than 5,000 seedlings, a far cry from the supposed 300,000 after four months of operation. What’s the problem or problems?

One reason may be is in the procurement process. The head aquaculturist has not received his orders for the 1 million plastic bags needed because the kingdom's BAC is making it hard for bidders to comply with the requirements. It created bureaucratic gridlocks, instead of simplifying the process.

Their singular reason is that they don't want to be tainted with corruption, as if there is no corruption at all. Even the river silt they use as potting material is so limited because the aquaculturist cannot coordinate with the kingdom's engineer to request for several dumptrucks of this potting material.

The biggest problem however is where to get the funds for these materials and the labor needed for potting, planting and maintenance until the seedlings are ready for planting.

King Tura's dream of 1 million trees is just that: a dream. What is happening here?  He appointed charlatans in the top level management to run the BAC. One of these BACbakan charlatans had mired his hands in a 15-million ghost medicine delivery scam, when he was still assigned as royal jester in the court of Madame Tut-po. And he still has the guts to parade himself as “Mr,. Clean”.

We refrained from directly attacking King Tura in the past and instead merely pointed out his missteps in the appointment of Hydrocephalus and Dok Kagaw who are throwing their weight around like anointed sons of god almighty.

His followers from the fiefdoms of Pototan and Mina simply grumbled in silence by these appointments, opting instead to wait and watch by the side on how the abusive Hydrocephalus is slowly eroding the clean and competent image of the Toto king.

But here come incompetence by royal ministers of the kingdom. The role of an aquaculturist managing the agriculture department leaves much to be desired. Is King Tura turning the whole province into the Venice of the Empire? Is he blind to the fact that being a quack doctor doesn't make one competent to implement agricultural programs?

Incompetence and official arrogance also stokes the seething rage among the subjects who to date, have yet to receive their clothing allowance worth P4,000 each. This amount is supposed to be due by the first month of the year. What’s going on, King Tura?

The smart boys appointed by King Tura, namely,  Dok Kagaw and Hydrocephallus, want a slice of the budget so they prevailed on the king to release the clothing allowance, not as cash, but in kind. That means, the subjects will receive only their finished uniforms.

The subjects smell rat here. The clothing allowance will be bid out to tailoring shops and the subjects will get only the finished product. That arrangement is prone to the technique of converting goods into cash.  This is a a racket,  and they want shares from the SOP,  kickback or “commission”.

We still are hoping that somehow we will see King Tura's old form back, the fiery manager that he was when he brought forth vast development to the kingdom. At the way he runs the show now, we can no longer expect him to lead this kingdom out of the mediocrity that it is gradually drifting into! So this is Reporma kag Pagbag-o that he touted around when he was still wooing voters in the last elections?

King Tura, wake up before it's too late!