By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR.

SOMETHING tells me that yet again, the Arroyo-De Venecia schism that many in the opposition are gloating about will soon be played down – on the initiative of both parties. Both, we believe, stand to lose in a protracted, scorched-earth fight of the kind that (as a letter from one of our readers pointed out) the Chavit-Erap set-to produced for history.

Of course, not being the top power-wielder, our very own House Speaker Joe would be at a disadvantage; if that playing-it-cool, playing-it down scenario is followed and some time is allowed for a breather, because the next time around, he might wake up not knowing what hit him. That’s politics.

And yet, JdV is a master of that, politics, that is. He’s too much of a survivor to allow himself being outmaneuvered. Age may have crept up on the man but his senses and instincts are still razor-sharp.

These are exciting times, that’s the most we can say of this current situation. In the end though, we believe again that if anything “cataclysmic” happens between now and tomorrow or the day after, or the week after, it won’t be Joe or GMA who’ll make it happen.

After all, they don’t wield the guns or the armored personnel carriers..

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Locally, I can’t understand why the guys at city hall, especially the legal beagle, are carping all over town about so much “anomalies” uncovered in the past city administration of Benjie S. Lim. The city council last week, has joined the act and now wonders aloud whether or not BSL had hired a contractor for the pay parking area at the top floor of the Malimgas Public Market and threw in a mystery angle on who the “collector” for the parking fees was all these time because the market administrator and the city treasurer are clueless about his identity or affiliation. Was he the Shadow Man, Spiderman or Batman? I mean, it’s not as if BSL has suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth, location unknown, and can’t shed light on queries.

He’s just a call or an invitation away, for Christ’s sake! Yet no one, in all the furor, seems to have remembered to just call him up to clarify or verify things – from his end. Why is it that all the fireworks are in the media?. If the city administration is really serious about getting to the root of the whole “mess”, a simple talk with BSL or his trusty capitan now ensconced at the Provincial Capitol, still sporting the name Rafael Baraan, face, speech and gait unchanged at all and certainly not in hiding, will give the answers, at least some answers.

Unless, as my favorite barber is now beginning to suspect, some folks don’t want to pry hard and deep enough for reasons only they know.

Which means the game plan, if at all, is just for an “acoustics war” waged in media for PR mileage possibly and not much else.

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No one in media, we guess, is as delighted as I am to hear of the provincial government’s plan just last week to turn its attention, finally, on the rural health units operating in every town and city.

Coincidentally (?) last week, the Pangasinan Star editorialized about this long felt need to upgrade both facilities and manpower and training of RHU elements to make their services better felt and appreciated in the local communities they work in.

In its out-of-town session last week, there’s this report from the office of Vice Governor Marlyn Primicias-Agabas that the RHUs will be asked to operate 24 hours to better serve the people. That should be a good start.

Next, the provincial government should see to it that the RHUs are better equipped, medically and clinically, and their personnel well- trained on the most modern way of responding to emergencies. For what use are personnel on stand-by mode, dedicated and ready though they maybe, if they lack the vital medicines and facilities to be able to respond?

But we wouldn’t push our luck too far, for now. The 24-hour operation – still subject to consultations with mayors concerned, we understand from VG Agabas’ press release – is a step in the right direction. Now, let’s see if Governor-General Amado T. Espino, with Mrs. Agabas’ helping, could put the province’s money right where their announced intention is – giving the RHUs the much-needed shot-in-the-arm to come alive and be of great service to the lowly folk.

SAID AND DONE: Our newsstand sales for The Pangasinan Star has shot up the past two weeks modestly but quite significantly since we discussed in this column the media payola from jueteng. (Why, we’ve even had three self-confessed payola recipients in media – two gents and a lady — talking or texting in confidence that what we’re writing here is true and that the rest of the denial bunch are “hypocrites” for not admitting that they’re accepting). Thanks to the Denial Bunch for boosting our sales. That’s putting the ‘J’ money to good use…. How do we know it’s the column item on jueteng they read? Well, our newsstand outlets do observe, and they observe their buyers well enough to say they turn to the opinion page after buying the Star copy, right there where my ‘ugly’ face snickers and stares back at them…We could only wish Mayor Simplicio Rosario of Binmaley all the best in his town’s quest to become a first-class town soon. He’s really done wonders for Binmaley, especially in the facelifting of the poblacion. Best proof of the town’s progress is the town jumped from third-class when he first assumed office to second-class now. Now, it’s aiming for first-class. Go, go, go, Sam!