Cong. Toff de V and the SOGIE bill By Ermin Garcia Jr. NOTHING has been heard so far from the House of Representatives but we are told Fourth District Rep. Christopher De Venecia is staunch supporter of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity or Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill SOGIE bill….

Mayor Brian: Solution to flooding after 10 years By Ermin Garcia Jr. A friend texted me if I’ve heard any word from the Dagupan City Hall about formulated plans to check the worsening flooding in the city caused by high tide alone.  I had to admit I’ve not heard of…

A father-and-son story By Ermin Garcia Jr. THE blasted illegal fish pens along the Calmay River during the Belen Fernandez administration are back with a vengeance! And if I’m not mistaken, these are the same illegal fish pens that were allowed to mushroom (and protected by the City Agriculturist Emma…

Stop plea bargain for drug offenders By Ermin Garcia Jr. WEEKS ago, the dilemma of Dagupan City police chief, P/Lt. Col. Abubakar Mengelen Jr. caught my attention. He wondered why he was seeing the same persons being arrested in buy-bust operations. How was that possible, he asked. Indeed, how? When…

Soon Dagupan, Pangasinan dengue-free? By Ermin Garcia Jr. HERE’S a heads up to the Dagupan City government, and yes, to the provincial government. Firstly, I hope the city government will soon realize that Dagupan City can pride itself to be the only dengue-free city in the country! How so?  The…

Fr. Soc, the politician By Ermin Garcia Jr. I grieve for my archdiocese, Lingayen-Dagupan. This was the archdiocese that molded and strengthened my faith in the Catholic Church from my boyhood years. I was exposed to the duties and work of the clergy early in my grade school days because…

Exploiting the plea bargain option By Ermin Garcia Jr. THE recent revelation of Dagupan City Police chief, P/Lt. Colonel Abubakar Mangelen Jr. that drug syndicates have been exploiting the plea bargain process offered to arrested drug pushers and users, is a serious cause for concern as evidenced by the series…

Wanted: The farmers’ champion By Ermin Garcia Jr. IT is heartening to learn that Fourth District’s Cong Toff de V has refiled his Magna Carta for Young Farmers in the 18th Congress which was unacted on in the previous Congress.  Perhaps, the bill may never be passed because the intended…

First legacy for Lim administration? By Ermin Garcia Jr. THE opening of the spanking transport terminal on De Venecia Highway will go a long way at decongesting worsening vehicular traffic in Dagupan City. That the heavy vehicular congestion is going to happen is a no brainer. Every year, more families…

Firmly committed at 63 and beyond! By Ermin Garcia Jr. THIS month, your SUNDAY PUNCH marks its 63rd year of publishing, without any interruption since 1956. The PUNCH continued publishing even when terror struck us and founder-editor Ermin E. Garcia, was shot and murdered in our office in 1966, during…