Who’s running the provincial government?
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
IT’S been more than 75 days and still nothing is heard from Guv Mon-Mon Guico about developments and current issues in Pangasinan!
Who’s running the provincial government? Is it already Vice Guv Mark Lambino holding the reins?
The continued silence of the governor on the province’s issues since he was proclaimed winner in the recent elections over reelectionist Guv Pogi Espino is unprecedented in the province’s history.
Pangasinenses would have thought that a gung-ho governor in Mr. Guico who just won the people’s mandate will hit the ground running. But for some reasons known only to his family and some political allies, he’s been keeping to himself. There were a couple of photo ops that showed him mingling with other local chief executives but that’s merely showing us that he’s alive and well.
Does Pangasinan have a governor that thinks running the government is only about photo ops? His Facebook account Lipad Pangasinan that was recently activated did just that.
It merely posted events where he was present: Graduation of Alternative Learning System, Special Job Fair last September 16, Meeting with DENR on various topics, his MOA signing with R1MC. I searched further for his thoughts, orders, clarifications about those events; what directions he gave, etc. or an update on his campaign promises for his first 100 days… NONE.
Obviously, when most governors were weighing in on whether their constituents should remain with the face mask or discard it, Guv Mon-mon has not given the province’s health situation a thought. Silence is golden? Or “Bahala na kayo sa buhay nyo?”
Then when the alarming reports of shortages in sugar, salt and rice in the country alerted the senators and congressmen, these didn’t seem to alarm our governor, not even our provincial board members. How’s the stock inventory in Pangasinan? Should Pangasinan worry?
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GOVERNOR’S FIRST 100 DAYS. I certainly don’t recall a campaign promise from his camp that his administration will “talk less, work more” once Mr. Guico is elected. But even assuming that “talking less” is his working style, he’s not even talking at all!
There was one press release about the Pangasinan Baywalk Development Council. Board Member Vici Ventanilla said it was “in line with the desire of the administration of the Governor… to put order….” What a testimony because the governor had not uttered a single word about it.
Speaking of the provincial board, it has not spoken of any support for any of his ongoing activities during his first 100-days. Is it because they, too, are not aware of his first 100-days activities?
To Guv Mon-Mon: You owe your constituents your time to update them of what’s going on, where the province is headed, what ails the province… and appoint an information officer conversant with the job of communicating your office with the public.
Be the best governor yet… in your first 100 days!
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NO ONE WANTS A P13-M REFUND? It looks like the controversial sale of the 30-hectare land in Barangay Awai in San Jacinto which the city government bought for P16 million ostensibly for a sanitary landfill, is not a complete loss after all.
Per the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, the city will still keep, and choose the five hectares that will be allotted it. What the city will do with it is another story.
Meanwhile, the question for a breaking story is: Will the city government demand the return of P13 million (minus price of 5 hectares) from Mr. Jose Mariano Cuna, he who sold the 30-hectare land to the city and failed to surrender the land title after he received the money?
For the life of me, neither then Mayor BSL nor ex-Mayor Brian Lim (his son) spoke of seeking the return of the P16 million from Mr. Cuna after DAR ruled that the city cannot lay claim to the land because the land is covered by land reform law.
If the buyer was a private company or individual, Mr. Cuna would have already been in the middle of a million-peso legal suit not only for the amount paid but for damages as well from Day 1 when he failed to surrender the title. And the court would have easily ruled against him within a year.
But it’s been 20 years since the city paid P16 million via an ordinance passed by the Dagupan sanggunian, and still not no urgent call about the need to recover the money from Mr. Cuna. Why?
Is it because of the knowledge of some that it was Mayor BSL who orchestrated the purchase for the city’s planned sanitary landfill that never was, and Mr. Cuna was merely used as dummy for the real estate deal?
The Dagupeños have the right to know since it was their tax money that was used to consummate that deal at a loss!
But will the allies of the Lim political dynasty holding sway at the city council dare raise a move to ask for the refund for P13 million from Mr. Cuna? It’d be interesting to see if the majority councilors will think and act “Para sa Dagupan”.
Then, who in the minority will dare raise the move for and in behalf of the city’s taxpayers?
But if Mr. Cuna has another story to tell to absolve himself, he should say it now.
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epaLiFe’s NO MORE? I’m happy to note that the Dagupan City government is finally working as one – Dagupeños seeing a cooperative yet critical cooperation from the city council where a 7-man majority belonging to the LiFe political group in the Dagupan Sanggunian holds sway.
More timely and urgent ordinances responding to urgent matters that matter to Dagupeños are finally being passed, with constructive fiscalizing of resolutions presented by the minority. Finally, no more immature display of obstructionism for the sake of it.
The 7 members of the LiFe political group, are slowly proving that they are no longer the epaLiFes we used to know!! Cheers! (I pray I didn’t speak too soon).
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WANTED: KAMAY NA BAKAL. Mayor Belen must rethink her strategy in delivering reforms.
The belligerent attitude of vendors towards her campaign to clear sidewalks of obstructions along the streets is an indication that nobody is taking her endless warnings seriously.
Consequently, her POSO enforcers are losing confidence in strictly implementing her rules because their orders are largely being ignored. No one is hauled to the city hall to receive deserved sanctions. Without their authority being backed by actions to set things in order, efforts are futile.
It’s time the citizenry sees that enforcement of ordinances by police and POSO is a serious matter. It’s time for Belen’s kamay na bakal to be felt in the city government lest more get the impression that they can get away with anything with her at the helm.
Even the illegal fish pen operators and owners are getting away with it. They are leaving it to her to demolish and clear the rivers after being allowed to harvest without paying any penalty. No violations committed?
Dagupan City can still earn an acclaim that it is the city where laws and ordinances are strictly enforced. That’s up to Mayor Belen.
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