The “double agent” is back with a vengeance. But before going any further, let this BGlante indulged first in a sort of definition of terms “on our own terms”. Yes, Virginia, you are not about to hear something about the exploits of a double agent in a spy thriller. This double-faced monster is a marketing agent of a leading newspaper, the Bohol Chronicle. No question about his affiliation with the top notch bi-weekly. We learn to live and let live with our competitor. Trouble is, this crap is using his Chronicle bonafide to hoodwink potential advertisers. His target municipal ordinances. We are not in any way threatened by the peroration of this great pretender because we know our place in the ordinance market. We practically corner the biggest slice of the advertising pie in municipal ordinances and if the idea is sharing the blessings , why not? But not through illegal means. This creep can do his worst like offering bribes to vice mayors and SB secretaries to as high as 50% just to get a piece of the action but the target of his bribery attempts knows better.

They are not easily swayed into promises of big commissions because they are not the kind that is easily corrupted. Besides, these decision makers know that the Bohol Sunday Post is circulated in practically all Bohol towns thru subscriptions or the ubiquitous newsboys peddling the paper every week. If we corner a big bulk of the market in the towns, it is because of our presence in these areas whether via subscriptions and newsboys or both. What makes the racket of this double agent obnoxious is the masterful use of deceit to deceive potential advertiser. We are exposing his nefarious activities because he is using the prestige of the bi-weekly but in truth and in fact he will fan out the advertisement to another paper which offers him lavish commissions may be as high as 60%. In other words, he is only using the leading bi-weekly as a tool to gain entry into the pockets of municipal officials but the truth is he is looking the other way when the deal is consummated.

His bosses at the Chronicle should know this fraudulent misrepresentation before he wrecks more havoc to the media institution. We had already dressed down this double agent many times in this column and he has not learned his lesson. He has to thank his lucky stars that we refrain from unmasking him point blank. Next time, he'll do the same, will no longer be tolerated because he will be exposed to the full sunburn of ridicule. We do not wish to block any sincere desire for some people to earn a decent living but it should not be at the expense of predatory pricing. People like this guy should be reminded that the newspaper business is a level playing field for as long as you know how to play with the rules of the game. Those who are desperate to earn a fast buck through foul means has no place in a business populated by respectable ladies and gentlemen.