Negros Occidental mourns Yorac loss

Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon yesterday mourned the death of former PCGG chairwoman Haydee Yorac, whom he described as an exemplary public servant, saying her passing away was a great loss.

For his part, President Adviser for Western Visayas Rafael Coscolluela said, "It is God’s punishment for the ones left behind when He takes the good ones away. God took away one of our best this time, an irreplaceable loss."

In short, for Negrenses, the passing away of the former Commission on Elections chairwoman and 2004 Ramon Magsaysay awardee for government service was, indeed, a felt loss to her co-provincianos who considered her a heroine of sorts.

In E.B. Magalona, her hometown, Mayor Alfonso Gamboa ordered the Philippine flag flown at half-mast. "We lost a fighter for truth and justice. We are lucky her roots are in E.B. Magalona," Gamboa said.

He added that Haydee’s "uncompromising stand for truth and justice is something that the times call for."

Only 64, Haydee died of kidney failure due to ovarian cancer at the St. Francis Hospital in Chicago, Illinois last Tuesday morning with most members of her family at her bedside.

She resigned from the PCGG early this year.

Her father, Jose Miranda Yorac, was mayor of E.B. Magalona (formerly Saravia) from 1947 to 1955. Josefa Bofil, her mother, a former public school teacher, now resides in Canada.

Jose’s father, Rufo, was also a long-time mayor of Saravia.

Haydee studied at the Saravia Elementary School, and then took up her secondary studies at the St. Theresita Academy in Silay City, before going to the University of the Philippines in Diliman where she took up law.

According to Stephen Paduano, better known as Carapali Lualhati, national commander of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade, he is a nephew of Yorac. He claimed that in her younger days at UP, Haydee was a member of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas. Joma Sison later bolted the group.

Her probity and honesty were legendary. Even members of her family admitted that she would discourage them from asking her help in landing work. She insisted that they should get employed solely on their own merit.

Paduano said his aunt had wanted to send him to school but he joined the CPP in 1982.

Later, she was the one whom President Fidel Ramos designated to negotiate with Carapali’s group. She was again tapped for the same position when President Joseph Estrada opted to carry on the peace negotiations with the RPA-ABB.

Actually, Yorac served the Comelec for seven years starting in 1986. After that, she chaired the National Unification Commission from 1992 to 1993 and co-chaired the National Peace Forum from 1992 to 2000. She was appointed head of the PCGG in 2001 and resigned only early this year when she felt weakened by her cancer.

Perhaps, a lot of Filipinos would be glad to note that as PCGG head, Yorac managed to recover for the Philippine government $684 million of the deposits of the late President Ferdinand Marcos in Swiss bank accounts. The Sandiganbayan awarded the Marcos deposits to the government.

There was no final word yet on whether her ashes will be brought back to the Philippines following her cremation. Nor, for that matter, whether her beloved townmates and relatives in E.B. Magalona will have a chance to view her remains.

But for Negros Occidental, Haydee Yorac stands out as the symbol of a woman of integrity and honesty.

Discordant options

The three leading stalwarts of the opposition stormed Negros Occidental last Tuesday but presented their local audience differing opinions on their post-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ouster move.

The big crowd they addressed was the convocation of students of the University of St. La Salle.

Later, the three presided over a press conference for local mediamen at the Business Inn where they presented the public three varying opinions on a post-Arroyo scenario.

However, they all expressed their disgust over the dismissal or "killing" of the impeachment complaint by the House majority.

Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas batted for special or snap elections.

Rep. Francis Escudero, the opposition spokesman, favored the constitutional process, in short, the selection of the successor or Vice President Noli de Castro.

Former DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman also batted for constitutional succession, but appended the need for De Castro to form a strong advisory council.

Villanueva pointed out that snap elections would allow the people to exercise their conscience-led vote and not to be influenced by corrupt officials.

But for Escudero, that meant that "we don’t need an alternative to correct a wrong, and the people should be looking more for the truth rather than who is the alternative."

Soliman pointed out that even inside Malacañang, politicians are divided. Thus, even the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has three voices now. The reason for this, she added, was that the administration is suppressing the truth to come out and that by staying in power, President Arroyo only persists on her political survival.

The three, however, had a common theme in addressing the Negros Movement for Moral Regeneration, the USLS Political Science Society and the Bukluran Para sa Kauswagan-Negros chapter that students should express their sentiments for President Arroyo to resign through peaceful means.

For Escudero, however, if the impeachment or resignation does not take place, then the alternative — takeover — could come in.

"For me, whatever the change is, what is important is that it be done peacefully," Escudero stressed.

Well, the only comforting note is that everyone emphasized the need for a peaceful change or transition.

At least, that removes the apprehension of most people that the present climate could lead to a bloody explosion.

Medical brain drain

Already, it is common knowledge that many Filipino physicians have taken up nursing just so they can get employed abroad. But the medical brain drain’s impact was no more felt than in the case of the Negros Oriental provincial hospital.

Romy Amarado of the Visayan Daily Star quoted provincial health officer Ely Villapando as admitting that three more physicians of the provincial hospital are leaving soon for abroad.

That aggravated the situation with the departure earlier of six NOPH physician-nurses for abroad.

The hospital now has less than the 70 to 80 physicians needed by a 250-bed hospital. The NOPH has only 43 physicians in its roster.

Villapando mentioned that only seven doctors of the hospital have expressed no interest in taking up nursing. In short, those taking up nursing courses or are already nurses may soon be leaving the hospital for greener pastures, meaning foreign placement as nurses.

Worse, he predicted that by 2005 or 2007, the NOPH, like other hospitals in the country, would have a serious problem — scarcity of doctors.

The government has pegged the monthly salaries of physicians at only P15,000 a month, way below the P200,000 monthly income of Filipino nurses in the United States.

Thus, unless the government re-examines its salary scale for medics, the danger is that the country may soon lose its physicians.

But then, that’s something which our congressmen and senators seem oblivious to as they continue focusing on the political crisis.

Well, as what usually happens in the Philippines, we react only when the crisis is already there. Worse, it has been there for quite sometime, but it seems we just can’t summon the will to confront the problem despite being aware that the situation is reaching a critical stage.