Hail, hail the gang’s all there!

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

After that terrible political debacle suffered by former Mayor Benjie Lim (and his son) in the last elections, today a number of the mayor’s key officials have since been fully resurrected and recycled – Raffy Baraan, then the city administrator, Dindin Baniqued, then the city legal officer, Butch Velasco, then the city information officer are now holding similar positions in the Espino administration – Baraan as the provincial administrator, Baniqued as the provincial legal officer, and Velasco as provincial information officer! (Mayor Benjie himself is now a P1 consultant to the provincial government). If you call that a coincidence, then the Pope is not Catholic.

It bothers me particularly that I am beginning to see the same pattern that burned the city of Dagupan under the Lim-Baraan-Baniqued triumvirate coming to life in the provincial government.

Consider the latest from the capitol. Guv Spines just wrangled a similar multi-million loan from LandBank for still unspecified projects or purpose, with the imprimatur of the provincial board, using the province’s receivable Internal Revenue Allotment as collateral. (Recall how the Lim-Baraan-Baniqued trio conspired with the onor-onor councilors to secure the LandBank loans, using the same scheme, for the grossly over-priced Malimgas market and the useless dredging machine that the city government is paying off today at the expense of social projects for Dagupeños. The city was cooked well-done and God knows whose ATM accounts were blessed throughout).

Then as if on cue, comes the decision of BM Alfie Bince renouncing his role as the lone opposition in the provincial board. (Just as my favorite mayor had done in the Dagupan City council who shamelessly organized as “onor-onors”, there was no serious opposition that stood in his way. And how did my favorite mayor do it? Those who attempted to be righteous found themselves “starved” while those in the “Lim Club” never had it so good and were well-fed).

Alas, the Lone Ranger in the board was also “starved”. It’s no wonder our once gallant graftbuster decided to be practical and decided to remove his signature mask, discard his precious “silver bullets” and sell his “white horse” if only to live a less complicated life with perhaps a new and upcoming band of “onor-onors” dancing to the baton of a new “triumvirate” – Espino-Baraan-Baniqued.

So just when I thought BM Alfie would feel vindicated when he suspected that Guv Spines and Administrator Baraan were reserving the provincial legal office post for lawyer Dindin (when they refused to hire a lawyer the whole year), he now appears to be agreeable to the scheme to the ‘reservation scheme’. In fact, he already expressed full support for the LandBank loan that he once castigated. Tsk-tsk.

But as BM Alfie said, he would not hesitate to continue to fiscalize the Espino administration even as a new member of the majority should the need arise. Hmmm, ok. Let’s see how that works out.

And what does Atty. Dindin assure Pangasinenses in addition to her promise to stop her private practice? Hmmm. This I gotta hear.

Given the consistency of his criteria in appointing his team, it’s evident that Guv Spines sees a lot of potential in Mayor Benjie’s A-Team. I only hope he has taught them a password that spells S-T-O-P at a certain point in his term before his own face is plastered on prime time TV tagging him as the one who took the millions.

But as always, I always pray my nasty “baseless” suspicions will be proved wrong by the events as they unfold.

***

PERSONAL NOTES – The beautiful and elegant wife of Justice Jorge Coquia joined her Maker last week. Libring Limjoco Coquia, to my mind, is one rare Filipina who stood by her man unconditionally through all the decades, who reared and cared for her children for they were the most precious gems she had ever known. I recall how Unc George paid tribute to her, loudly proclaiming to all that she was the only woman he ever loved dearly. She will be missed sorely by those whose lives she had touched. Those who know the couple too well are aware that Unc George will be lost without his soulmate, so we enjoin friends to pray he will have the strength to cope with his immense loss. We sincerely condole with him and his children.

On a happier note, we have a new Great Grand Old Man in Dagupan City, that’s no other than Don Pedro Balingit! One of the post-war pioneering entrepreneurs in Dagupan City, he together with his wife, Otilia, started the Farmacia Balingit. On July 16, his century-old life will be celebrated with great thanksgiving not only by his family but by the officialdom of the city. I am informed President Arroyo herself, will arrive to join the celebration! Happy birthday Bal!

(Readers may reach columnist at punch.sunday@gmail.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/punchline/
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