Narco list and nasty rumors By Ermin Garcia Jr.    NOW that the initial narco list of barangay officials is out, woe is the incumbent barangay official whose name is included. He/she will not have the opportunity to clear himself/herself of the government’s allegation. Such is life. It’s not fair….

Ombudsman, a lethal weapon By Ermin Garcia Jr.   FORMER Provincial Administrator Raffy Baraan and Provincial Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Office (PHUDCO) chief Alvin Bigay are finally absolved of allegations of serious misconduct by the same system that deprived them of justice due them four years ago. It was…

Clueless VP Leni By Ermin Garcia Jr.   THERE she goes again, completely clueless. VP Leni Robredo that is. During her recent trip to Europe with some LP stalwarts in tow, ostensibly to attend a series of meetings and fora on improving social justice and eliminating poverty, she not only…

Exciting times for barangays By Ermin Garcia Jr.   It’s heartening to note all the excitement I see and feel in our barangays not only in Pangasinan but in Metro Manila as well. It’s no longer simply the usual excitement of having to go through another political exercise, characterized by…

Dagupan, BJMP, CENRO on the spot By Ermin Garcia Jr.   MANY of us out here likely feel far removed and not affected by the decision of the Duterte government to close Boracay for six months beginning April 26.  It’s our usual self-denial mode that kicks in every time an…

Litmus test for political dynasty ban By Ermin Garcia Jr.   NOW that the barangay elections will finally be held in May this year, many are now beginning to share common thoughts about the state of their respective barangays. There is a growing sense to finally take Edmund Burke’s quote…

Making Dagupan crime-proof By Ermin Garcia Jr.   THE report about the still unsolved kidnapping of R1MC ‘s two health workers in Dagupan City should already be cause for serious worry and alarm. With no contact made by the abductors with families of the two victims for possible ransom, one…

Green cards for Dagupeños By Ermin Garcia Jr.   THERE’S another reason to feel privileged, special and happy about being a resident of Dagupan. On top of all the bold and fresh initiatives of the Belen Fernandez administration, a draft ordinance is now pending at the Sangguniang Panlungsod that gives…

‘Package deal’ in barangays By Ermin Garcia Jr.   THE results of the forthcoming barangay and SK elections will definitely determine if the war on drugs of the Duterte administration will succeed or come to naught by the time he makes his exit in year 2022. It’s no secret among…

Barangay officials still on drugs By Ermin Garcia Jr.   JUST as I feared, the lull in the war on drugs campaign, when President Duterte decided to pull out the PNP from the war on drugs, the drug syndicates did not waste time in fielding their street pushers back to…