Poor Mr. Lomibao By Ermin Garcia Jr. THE brouhaha over the RFID tag being implemented by the Land Transportation Office is really much ado over nothing that is, if this were the USA or China. Unfortunately for Mangaldan-son Art Lomibao, as LTO chief, he is the biggest collateral damage, not…

The mad race to Congress By Ermin Garcia Jr. Picking up from where I left off in our last issue, taking stock of politics in the province, here are more. The district derby in the 1st District will be an interesting one.  It’s going be a political family feud of…

Taking stock of politics By Ermin Garcia Jr. FOR a change, let’s a take a quick look at the political horizon, both national and local, as it blinks on my radar today. The Noynoy Aquino magic is being touted today as the factor that canceled all current bets on the…

Jailing the mayors GUV Spines and the mayors whose towns operate open dumpsites, heads up! Given the recent jurisprudence on environmental laws, you are likely next to be cited in court for your continued failure to enforce and implement the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003).

A generation of “66% passing grade” By Ermin Garcia Jr. IF you would like an indicator on how the generation of Pinoys born in the 90s will fare when they reach adulthood, here’s how and hold on to your seats. There was a recent item in a national daily that…

What’s next after ‘Deputy Mayor’? By Ermin Garcia Jr. THE Dagupan City government is trailblazing in local governance in the province, or so it seems. The 31 barangays in the city will be formed into clusters to improve efficiency in the delivery of services to the barangays. That’s the good…

Make the police accountable By Ermin Garcia Jr. The provincial police have shown in recent weeks that, yes, it can win battles in the war against guns-for-hire and kidnap-for-ransom syndicates in the province.  The police’s recent strings of success demonstrated that all that was needed was to intensify its intelligence…

The chosen blessed few By Ermin Garcia Jr. The past week was both a depressing and an exhilarating period for me.  It was not only about Tita Cory’s demise but of good friends as well. I truly felt sad for their families because of their loss, but at the same…

Monthly fluvial parades in Dagupan? By Ermin Garcia Jr. The recent too frequent tidal flooding in Dagupan City is surely creating a wave of serious concern among residents. Could the city really be sinking? Will parts of the city soon be swallowed or just washed away?  They wonder. The city…

Crime statistics don’t solve killings By Ermin Garcia Jr. Finally, Smiley PD Barba, the provincial police director, looked like a winner last week. He finally had something worthwhile to report to the province. His command succeeded in collaring the leaders and 3 members of the notorious Colisao Gang, a group…