There is no truth to the report that the fugitive Dutchman arrested by immigration agents and police officers in Calatagan Tibang, Virac, last Oct. 14 spent some time at the farm of a provincial official in a rural barangay some 10 kilometers from the town center.
A barangay official denied last week that the foreigner was a transient resident of the village but admitted that Stuurman went at times to the barangay for a feeding program for children and during special occasions.
Like in Calatagan Tibang, there were no reports that the Dutchman engaged in any illegal or unlawful activities while he was there.
Just a day after he was apprehended, a public official received a phone call from a long-time Davao City resident who grew up in the Virac.
The caller wanted the public official to provide assistance to the fugitive but the official could no longer do anything at the time as the BI agents had already gone to Manila by commercial flight together with the Dutchman.
Stuurman, who identified himself as Jim Brown while he was in Virac, was known to be single but there are speculations that he is or was married to a Filipina before his legal troubles began in 2016.
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There is something suspicious in the way the Bureau of Immigration and the police kept secret the fact that Stuurman was facing charges of child abuse and child trafficking.
There was no mention of the pedophilia charges in the press release issued by the Catanduanes police and probably in the police blotter.
Despite the presence of a member of the national media with the BI team, a search of the news articles on the Internet did not turn up any mention of Stuurman or the fact that an overstaying alien had been arrested in Virac.
A clue to Stuurman’s fate is in the press release, however, which states that he would be brought back to Manila to undergo deportation proceedings.
If he is or was deported to the Netherlands, this means that he will not be tried in Davao City to face justice for the alleged child trafficking case.
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Governor Joseph “Boboy” Cua celebrated his 60th last Sunday, Oct. 16, together with wife Nancy and their children, with a party at the Catanduanes Convention Center.
Among the guests were Msgr. Manolo delos Santos, Vice Governor Peter Cua and members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, municipal mayors, vice mayors, councilors, political allies, national agency officials, provincial government officials and employees.
He is the third prominent political figure in the province to become a member of the elderly, after TGP Rep. Jose “Bong” Teves Jr., who marked his birthday in Metro Manila, and Virac Mayor Samuel Laynes, who had a low-key celebration last Sept. 14.
The other Wednesday, Oct. 12, was the turn of my classmate and close friend, Engr. Edmund Talaran, just three weeks after another amigo, Quezon City-based Matthew Morales, turned 60 on Sept. 21.
Less than 10 of our classmates from Catanduanes Colleges Batch ’79 turned up at the VTC Victor Hall where Edmund was gifted with a party by wife Laling and children but the celebration lasted until midnight.
Matt, on the other hand, had his wife Rose, their children, and his sister as guests probably in a dinner somewhere in the metropolis.
It will be my turn in January, along with US-based architect Remund Abundo and BIR officer Fredeswindo Alcala Jr.
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HOW TO GET REGULAR VISITS. A couple of old ladies were sitting on a patio and speaking to each other about their grandchildren.
“I send gifts, greeting cards and checks to my grandchildren,” complains one, “and still they barely visit me!”
The second old lady said, “Oh, I, too, send checks to my grandchildren and they visit me all the time!”
“You are so fortunate to have more grateful grandchildren than my own.” said the first one sadly.
The second old lady smiled: “No, my grandchildren are about as grateful as yours.”
“So what do YOU do different? Are your checks bigger than mine?” asked the first one, surprised.
“No,” chuckled the other old lady, “I just don’t sign mine.”