THE ABORTED HALO-HALO ESCAPADE. It’s during the love month when lovers are most expressive in their emotions. And two lovers, both school principals but assigned to different schools in the third district, already in their past 40s, would not want to be left behind and set their secret date. They…

THE EPALS ARE BACK. Will somebody tell a couple politicians in the east to remove their flyers showing their respective photos on projects being built by the government out of the people’s money? And we are not just talking here of one or two flyers but many flyers spread over a single project.

HAZARDOUS STREET BARRICADES. Recently, a concerned citizen informed The PUNCH of the dangers posed by the steel barricades in Asingan, “unmanned even at night, obstructing traffic and causing accidents.” It will be recalled that DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson issued Department Order No. 29 directing all DPWH field officials to strictly…

WHEN THE TRUSTED CHEATS. To politicians, be careful with your finance officers. They could make or unmake you. A mayor, a lady and a top provincial official discovered three weeks ago the manipulation and false report of a financial liaison of the latter about a sum the boss ordered to…

BCS RALLY. I was really dismayed at how the parents of pupils and the teachers at Buenlag Central School in Calasiao reacted against the school principal. They held a picket rally and even locked the school gate to prevent their children from attending their classes. I could’ve understood the staging…

ILLEGAL BONUS. A curious thing happened in 2012 during the past Dagupan City administration. The emergency workers and technical consultants and plain consultants numbering some 900 were given their cash gifts and Christmas bonuses although they were not entitled to such perks under the law. The issue surfaced during the…

IDEAL PUBLIC SERVICE. How I wish all employees in government offices could be like the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Baguio City. Here’s the story of a satisfied client. A woman in her 40s who did not identify herself as a media practitioner, with no connections…

WHAT HAPPENED TO DUE PROCESS? —In our last issue, the banner story was on the dismissal from service of Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan and Provincial Housing and Urban Development Officer Engr. Alvin Bigay. For this, they were meted the accessory penalties of cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits and perpetual…

IRRESPONSIBLE PRACTICE. A broadcaster in Pangasinan is being probed by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) officers composed of station managers for his irresponsible practice as practicing broadcaster, particularly concocting facts. The latest of which was his claim in his block time program that a ranking KBP official…

TIME FOR SOLAR POWER. Finally, a solar panel loan from PAG-IBIG is, indeed, a good news for members like me who also want to avail of free electricity from the sun but cannot afford the technology. It is high time we consider renewable sources of energy given the possibility of…