(How a lowly employee was forced to devour 7 lechon lenguas)
The most shocking incident which occurred in the province of North Cotabato in 2012 was not a massacre like what happened in Maguindanao province in 2009.
It was not even a crime in the category and brutality of the Connecticut school shooting.
But the most shocking story in North Cotabato for the year that is about to end was how a top official of the province, in a fit of anger, ordered a lowly provincial government employee to devour 7 to 8 lechon lenguas as a punishment for a minor infraction.
The incident involved an employee named Mark Angelo Tan, assigned at the Provincial Treasurer’s office, on Aug. 27, 2012 during the Family Day celebration for employees of the provincial government, a traditional activity where employees and their families gather during the week-long Foundation week celebration.
Tan made the mistake of pinching the tongue of a lechon before lunch could start, an infraction which did not escape the attention of North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Talino-Mendoza, who in a fit of anger, ordered her men to gather all of the lechon lenguas, 7 to 8 in all according to witnesses, and ordered Tan to devour all of these in front of the poor employee’s crying wife and the other workers in the provincial government who were shocked by the incident.
When news of the act of the Governor filtered to the social media, Tan was reportedly summoned to the Office of the Governor the day after and was ordered to post a clarificatory statement in his www.facebook.com account.
In an interview with national radio station DZRH, Gov. Talino-Mendoza, when confronted by Joe Taruc about the issue, refused to answer and instead asked Mark Angelo Tan, who was obviously with her during the phone patch interview, to answer.
Tan told Taruc that he was just invited by the Governor to join him for lunch and he was honored to share lunch with the top official of the province.
But the denial was obviously a result of intimidation.
In my years in public service, I have heard of many abusive government officials but nothing tops this incident.
Not only was Mark Angelo Tan subjected to a public humiliation, right in front of his wife and fellow employees, but he was further debased by the order to lie to defend an erring government official.
This incident was one of the reasons why, in spite of financial costraints, I took the courage to stand up and offer myself to the people of North Cotabato.
I live with an inept leadership and perhaps even understand a misguided governance, but I cannot and will never tolerate abusive leaders who trample on the dignity and the rights of the lowly and the downtrodden.
This lechon lengua incident, which the current leadership is trying very hard to hush-hush, is not only the most shocking story in North Cotabato for 2012.
It could also prove to be an incident which could greatly influence the outcome of the 2013 election for Governor of North Cotabato.
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