By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

WHEN church bells toll on Christmas Eve, I pray that the Dagupan City SP’s 7 epaLiFes – Councilors Red Posadas Erfe-Mejia, Dada Manoais-Reyna Macalanda, Celia Chua Lim, Irene Chua Lim, Alvin Tolentino Coquia, Alfie David Fernandez and Malou Sampaga Fernandez will have the moral courage to recall to mind how their parents, grandparents and other members of their family tribes worked hard to keep their heritage and pride in their family names because of their individual integrity that was always held in high esteem by their friends, neighbors and constituents through the decades.

I pray the 7 epaLiFes can recall memories and stories told of how people around their forefathers and mothers nodded their heads in approval whenever they were met on the streets, inside restaurants, after the church service, during graduation ceremonies, inside city hall, etc. knowing they were known to be good men and women of integrity.

I pray the seven epaLiFes still have the humility in them to realize that they are failing miserably to keep the revered family names of their parents and grandparents in good stead, aware that they are now despised, detested and scorned for how they have been conducting themselves as public servants. All because of petty politics, their hubris, power and greed.

I pray the 7 epaLiFes’ children and their grandchildren will never have to be told of notoriety that their parents and grandparents earned over time because they chose to ignore the dire needs of people and the city government when they had the power and opportunity to serve honestly with dedication and commitment as councilors.

Finally, I pray the 7 epaLiFes will soon realize that at the end of the day it is their integrity as men and women with hallowed family names that matter the most to all in this life.

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INTIMIDATING THE PUNCH? By the way, if Mr. Red Erfe-Mejia, speaking for the epaLiFes, thinks he can whimsically ban our Managing Editor Ding Micua from the premises of the Sangguniang Panlungsod and inside the session hall, or be denied access to virtual meetings, as “payback” for The PUNCH’s factual news stories and critical comments, then he and his juvenile group have it coming.  

It doesn’t concern The PUNCH how the 7 epaLiFes deal with Mayor Belen Fernandez and her officials, what concerns our editorial office  is how they mistreat the Dagupan citizenry. That’s the reason why they can expect The PUNCH to do all to be able to report all the shenanigans of the epaLiFes at the expense of the city residents.

Know that not The PUNCH will never be intimidated by the likes of the 7 epaLiFes, like they think they can with Mayor Fernandez and her city legal Officer Aurora Valle whom they think have been completely intimidated, not risking to make them accountable for breaking all the rules.

I assure him and his ilk, they can’t push The SUNDAY PUNCH around. And that’s not a threat! It’s a promise this Christmas.

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CAYETANO’S MISSION FOR THE TODAs. Thank God for the confirmation process of cabinet officials by the Commission on Appointments, the plight of the country’s thousands of TODAs (Tricycle Operators Drivers Association) in the country long neglected by the Department of Transportation finally came to light.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, as minority leader in the CA, took the opportunity to quiz the new DOTr Sec. Jaime Bautista about the implementation of the P2.5-B fuel ayuda intended for the tricycle sector. Had the issue not raised by Sen. Cayetano, DOTR would have just continued to put the distribution of the fuel subsidy at the back burner, with only 6,000 out of an estimated 600,000 members of TODAs served the fuel subsidy!

The TODAs in Pangasinan can help in the effort to ensure all qualified TODA members in the province get their fair share by reporting and updating status of the distribution to Sen Cayetano, periodically, whom they can expect to help correct missteps in the distribution.  Both the senator and DOTr Sec. Bautista have agreed to work together to protect the interests of the stakeholders in the tricycle transport sector!

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ESPINO’S PERFORMANCE CHALLENGE. Th provincial government, under the then Amado Espino III administration, was among 6 provincial governments cited by the Department of Interior and Local Government that have consistently earned the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) for the past 6 years!

The award came with a P9.5 million cash award, the SGLG Incentive Fund, that the capitol can use for any program it deems timely to pursue for its constituency.

Having seen, read and heard about the various programs of the Espino administration on health, disaster response, agriculture and food production and roads and bridges for the past 6 years, The PUNCH can only agree with DILG.  

Now comes the challenge to the Governor Ramon Guico III administration who without a doubt, is certainly looking forward to managing the affairs of the province at least in the next 8 years!  

But judging from the way the lackluster and uninspiring performance it displayed in its first 5 months, the Guico administration doesn’t seem to be least interested to be cited as one of the best performing provincial government even in the region alone.  Perish the thought of possibly seeing the day it will be cited as one of the best in the country.  

It has so far been very disappointing to see and read about Guv Mon-Mon only appearing in Facebook posts showing him in social events of towns and cities without a word about his plans and thoughts about problems and solutions confronting the province, like a Miss Pangasinan title holder would. 

His latest refusal to lend his signature to a draft provincial ordinance bill to certify it as urgent is very telling. He obviously refuses to be made accountable, to explain the relevance and significance of the bill to his plans and initiatives for the province to the local media.

He has not even acknowledged the successful discovery of the P2.3-B drug trade in Pozorrubio by PDEA, no thanks to the provincial police, neither has he made known whether the war on drugs is a priority for him, or simply leaving it to the provincial police to do what it wants to do.

Gads, he won’t even appoint a provincial information officer who can be a mouthpiece for him, to attempt to read his mind.

It appears the service slogan quietly whispered in and around provincial government offices is today is – “Less talk, less problems. More talk, more complications. Governing the province like a small-town mayor or congressman is the key to development.”   

I sincerely still look forward to 2023 with the fervent hope, that the new year will bring new tidings to the province, with a reformed, active and people service-oriented governor at the helm.

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