Students grill Gordon in Cagayan Colleges Technology forum

SANTIAGO CITY, Isabela—Showing his college audience a glimpse of his famous brusque style of argumentation, presidential aspirant Richard Gordon nevertheless found his match among students of Tuguegarao City in nearby Cagayan province who grilled him at a presidential forum on Thursday. At the Cagayan Colleges Technology campus, 19-year-old Majesty Siazon asked Gordon how long has he stayed in Cagayan and if he was aware of the controversial coastal quarrying operations in the province’s northern town of Sta. Ana. “So, are you aware of what's happening in Sta. Ana?" said Siazon, her voice rising. Gordon replied in the negative and asked her, "Are you going to tell me?" "Yes," Siazon shot back. "Then, tell me," said Gordon, eliciting cheers among the crowd. After Siazon's explanation, Gordon asked her if she knew the people behind the quarrying operations. But instead of answering the senator's question, the student went on to explain the issue. "You know, get to the point," Gordon said, cutting short Siazon’s explanation. "If you ask questions (you have to) get to the point. I have no patience yung paganon ganon pa (with your doing this way and that). [He mimics Siazon's hand gestures.] Ask the question. What's the question? You want me to do something about quarrying because quarrying will take away the beaches, right?" he said adding that he has an idea of who were behind the quarrying. "You (already) know sir? Then, I don't have to tell you," Siazon said. Gordon egged Siazon to divulge what she knows, even as he assured her that he would help her resolve the problem. The senator, however, reminded the student that the citizen must also act to put a stop to such questionable operations, instead of simply relying on government officials to solve the problems for them. After Siazon, it was the turn of accounting student Gerald Pagaling, 20, to ask Gordon about which, between technological progress and agricultural progress, he prefers to prioritize. “Both," Gordon said, adding that it would be impossible for a country to succeed without advancing technology and agriculture at the same time. But Pagaling reiterated that he was only asking for Gordon’s priority, and so he could not accept the presidential bet’s answer, “Both." Gordon’s response was to throw back the question at Pagaling: “In your case, what is your priority?" Another student asked the senator to verify rumors that he had made a deal with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s son, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo, that the outgoing president would become House Speaker in case Gordon won the presidential race. “No," Gordon said, in his curt style. Despite the heated exchanges, Gordon urged other students to be brave and ask him questions since it was their right to get to know who their next leaders should be. Siazon later told GMANews.TV that while Gordon failed to come up with a clear proposal to resolve the controversial quarrying operations, he was able to persuade her to speak her mind. “And I love the idea na sabi niya (of what he said), go directly to the point. Walang fear siya (He is fearless)," she said. Pagaling echoed Siazon. He said Gordon’s approach pushed students to ask more questions in order to satisfy their inquisitive minds.—JV, GMANews.TV