By Gonzalo Duque

 

I wonder how President Ferdinand Marcos or his government will end, given the various exposes’ made by former Congressman Zaldy Co, whether the assertions are AI-generated or not, as claimed by Rappler, an online news media organization.

The entire Marcos family, from BBM, Lisa, and Sandro, including former Speaker Martin Romualdez, is allegedly involved in various irregularities in public works projects and others.

The claim of Zaldy Co on the insertion made in the budget on the flood control may have led to the ”involuntary resignation” of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Budget Secretary Aminah  Pangandaman, and two very young (too young and corrupt?) undersecretaries.

It would seem that the play introduced by no less than Senator Panfilo Lacson, blaming these people for the gargantuan anomalies that rocked the PBBM administration, would stick.

But, defending President Marcos as one who has been misrepresented or cajoled into the entire process can not stand the scrutiny of former NEDA Director General Winnie Monsod, who expressed that “Marcos must have been too stupid or incompetent so as not to notice what was going on.”

Ping Lacson’s claim that Marcos was misrepresented can not stand the test of credibility. Or was Ping just stating the obvious?  Ha, ha, ha!

*          *          *          *

The trip of Mayor Belen Fernandez to the United States is not without any purpose.

I learned that she brought with her more or less 20 members of the Manlingkor ya Kalangweran (MYK)  to exchange knowledge with their counterparts at Milpitas City High School in California.

But what is more important to her is her mission to benchmark Milpitas City’s flood control mitigation program, which may serve as a model for Dagupan City.

Our friend, former Milpitas City Mayor Bogs Esteves, together with members of the Dagupan City Association of Northern California, has been accompanying Mayor Belen and her delegation. 

And so with my bosom friend, Jess Ugto, and his wife Claire.

Inan mu’d tan, Jess.

*          *          *          *

On behalf of the members of the Board of Trustees of the Lyceum-Northwestern University,  I congratulate the recent 2025 Nursing Board passers of our university.

Two hundred fifty-six of our graduates passed the board exam, with one of the examinees, Maricris Aguilar of Mangatarem, landing in the Top 10. She has made our university proud because of her achievements.

Our university was the only private university achieving  97.14 %passers for first takers and an impressive 90.78 percent overall performance, surpassing the 90.04 percent national passing rate, and is the only private university in Dagupan City and Pangasinan with a topnotcher.

I congratulate the dean, Judith Manuel, and the faculty for a job well done.