By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

THE 7 epaLiFes at the Dagupan sanggunian, they who believe they are invincible by simply being in the majority, are finally slowly digging their own political graves.  They are finally told in their faces by DILG that it is their job to pass the annual budget or else…!

In short, the 7 epaLiFes (Councilors Red Erfe-Meja, Celia Lim, Irene Lim-Acosta, Dada Reyna-Macalanda, Alvin Coquia, Alfie Fernandez and Marilyn Fernandez) had not expected that their belligerence and bullying would be called out with authority at any time, especially not by the DILG. After all, the Brian Lim administration always had the local DILG under its thumb, and they believe they are entitled to craft their own self-serving “rules” in the name of the “rule of the majority”.

To their surprise, the dark clouds shifted its direction, from south to north that day. Before them appeared, uninvited, DILG’s Provincial Director Virgilio Sison and City Director Romarie Soriano, they who clearly refuse to be beholden to corrupt mayors and councilors who make a mockery of the country’s laws.

The majority even had the temerity to attempt to throw off the DILG officials by asking whether what they were about to do (to delay and block the passage of the annual budget) is criminal. The inference is, if it is not criminal, then what’s the problem?

DILG PD Sison reply was like a Damocles sword over their heads – “It is not criminal but administrative cases can be filed (against the councilors). BOOM! And, if the 7 epaLiFes didn’t realize the impact of that response, allow me to make it clearer for their barkada mindset to understand what they are dangerously treading on.

There is a jurisprudence from the Ombudsman. It had ruled and the DILG ordered the suspension of the provincial board members of Quezon for 60 days for rejecting the passage of the province’s 2021 annual budget! Paging City Legal Officer Aurora Valle!!

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PROVE ME WRONG. So, I dare the 7 epaLiFes to emulate the Quezon provincial board’s action because what they did was not criminal.  I dare them to go ahead and block the 2023 annual budget like they did to the Supplemental Budget No. 1 of 2022!  They can show Dagupeños they are not easily intimidated (like the Belen Fernandez administration) by local DILG warnings whom they regard as below their pay class. 

Then, the insolence of the 7 epaLiFes came to the fore when Councilor Red attempted to point out to the DILG that it was wrong to think that his group, 7 epaLiFes, was not doing its job. He claimed that contrary to DILG’ impression, his group, in fact, discussed the annual budget twice. What can better illustrate the group’s ignorance of the law’s processes in legislating annual budgets, but this claim. They ought to learn that IT IS TO CONDUCT HEARINGS with the local government’s departments for the justification and defense of their submitted budgets that is required by law, not through committee meetings! BOOM!

Anyway, after the DILG officials’ dialogue (confrontation?) with the councilors, my sense is the chutzpah of 7 epaLiFes was blown sky high. They’ve been told not only to eat humble pie but to agree to rub it on their faces – and they, indeed, will soon pass the 2023 budget pronto.

But, of course, they can always prove me wrong! Sige nga! Block the annual budget!

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COLLECTIVE LIABILITY. By the way, if the likes of Councilor Red Erfe-Mejia and his 6 epaLiFes are wont to take the complaint that I filed against him before the DILG (through the Office of the President) lightly, here’s another promise, not a threat.

If he or any of the 7 epaLiFes dares to bar the Sunday PUNCH again or any local media establishment in Pangasinan from attending, covering and reporting proceedings of a regular session and or a committee hearing, they should know that I can implead all 7 epaLiFes in a criminal complaint before the Ombudsman for committing the same violation as did Mr. Erfe-Mejia.

After being advised of The PUNCH complaint, but he or others still dare commit the same violation, it will be construed to mean that they are one in banning a media practitioner. That makes them collectively liable and accountable. Is that criminal? They can figure that out after I file the case.

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WHO’S COVERING UP? The submission of the courtesy resignations by all senior PNP officers to DILG is truly laudable and timely. It is, indeed, a manifestation of trust in the judgment of a select panel because they had not done wrong.

In fact, the DILG move couldn’t have come at a better time.

Provincial PNP chief P/Col. Jeff Fanged was right when he said he can only speak for the conduct of his officers during his stewardship but he cannot be expected to say the same for those before him.

My sense is he was obviously referring to the discovered P2.5 billion shabu operations in Pozorrubio last August 12, 2022, the biggest discovered shabu trading operations in the north and central Luzon! He assumed his post as provincial director 10 days after the fact.  Indeed, others and not he, should be made accountable.

How could he be made accountable when not even then newly elected Gov. Ramon Guico III bothered to have the discovery investigated notwithstanding the fact that the town is only 14 kilometers from his hometown Binalonan.

Then, as if on cue, the provincial board, headed by Vice Guv Mark Lambino, also didn’t launch an investigation into the PDEA discovery that shocked he country.  Neither then PPPO director P/Col. Richmond Tadena, nor P/Maj John Corpuz OIC Pozorrubio police chief were asked to explain the circumstances. All the provincial board did was to hail PDEA for the successful operations, so did Mr. Fanged. Even curiouser, the governor and the provincial board never asked Pozorrubio’s newly elected Mayor Kelvin Chan what he knew or didn’t know.

Not even the PDEA team that operated the Pozorrubio buy-bust-raid (without PNP involvement) was asked to debrief the provincial board even during an executive session. 

The refusal of the province’s accountable elected officials and police officers to investigate only led many to speculate who was protecting who in that discovery.

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IT CAN HAPPEN AGAIN. It’d be interesting to see and watch how the governor will respond to the national media (he still refuses to engage the local media) if asked what he knew, what happened and what he found out about that P2.5-B bust. He’d just most likely pass the buck and say: “The provincial PNP has the details.”

So hopefully, the subsequent assessment of the submitted courtesy resignations will help unearth how the P2.5B shabu operations existed in Pangasinan. If no one is held accountable today for that bust, it’s almost certain it will happen again with the same protection by corrupt politicians and police that was extended to the drug syndicate then.

For now, all I can say to our provincial officials and police is –You were lucky that PRRD already bowed out of office more than a month earlier. He would have chewed you all out for allowing a P2.5-B drug trading operate in Pangasinan.

Let’s see PBBM prove his worth in this continuing drug war through DILG Sec. Benhur Abalos’ unprecedented strategy.

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