The ugly truth By Ermin Garcia Jr. THE damning silence in the local media about the biggest scandal in local politics that broke out was, and is, ominous for the local media and, unwittingly, for Dagupan Mayor Benjie Lim. The filing of the certificate of candidacy for mayor and the…

Palpak By Ermin Garcia Jr. WHY did Dagupan Mayor Benjie Lim do it? I am referring to the cheap stunt he pulled on Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez on the last day of filing of certificates of candidacy. Was it out of his desperation to get re-elected? Or was it plain…

Jaycees vs. Jaycee By Ermin Garcia Jr. THE bunch of Jaycees in Dagupan who have since acquired the undeserved titles of “Honorable” as city officials (and as executive assistants) running the affairs of the city, continue to be a disgrace not only to their families but to the JCI organization…

The double-dead resolution By Ermin Garcia Jr. SINCE sanggunian secretary Ryan Ravanzo filed a special civil suit against Mayor Benjie Lim and the city’s Judas 9, local media repeatedly quoted Mr. Lim saying: “There was nothing irregular or anomalous in the Sangguniang Panlungsod resolution authorizing me to initiate the sale of…

Monumental epal By Ermin Garcia Jr. AS expected, the ballyhooed campaign of the Lim administration contra illegal drugs in Dagupan turned out to be just another monumental epal, BSL-vintage. Evidently, all the publicity about dialogue with barangay officials and Moro community leaders and the MOA-signing with teachers and NGOs were…

Fire sale of MC Adore set By Ermin Garcia Jr. THERE is another potential complaint that will be filed vs. Mayor Benjie Lim, members of the Appraisal Committee, the city assessor and the Judas 9 before the Ombudsman. The expected fire sale of the MC Adore property will be another…

The three who dared By Ermin Garcia Jr. A SECOND open-and-shut-case against Dagupan Mayor Benjie Lim was filed before the Ombudsman for violating the country’s anti-corruption law by the tireless anti-corruption advocate, Leo Angeles, with a difference.  This time City Administrator Vlad Mata is caught in the net as well….

New unwitting conspirators   By Ermin Garcia Jr.  
  THE “P1.5M Onor-onors” have the honor of being the first line of conspirators in Dagupan Mayor Benjie Lim’s “value engineering” schemes, the hospital scheme being the latest. Now comes the second line. Mr. Lim surreptitiously schemed to drag the unsuspecting members…

Another multi-million racket? By Ermin Garcia Jr. HERE we go again! Something is cooking at the Dagupan City Hall…and its stench is beginning to seep through its doors.  Note this: Mayor Benjie Lim tells Dagupeños that the city “cannot afford to see politics hamper our efforts in saving Dagupan from sinking…

Dagupan ‘Waterworld’ City By Ermin Garcia Jr. FOR weeks and days, most parts of Dagupan were underwater. It was not hit by anything like Pepeng and Quiel of the past but simply by monsoon rains and high tide! While residents are still in denial about the prospect of seeing Dagupan…