Bulacan feast goes on sans Hermano Gaite

STA. MARIA, Bulacan – The month-long celebration of the centennial of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Barangay Pulong Buhangin here went smoothly even while its hermano mayor, Deputy Executive Secretary Manuel Gaite, was facing a Senate investigation.

Beng del Rosario, one of the chairmen of the committees created by Gaite in preparation for the centennial feast, told The STAR that the celebration was very successful.

Del Rosario said Gaite organized the committees and delegated the tasks even before his appearance at the Senate to testify over his P500,000 donation to ZTE star witness Rodolfo Lozada Jr.

She said unlike other fiesta celebrations where the hermano mayor usually spends for the most of the activities, the tradition in Sta. Maria town is different.

“Hindi hermano ang tawag namin dito, kundi pangulo ng piyesta at saka nagsisipag-fund-raising kami para sa mga gastusin (We don’t call the head here hermano but president of the feast, and we raise funds for the expenses),” she said.

Gaite is married to the former Maribel Ramos, who comes from the wealthy branch of the Hermogenes family that owns the St. Mary’s Hospital in Barangay Poblacion.

On Tuesday, senators investigating the ZTE-NBN (national broadband network) controversy grilled Gaite after he admitted giving money to Lozada out of pity.

He also testified that part of the money was supposed to be used for the renovation of his house in Bulacan. Also, part of it came from relatives’ budget for the town fiesta, he added.

The senators, however, were not convinced by Gaite’s claims.