P11 million racket in progress By Ermin Garcia Jr. TWO weeks ago, Aug 26 birthday-boy Dagupan Mayor Benjie Lim must have felt I was getting dangerously close to spoiling a number of rackets being pursued by the city hall to be at the receiving end of his diatribe and referred…

Denial King today, White Elephant King tomorrow? By Ermin Garcia Jr. DAGUPAN City’s Mayor Benjie Lim is undoubtedly on a denial mode, making him the city’s runaway “Denial King”. First, he acts and talks today like the failed sanitary landfill that cost the city a whooping P16 million never happened….

When art is a responsibility By Ermin Garcia Jr. THE pretentious artists just don’t get it…just like the pseudo journalists among us. The brouhaha over the controversial, if I may add, criminal exhibit of trash titled Kulo at the Cultural Center of the Philippines by a pseudo artist by the…

Another “deal” coming up By Ermin Garcia Jr. HERE we go again. Another potential business deal “made-in-heaven” for Mayor Benjie Lim. The Dagupan City government, under a Lim administration, is back to its nefarious buy-and-sell practice that always leaves the city shortchanged, if not defrauded.

All about politics and intimidation By Ermin Garcia Jr.   THE debate over the Dagupan City government’s claim that private schools should pay business taxes is far from over.  And if recent developments are any indication, the burden of proof this time, that no official abuse is being committed, has…

FOI Bill – PNoy vs. People By Ermin Garcia Jr. THE members of the Pangasinan Press Club who attended the seminar on the Freedom on Information Bill last month that the club hosted were lucky to get a comprehensive briefing, courtesy of former Ateneo law professor Alan Paguia.

Setting the record straight  By Ermin Garcia Jr.   IT can no longer be said that Dagupan City’s early political leaders circa 1947- 48 were remiss in their duty in setting the landmark for the city’s postwar growth and economic development via its official seal.

Putting his money where his mouth is By Ermin Garcia Jr.   FINALLY, what we feared about the future of the seafood processing plant is being validated by no less than the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

Hand-to-mouth existence By Ermin Garcia Jr. THIS month marks the 55th year of your Sunday PUNCH. In all modesty, I must say your PUNCH has come a long way in every sense of the word.  I certainly had no illusion at anytime in the past when I took over the…

Pinoy’s education at its worst By Ermin Garcia Jr. THE exceedingly bright policymakers at the DepEd kept their fingers crossed as they excitedly monitored the progress of the opening of classes across the country 3 weeks ago.