Clarifying Duñg's weekly diatribe

Perhaps he did it out of blind loyalty–as an employee of James Lin’s UIC in San Antonio–bitter of the second raid taken of the factory in recent weeks.

Pedro DLG. Pangelinan’s wandering lamentation even educed tears from strangely sympathetic teeny ants at the southern end of the island. In the process, he unilaterally claimed the trophy of the biggest and fattest ostrich on this side of the Pacific. If I may remind Duñg why the return raid:

• Your boss was found to have hired illegal aliens to build his mansion
in San Vicente.

• He had to cough out a hefty fine in federal court for hiring illegals at UIC in recent years.

• By hiring illegals, he abrogated fiduciary obligation to pay recruitment fees, deduct social security and income tax, the latter of which must accrue to the local coffers (treasury).

• With a history of labor law violations, including court decreed fines and recent discovery of illegals, naturally UIC becomes high on the suspect list who must be checked intermittently to ensure compliance with pertinent labor laws.

• The issue is far from your ramblings but, definitely, a case of law enforcement of labor and immigration laws that had to be done whether we like it or not.

• Law enforcement is very weak in these isles and perhaps you too were attracted by it (raid) because of its rarity.

• It’s a form of an underground economy–financial leak–where both employees and the CNMI is deprived of certain rights and dues.

• You were once a Customs Officer and of all people you should be better poised to understand why the second raid.

Obviously, you had to do what needs to be done in this instance if only to demonstrate the gulf in your inability to keep your facts straight or comprehend the importance of real law enforcement.

Your letter should have given accolades and prominence to Mr. Ed Cabrera Jr.’s. no frills execution of his fiduciary duties as a law enforcement officer. The gentleman handled the pressure (professionally) of speculative bull crab hurled against DOLI that the raid was politically motivated.

What about rumors, Duñg, that some lawmakers have seen fit to pressure DOLI to drop the investigation? As a former law enforcement officer, shouldn’t you also be questioning this issue? Or is it a case of total blind faith as to offer nothing but non–sensical diatribe?

You see, Duñg, you’re focused on the sorry state of affairs that have descended on UIC. But isn’t the lack of law enforcement one of the major reasons that we’ve been nailed to the cross by our detractors?

You had it all wrong, sir! It’s not your boss who gets another black eye as much as the reputation of these isles and the apparel industry. That the apparel industry is the only sure economic sector (tourism having taken a long walk south) is more the reason to guard against the politically connected who flaunt labor laws.

It’s an industry to guard and ensure compliance with labor laws, local and federal. I regret that it involved your boss. But this is another instance where equal application of law must be carried out to the hilt, politically connected or otherwise. It’s the law, Duñg, and let this fledgling democracy be an archipelago of laws, not men!