By Leonardo Micua

 

WHEN I covered the face-to-face session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod last week, I entered an enclosed area fenced with galvanized irons, which I thought could lead me to the narrow stairway of the SP building. When I scanned the whole fenced area with my two eyes, I saw the enclosure  to be all the way to the facade of the old city hall.

I figured out this is not the way out towards the SP building since no exit way was provided. A security guard sitting in front of a small table motioned to me to take the western side of city hall if I wanted to go to the SP. That was what I did. But before I got out of the fenced area, I noticed that the whole place was leveled with the concrete debris from the torn down buildings were already moved out. A crane was inside the compound but was not moving.

I asked myself if this was the same fenced area where Mayor Brian Lim held the groundbreaking for a supposedly new city hall complex just three days before the election. Indeed it was! However, since Lim lost to Belen Fernandez, no more significant activity was taking place there.

It is possible that the contractor tapped by the outgoing mayor to demolish the old One Stop Business Center as well as parts of both wings of city hall to give way to a  new city hall complex, could be biding his time as he knows that there is a new boss coming who might decide to stop the project.

It is for Belen to ascertain if there is any funding allotted by the outgoing city administration for it, if there was any public hearing called and if there is a plan drawn to abate flooding in the area as the place transforms into a swimming pool during heavy rains.

In her talk in Bombo Radyo Dagupan, Belen was careful on making any definite statement on the future of Brian’s project.  She said she first wants to know the whole picture about the project and the best way to get these facts fast is to talk to the city engineer, chief of the planning and development staff as well as the budget officer.

I was informed that the demolition of the old One Stop Business Center and the construction of its replacement had been planned two years ago and even when Belen was still at the helm. But the incumbent administration is known to be a slow foot, and was not concerned about the timing of the implementation of projects.

Look at the Magsaysay Market just across A. B. F. Avenue. There was P20 million budget for its rehabilitation. But to repair its leaking roofs alone took him some time to decide.

It surprised many to see that parts of both wings of city hall, where many officials and employees were holding office, demolished with apparent haste at a time when the elections were just a few weeks away.

Many now consider the groundbreaking rites for the proposed city hall complex and that of a proposed city-owned hospital on a supposedly donated land in Binloc, could just be Brian Lim’s last hurrah in Dagupan.

He obviously thought he could convince the people of Dagupan that he’s the better choice as mayor of Dagupan than Belen because he can make things work fast.  What a costly folly  that was.

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In my recent  trip to the Sangguniang Panlungsod, I was told of more department heads that refused to respond to invitation of the legislative body to explain more details about the submitted Annual Investment Plan.

The invited department heads snubbed the invitation of the SP on four occasions. I suspect that the mayor, still bitter about his loss in the last election, again issued a gag order, preventing them from appearing at the SP as resource speakers.

The appearance of the department heads, particularly members of the finance committee is most vital because it provides the basis for the passage and approval of the annual city budget. 

But I heard from Councilor Joey Tamayo that whether the department heads will appear in their session, members of the ruling majority in the SP will soon make a decision to adopt the budget based on available data, an action that will surely be vetoed by Brian. 

Of course, the majority comprising of nine councilors, is ready to override if there is any such veto. Abangan!

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