By Gonzalo Duque   THE Sanggunian Panlungsod has passed a resolution expressing its profound gratitude to outgoing Mayor Brian Lim, commending him for his “sterling leadership  and competent management” of the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a positive move of the august body.  Recognizing the mayor’s awesome and…

By Gonzalo Duque   I was happy to learn that the 2022 annual budget as proposed by Mayor Brian Lim was finally approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod. But the report that the office of the mayor initially did not like to receive the approved budget was worrisome. It appeared City…

By Gonzalo Duque   I congratulate the ascendancy of Congressman Conrad Estrella III of the Abono party list as secretary of the Department of Agrarian  Reform, a post once held by his late grandfather and namesake Conrado F. Estrella who was DAR’s first secretary for 16 years and also former…

By Gonzalo Duque   I am surprised by the unusual delay in the passage by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of the proposed 2022 budget of Dagupan’s  which the administration of outgoing Mayor Brian Lim wanted to fast track before the elections. Our earlier suspicion that the urgency to approve the budget before the campaign period was really meant for Brian’s political…

By Gonzalo Duque   I am happy that almost all the barangay captains of Dagupan filed their timely objection to the application for franchise of Pamana and its proposed water rate increase lodged before the National Water Resources Board. Atty, Jose Tamayo is right that if the NWRB grants the…

By Gonzalo Duque   I want to congratulate all the winners in the recently concluded local elections. And best wishes to those who lost and accepted their defeat. To those who lost but are still at it, continuing with their politics, better luck next time. When I attended the proclamation…

By Gonzalo Duque   I congratulate Mayor Belen Fernandez for a victory that is well-deserved. Honestly, I was surprised by her huge margin of victory of more than 14,000 over incumbent Mayor Brian Lim. I surmise that maybe, the 14,000-margin was the consequence of the miscues not only of the…

By Gonzalo Duque THE elections will be over by Monday, and as far as Dagupan City is concerned, methinks the ticket of Belen Fernandez and Bryan Kua is unbeatable. My sense of Mayor Brian Lim is he devoted too much of his time, even when he was still vice mayor…

By Gonzalo Duque   I’M sorry, I missed my last week’s column because the extremely high heat index at 54.39 degrees made me feel a little weak. So, I decided to have a complete rest. I fear that the high heat index we’ve been experiencing over the past weeks, may…

By Gonzalo Duque   I sympathize with the bereaved family of former Mayor Belen Fernandez and her siblings on the demise of their beloved mother, Doña Remedios Tan Vda de Fernandez. The Fernandez matriarch was a model mother having been a Pro Ecclesias et Pontifice awardee, the highest award given…