By Leonardo Micua

 

THIS is my take on the misplaced taunting by the political opposition – why Dagupan City again missed the boat in this year’s Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) award.

They said all LGUs in Pangasinan earned the prestigious recognition and only Dagupan under the watch of Belen did not make it.

And they blamed no other than the mayor as if she did not do anything in office.  Wrong.

If there is anyone to blame, it is the seven obstructionists in the city council.

Because of their insidious machination, the annual budgets of Dagupan for two years were not passed on time, forcing the Belen administration to grapple with small amounts from reenacted budgets.

The longest reenacted budget was in 2023 when the annual allocation was passed only on September 26, 2023 by just a quirk of fate. And when it was finally passed by the five minority councilors, and not one from the majority objected, one opposition councilor was heard as saying during the rowdy October 28 session: “Bakit kayo nagmamadali. Ipapasa din namin yan.” Really, just two months before the end of the year 2023?

When Mayor Belen requested for a supplemental budget, the seven obstructionists did not budge even if the requested amount included the SRI, gratuity pay and retirement benefits of employees, saying they would be violating the subjudice rule if they give their stamp of approval after they questioned the passage of the 2023 annual budget in court.

This year, the obstructionists became a little kinder and passed the annual budget towards the end of March, but still three months late.

However, they continued to spurn the request of Belen for a supplemental budget of P600 million that was realized through savings and surpluses.

These unspent savings and surpluses that accumulated for two years or more, including the delayed passage of annual budgets that unnecessarily hampered programs and projects, impacted Dagupan City in the evaluation for SGLG.

Add this to the nagging problem of garbage, which cannot be addressed to the fullest as the requested supplemental budgets in 2022 and 2023 — which include funds to buy equipment, garbage trucks and others — had not been acted upon in the SP’s opposition-controlled.

These are no fault of Belen, but the seven obstructionists who did not care what would happen to Dagupan and its more than 180,000 residents.

They, with their crab mentality, succeeded in pulling down Dagupan, but not Belen, who endeared her more to her constituents because of her meaningful program “Unliserbisyo”.

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Following a fellowship with congressmen in Malacanang Wednesday night, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may have reigned in the lawmakers not to pass the impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte. 

But methinks this no longer matters because there is not enough time for these complaints to be acted upon in the House of Representatives given the approaching Christmas break.

Assuming that the trial of VP Duterte is affirmed by the House, it will even take more time and the campaign period begins for national candidates in February. 

Asked whether the impeachment or his campaign to keep another term in his post is of higher priority, a congressman readily picked the latter.

If the process does reach the Senate, it would be hard to muster 2/3 votes of the senators for VP Sara to be impeached.  It is a classic example of an exercise in futility, to say the least.

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The dream of many Dagupenos to see another bridge spanning across the Calmay River in their lifetime, will soon be realized with the slated groundbreaking of the Pantal-Calmay bridge.

This will take the place of the old Franklin Bridge built during the American Regime that was washed out by a big flood in 1935. The remnants of the Franklin Bridge, located in Barangay Poblacion Oreste, were made a part of Dagupan’s memorabilia of the past.

We recall that during the previous term of Mayor Belen, there was a boring test conducted by the DPWH at the Calmay River, but not much attention was given to it.  This upcoming bridge could be the result of that boring test.

Another bridge was proposed by Cong Toff that will link the island barangay of Pugaro and Binmaley to Bonuan Gueset, and to Silverio’s Restaurant leading to Mangaldan.

All these infrastructure bonanza in Dagupan happened because of the constant liaison by Mayor Belen with Cong Toff, DPWH and President BBM.

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