Punchline

Coliform bacteria breakfast for city hall?

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

Finally, the office of Mayor Benjie Lim issued a leveled statement minus the hysterics of his sycophants, to state and clarify its position in connection with the February 13 findings of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on the presence of unusually high level of coliform bacteria in the city’s rivers.

By simply brushing off the BFAR report as published by the PUNCH with malicious retorts did not help clear the air.

Today, his office maintains that the contamination of the city’s rivers then and now never risked the bangus industry nor the health of Dagupeños. What I find extremely amusing is the argument to sustain the claim – the brisk sales of the Dagupan bangus!

Again, Mayor Benjie misses the point.

The brisk sales are about continued popularity of the Dagupan bangus but certainly not a reflection of the extent of contamination in the city’s rivers. He can still thank his stars that the findings have not caused any outbreak so far.

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But what I do find truly absurd is the claim of the City Agriculturist Health Emma Molina that even the presence of a high level of coliform bacteria will not pose any serious risk hazards to the populace, not even to the touted Dagupan bangus.

Is that right? Well, as they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. So why don’t all the city hall officials drink the water from the Dawel river one early morning to prove to the residents that the presence of coliform bacteria is not hazardous to one’s health.

Talk is cheap, politics is even cheaper, idiocy is cheapest.

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I just wish Mayor Benjie learns to be more transparent and candid about his administration. By simply being belligerent and defensive, he can never be expected to provide the right solutions to his city’s problems.

For instance, his press release trumpeted that the city’s rivers are already cleared of coliform bacteria per the April 27 report of the BFAR. Not true.

The report containing the analysis of a Ms. Evelyn A. Danga, Agriculturist II of BFAR office in Bonuan Binloc stated: “Samples from Bo. Sabangan, Dawel and Lasip Grande contained Total Coliform bacteria above the maximum acceptable level and did not pass the standard…”

On city hall’s claim that presence of coliform bacteria does not affect the fish, the analysis referred to a “maximum acceptable limit of 5,000 Total Colilform bacteria for class C type of water, i.e., fishery water for the propagation and growth of fish and other aquatic resources, as per DENR Administrative Order No. 34, series of 1990 (subject: Revised Water usage and Classificatiohn/Water Quality Criteria Amending Section nos. 68 and 69, chapter 3 of the 1978 NPCC Rules and Regulations).”

If that statement is supposed to prove that coliform contamination does not affect the fish found in those waters, then I don’t know what does.

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While Dagupan bangus may still be fortunate enjoying brisk sales, imagine the havoc that will be created by findings of a scientific research that shows that Dagupan bangus is being raised in contaminated waters. The city government must not risk this perception by doing nothing.

It will be recalled that Boracay beach suffered greatly when news about the presence of a high level of coliform bacteria was spotted in its beach water. Well, the turnaround was quick because the town’s officials and residents did all too literally clean the beach’s shoreline and instituted strict sanitation standards.

Today, Boracay remains the top destination in Asia. Why? Because the local government and the population cared.

Will Dagupan City ever see such a collaboration? Perhaps if only he’d start traveling less, stops shooting messengers, rolls up his sleeves and buckle down to do some real work in governance.

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Chief PNP Lomibao stung by Supreme Court?

The decision of the Supreme Court declaring the issuance of Proclamation 1017 as constitutional but its enforcement as unconstitutional was a mean uppercut to the jaw of Chief PNP Pangasinense Arturo Lomibao.

The worse thing about it is, his bosses in Malacañang have not eased the impact of that blow with any statement to placate him.

It was the palace that told him that it was OK for him to pursue the calibrated preemptive response policy, that it was legal to arrest identified “destabilizers” without warrants, to violently disperse rallies and demos at will, to take over pesky media establishments, to censor news articles, etc.

Now, he is left to fend for himself and his subordinates who blindly followed him. His men who have been charged in court and those who are about to, are frantically looking for someone to offer them a legal defense for obeying his orders which the SC says were all illegal.

Let this be a lesson to all Pangasinenses in uniform and at the helm of government bureaucracies. It always pays to be more circumspect and discerning about other politicians’ agenda for you might yourself holding the smoking gun that someone used to murder the constitution.

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Yes, the PUNCH won the “best editorial page” category of the recent Philippine Press Institute’s prestigious annual community press journalism awards. It is actually already the 7th citation presented to the PUNCH since the awards were instituted in 1997.

This recent citation is a recognition of the importance of the role played by our columnists and cartoonist in the paper’s total make up. As our regular readers already know by now, the PUNCH grants its columnists a wide “no-holds-barred” latitude among them in expressing their ideas and sentiments (including biases) ever mindful of the fact that there is mutual respect among them, despite sharp differences in thought. This is where the paper draws its inner strength – independent views and fair, independent coverage of news by reporters.

We’ve always believed that a newspaper not beholden to any politician will always be supported and respected by its readers, and we feel vindicated by the support of loyal readers and advertisers.

So please oblige me with this chance to recite my thanks – to my uncle Gerry Garcia, Jun Velasco, Gonz Duque, Al Mendoza, Eva Visperas, Emmanuelle and Pons Decena, thanks for sharing their thoughts with our readers. A good part of the credit belongs to Ding Micua, Eva, Analiza Leyba, Andy Estrada, our photo contributors; to the operations staff Joy dela Cruz, Rod Ibasan, Rolly Dioquino, Julie Ann Arrogante and Errol Solis whose unwavering support for an independent media helped shape the PUNCH into what it is today.

To our readers, salamat ya balabaleg ed panenisya yo.

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