Random Thoughts

WRONG ARGUMENT, COUNCILOR! We can’t understand why one or two of the oppositors to the transfer of Dagupan City Hall to another site kept on talking about a supposed Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) based on alleged study by UP Planades, which they claimed to have been approved in 2003 during the administration of then Mayor Benjamin Lim, as if that existed.

This despite a letter of DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero on Oct. 15, 2010 to then Mayor Lim informing the city government that the 2003 proposed CLUP never became operative as attested by the HLURB committee in the House of Representatives.

The letter went on to advise the city mayor to update the same but did not take any action, that was why developments in the city had yet to be based on the old CLUP promulgated yet in 1978 during the administration of former Mayor Cipriano Manaois.

Panadero, in effect, affirmed that the 2003 CLUP had no intrinsic value but which the oppositors refused to take into account.

They seem to think that the CLUP supposedly approved during Lim’s time is better than the valid 2015-2025 CLUP approved during the time of Mayor Belen, which is not the case.

Past mayors after Opring, like Liberato Reyna and Al Fernandez, did not make any move to renew the CLUP, that was why developments in the city was sluggish compared to other cities.

To his credit, Mayor Benjie Lim attempted to produce one but his efforts were simply not enough. He failed to complete the process, by failing to submit the required documents.

Mayor Belen, who saw to it that she won’t commit Lim’s mistakes, succeeded where past mayors failed. She was more persistent than the others, and personally attended the discussions before the regional and national HLURB boards, helping clarify responses of her department heads.

She patiently followed up on the status of her submitted CLUP because she knew a new CLUP would be vital to her city’s growth and development.

That is why two oppositors were talking through their hats, spreading fallacies, spreading fake news for claiming that Lim’s CLUP is operative and that the 2015-2025 CLUP is merely a reproduction of the Lim’s 2003 version.

They have been insisting on it obviously to cast doubts on Belen’s CLUP and to buttress their position that transferring city hall to Pantal along the De Venecia Expressway Extension is a wrong move aside from it being tainted with corruption.

Failing to make their case, they organized and staged a rally in front of the city museum, paying “protesters” P100 to P300 as “rally fee” out of desperation. The ‘fixed’ rally could have perhaps served their cause if they had carefully screened and rehearsed their ‘actors’. The ‘protesters’ met Mayor Belen with cheers of “Mabuhay si Mayor” when they saw her. Tsk-tsk. – Leonardo Micua

 

WRONG MOVE, MAYOR! Leaders should know the limit of sympathizing with their supporters.

Mayor Philipp Peralta of Balungao town is one kind of a leader who seems to disregard the consequences of showing his love to his people. I’m afraid some might interpret his recent acts as coddling or protecting suspected criminals, including drug personalities.

On July 3, he led a group of about 200 Balungao residents, composed mostly of town employees, as they headed towards the town police station to denounce the alleged harassment by lawmen in implementing search warrants.

They carried placards that convey their wrong messages.

Why the big fuss? Saan galing ang hugot ni mayor?

Three barangay captains and one kagawad were arrested and posted bail after raids made on their residences yielded positive result on illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

They are supporters of the honorable mayor.

Nagsumbong. Naniwala. Nagprotesta.

Carried by his emotions pero mukhang nakalimutan ni mayor atang timbangin ang rason, he led a protest rally in front of the police station after their flag raising ceremony.

Nakakatakot yung ginawa ni mayor kasi hindi lang tungkol sa illegal guns ang usapin dito kundi pati illegal drugs.

Part of the lament of the mayor and the residents is: bakit naman mga small people ang nire-raid eh kawawa naman sila.

But sir, have you forgotten that the law is for everyone, walang pinipili, walang kinikilingan? No one is above the law, right?

If you sense injustice in the implementation of search warrants, why not go to court?

If you feel that wrong people are listed in your drugs watch list and should not be subjects of police operation, have you not asked their respective Barangay Anti-Drugs Coordinating Councils that lists the suspected drug personalities and validated by the police about their inclusion?

It has been one year since an all-out war was waged by President Digong. Why cry foul only now after it was found out that some of those identified in the drug watch list turned out to be your supporters?

I know of some officials who quickly turn down their people who seek their help after they were involved in police operation on illegal drugs.

Mahirap nang mapagkamalang drug protector,” I often heard this from these officials.

Pero si Mayor Peralta, hanep, atapang a tao ah.

The Balungao raids on illegal firearms involving barangay captains/kagawads are not an isolated case, as it has also been happening elsewhere in Pangasinan.

The big difference, however, is in Balungao, the mayor thought of holding protest rally would end the police operations.

I don’t believe this.

Kung mali, managot ka sa batas.

I asked the opinions of fellow newsmen about this Balungao case and all were in unison in saying, “Wrong move ni mayor yun”.

Local officials being harassed by the police or the police being harassed by local officials?I wonder what the DILG, which has jurisdiction over these two sectors, will react to the Balungao incident.—Tita Roces

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