By Gonzalo Duque

 

A lot of events vis-a-vs disasters, e.g. typhoons, earthquakes, flooding, and volcanic eruptions, have been frequently visiting our country. These are all natural calamities.

But the worst disaster that we have is the rampant graft and corruption in almost all levels of our government.

The present government under PBBM is about to collapse because it has not heeded the call of the people for accountability. Instead, it has resorted to mere ‘salad’ dressing in order to address the problem.

If only BBM would say that the buck stops with him, maybe there is still a chance at reconciling our fragmented people.

But this is not about to happen.

Even with the creation of the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI), our people are not to be fooled by such an act.

Our people are now tired of the circus going on in our country. We now have a nation divided, waiting to implode at any time.

We can only pray that the consequence will not be bloody and that our public officials realize that time is running out.

As I’ve said before, and I’m repeating it, being a lawmaker is no longer honorable.

There is now a silent rage going on in the veins of the Filipino masses, especially our young people belonging to the so-called Generation Z or Gen Z.

Some soothsayers or prophets of doom are one in predicting that this government will not last.

And I agree with them.

*          *         *          *

Despite the flooding going on in our city and its peripheries — Calasiao, Sta. Barbara, Binmaley, San Fabian, and Mangaldan — our mayor, Belen Fernandez, talked to the owner of a lot in Pogo Grande to allow the construction of a more-or-less 200 lineal meter-long dike at the back of their property. 

That section remains a gap in the flood control project on the western bank of the Pantal River. 

I understand that the lot owner just came from the United States, where she and her family are now based, and luckily agreed to have the dike constructed. 

However, I was told that any budget for flood control next year will now be under temporary suspension, and the funding will be diverted instead to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

So we’ll have to wait a little longer to fill in that gap.

In the meantime, a Flood Summit is being scheduled by the Office of Mayor Fernandez sometime this October with technical experts of the DPWH, PAGASA, DENR, and PDRRMO, representatives of our congresswomen in the fourth and third districts, and members of the academe and civil society invited to attend.

One sure thing that will come out in the planned Flood Summit is that any solution reached will need budgetary allocation to address the perennial problem of flooding, which would certainly amount to billions of pesos. 

But can we legislate that henceforth, no substandard or poorly done projects will ever be tolerated in our city and our two neighboring districts?

Let’s wait and see!

*          *         *          *

In anticipation of the upgrading of the Dagupan Police Station into a City Police Office next year, Mayor Belen will buy five new police cars and CCTV cameras that will be installed in all the approaches of the city, a lot in Bonuan where the City Police Extension Office will rise, renovate existing police precincts that are now dilapidated, and construct new ones.

Well and good.

But will these different initiatives by our mayor be enough in arresting our persistent drug problem and make Dagupan finally a drug-free city?

Recall that the upgrading of the Dagupan City Police Station into a City Police Office was provided in a resolution of the National Police Commission, with Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla as chairman.

A City Police Office will be headed by a colonel who will report directly to the Police Regional Director, without passing anymore to the Pangasinan Provincial Director, such as now.

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments