Finally, a successful “landfill”
By Ermin F. Garcia Jr.

 

 

 

 

The brouhaha over the now “not-so-mysterious” transfer of the dried decomposed waste materials from the Dagupan dumpsite to a private lot in San Jacinto (owned by a Mr. George Lee) may yet turn out as a blessing in disguise for both the officialdoms of Dagupan City and San Jacinto. 
Blessing because it might yet provide the proof needed to convince the protesting residents of  Barangay  Awai (site of Dagupan City’s sanitary landfill that never was)  in San Jacinto that there is absolutely nothing to fear if a sanitary landfill is well-managed- or at least close to that.

The truckloads of 7-year old decomposed wastes from the Dagupan dumpsite   will serve Mr. Lee’s purposes well. His wastes will not only provide the alternate filling that his land sorely needed but will now expectedly transform his land into the most fertile land in his area. 

But before the strong winds and floods begin to sweep away and litter the town with the decomposed wastes, Mr. Lee would be well advised to begin covering his newly-filled area with soil.

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 Mayor Benjie Lim was absolutely correct in his candid admission about the transfer or removal of the decomposed wastes from the dumpsite to a Mr. Lee’s land. Indeed, it’s no longer of any concern to the city where Mr. Lee delivered the volume of decomposed wastes as long as the latter didn’t misrepresent the situation by claiming that the new dumping was on account of the city government. And, he didn’t.

On the other hand, Mayor Lim’s failure (or deliberate refusal?) to let Reginaldo Ubando, his environment officer, in on the arrangements only fanned the rumor that the barangay officials in San Jacinto were bribed, again using people’s money. Actually, methinks Mr. Ubando actually knew about the arrangements entered into by his boss and a Mr. Lee all along but merely feigned ignorance to escape a possible wrath that was poised to hit him.

On hindsight, if only Mr. Ubando himself had done what his bossman Benjie did, a more positive perception of the arrangements would have been possible.

But then again, perhaps Mr. Ubando was truly kept in the dark the whole time because there’s more to the arrangements than what Mayor Lim readily admitted to.  Hmmmm.

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TO ARREST OR NOT, IS NOT THE QUESTION
PNP provincial chief, Sr. Supt. Alan Purisima’s latest directive to study the possibility of arresting establishment owners that operated the illegal gambling machines in various towns could either be a bad joke or an insult to Pangasinenses’ intelligence.
I don’t know of any statutory law that exempts owners of establishments that operate, sell, rent or maintain anything illegal from arrest. Why the need at all to study the legal implications of an arrest escapes me since our laws state that anyone who violates the law is accountable and answerable to the justice system.
Perhaps, PNP regional director Chief   Supt. Freddie De Vera can help explain why this is needed at all because nobody can.

Parents had hoped to see the unscrupulous owners of the establishments hauled to jail with their confiscated machines. That this didn’t happen, and still has not happened, makes many wonder why the police chose to interpret the law in favor of those who violated the law, and not the victims

In fact, it surprises me more that none of the mayors (and neither has Gov. Victor Agbayani) complained that no arrests have been made.
     

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If Mr. Purisima’s directive was an attempt at determining how he can effect an arrest long after the illegal machines have been confiscated, then it’s clearly an admission on his part that he didn’t know how to enforce the law then.

If his intention was to clarify on who is legally liable, whether it’s the establishment owner as the operator or the owner of the illegal machines as the bonafide operator, then it can only mean he is belaboring what is simply obvious. Both are clearly in violation of the law, and neither is exempt from arrest. But Mr. Purisima demurred and attempted to justify the glaring omission by painstakingly pointing out that the only and main culprit is the owner of the illegal machines.

Wow, can you imagine what the country would be like today if only briber and not the bribed, the thief and not the fencer, the shabu manufacturer and not the pusher, the mastermind not the triggerman are the only ones accountable?

Specifically, in the war against illegal drugs, the law does not distinguish between the drug pusher and the drug dealer. Both are clearly deemed violating the law. It is not for the police to determine the gravity of their respective offenses but neither is remotely exempted from arrest by the police. 

So, what was that all about Mr. Provincial Police Chief? In my book, it reeks of a stench that can only come from the all too familiar police protection racket.

Again, will someone please tell am wrong? 

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NO ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY UNDER MAYOR LIM
Here we go again.
Mayor Lim has appointed Councilor Nicanor Aquino the new chairman of the executive committee for 2006 Bangus Festival-Pistay Dayat.
The appointment of Mr. Aquino is clearly an acknowledgment of a job well done when he was Hermano Mayor of the Dagupan City Fiesta in 2004.  Indeed, he was a good one for Mayor Lim, but not for the city. Reason – the city subsidized the city fiesta to the tune of P3 million, and yet, for reasons known only to Mayor Lim and his cohorts at the sanggunian panglunsod, Mr. Aquino was never required to account for all the monies solicited and spent for the occasion.

In fact, throughout the administration of Mayor Lim, nobody but nobody had been made to account for monies earned and spent for both the city fiesta and the bangus festival-cum-pistay dayat.

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In contrast, the city of Urdaneta has successfully raised millions for its projects via the management of its annual fiesta celebrations. Never ever subsidized by the Perez administration, the city officials took pains to show its constituents how the funds were handled. In turn, the residents and overseas Urdanetans never failed to respond heartily to calls for involvement and participation from the city’s leadership.

In Dagupan City, no event in the past was ever reported to have gained a surplus that can be used for pet projects. Worse, nobody knew how the city was pulled deeper in debt by each event. To our recollection, the city spent and lost the most when Councilor Aquino was the Hermano Mayor and Mr. Lim was the mayor.

If the trend for the duo continues, expect the city to lose millions more with neither of them feeling obligated to account to our people. Worse, none of our city officials feel they can demand that the two account for their deeds. 
 Yes, enjoy the bangus festival while it lasts.

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