Karnabal-kasino By Ermin Garcia Jr. IF you chance upon a local karnabal in an open ricefield or an empty lot with an unmoving ferris wheel and one large peryahan table, don’t even believe for a moment that the barangay is celebrating its fiesta for a week. What you are seeing…

A man for others By Ermin Garcia Jr. HOW does one mourn the passing of someone whom one considers a relative but is not, someone who’s a friend but is more than that? I just lost my “elder brother”, a true friend.

Pangalatok no more! By Ermin Garcia Jr. I didn’t make it to the ASNA Awards…or to any celebration of Agew na Pangasinan. Somehow I feel I missed truly something very important. The staging of that affair made me feel nostalgic about being a Pangasinense…the pride of being one.

They who dared By Ermin Garcia Jr. PANGASINAN will perhaps hold the distinction of having the most number of its illustrious sons who found themselves at the receiving end of a presidential scorn and diatribe by one and the same President, but for two separate worthy causes. The first casualty was…

The common lawbreakers By Ermin Garcia Jr. NOW that all the trees, electric posts, walls, fences and bridges in the province have been vandalized and defaced by irresponsible ‘posterers’ of local candidates, people are waiting to see what Comelec and the candidates themselves are going to do about the situation.

Local politics is very personal By Ermin Garcia Jr. THE season for personal politics – local elections – will officially take off on Friday. As in any local election, be it for a public office or a mere association affair, everything will be viewed in the personal context. No criticism…

Another lasting legacy for Guv Spines? By Ermin Garcia Jr. COMELEC’S Atty. Reddy Balarbar and civic and professional groups in the province can learn a lesson or two from their counterparts in Cebu City on how to stop the wanton political vandalism in our towns and cities. The Commission on…

The good, the bad and the ugly ex- generals By Ermin Garcia Jr. IN our news this week is an item where former police director Pol Bataoil was quoted defending the right of former military and police officials to seek electoral posts in reaction to a scathing criticism from senatorial…

The ‘Posterers’ vs. ‘Baklasers’ By Ermin Garcia Jr. FINALLY (?),  the once inutile Comelec is beginning to show some fangs threatening to shame ‘pasaway’ candidates who blatantly  violate its rules applicable to candidates’  propaganda. The question is: will it bite? Or will it remain the docile, submissive entity powerless when…

Food and water crisis to hit home By Ermin Garcia Jr. I DON’T want to sound like an alarmist but I sense something is dreadfully ominous in the weeks ahead. So far, life in urban towns and cities goes on like there is no tomorrow. Each time a natural calamity…