Another conspiracy in the offing

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

There are questions about the ongoing illegal construction activity inside the Magsaysay Park in Dagupan City that just boggle my mind.

If the city engineer says the construction was never issued a building permit, and that her office has no knowledge of any authorized activity inside that city government property, then why doesn’t she go after the contractor who is blatantly violating the city’s ordinance? Why is this contractor “untouchable”?

And why hasn’t City Legal Officer Dindin Baniqued thrown the book at the contractor in same speed and process that she applied on erring city hall employees in the past? Is it because she’s part of the scheming?

Will the two ladies please tell the people why? Is there another conspiracy to keep the people in the dark?

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PUNCHLINE BY BSL. A number of PUNCH readers are wondering why my favorite mayor has chosen to be mum in the face of the series expose’s about irregularities in the city hall. Some even wondered if he cares to read what’s written about him at all.

The fact is, he hates the PUNCH and reads it! How do we know that for a fact? I get an earful of condemnation from his numerous “apologists” in radio and in other newspapers. The stock reaction is – “Ermin Garcia is simply sour-graping.” 

Does he explain his position? Yes, by simply maintaining there is no irregularity and all these exposes are a figment of my imagination, period.

Did he ever write to the PUNCH to explain his side? Never. Perhaps, he doesn’t believe his reaction will see print. (But when his able city administrator does, we make sure it goes to print).

So, in case my favorite mayor still doubts he’ll get space, I guarantee him my column space in full and anytime, just for the opportunity to explain himself and be accountable to our people. (Sorry, but a mere recitation of “achievements” will have to be printed as “Paid advertisement)”.

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THE TRAP. Just as I had expected, our former chief PNP Art Lomibao opted out of the congressional race. It was a timely exit and a graceful exit nonetheless.

But what is not lost to many is the fact that he lent himself for a moment to the political psy-war between Speaker Joe de V and my favorite mayor. Why do I say that? Because it was obvious to him and to everyone else around him that he simply didn’t stand a  chance from the day he reckoned he could be a congressman. While the Speaker laughed off earlier any threat from Mr. Lomibao, the  latter’s entry could have still shaved off substantial support for him in Mangaldan, making Mr. Benjie’s odds better. That could have been a factor for Mr. Benjie to believe that he can continue to play his trump card against the Speaker.

Now that Mr. Lomibao has opted out, it’s back to square one for Mr. Benjie. The odds are suddenly not again not good facing the Speaker in the district but he already lost his trump card in Dagupan City. There is now the Al Fernandez-Belen Fernandez tandem that will steamroller anything that stands before it. 

My favorite mayor has been boxed in. It was a trap laid out for my favorite mayor and he fell for it. Tsk-tsk.

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WILL HE OR WILL HE NOT?  So, what’s in store for my favorite mayor?

My crystal ball says he actually only has two options left. The first is for him to do a  Lomibao. To get out of the city pronto and take the first trip to China for the long overdue business appointments. The second is for him to sell some real estate properties, terminate some time deposits, sell the blue chip stocks and prepare for his biggest political battle yet –  meaning, prepare to lose all that money!

My guess is, he will take the first option. He is much too pragmatic to risk losing a year’s “profits” all for the glory of possibly giving JDV a run for his money. Now, in his mind, JDV is not worth his millions.

But what happens to his talented son Brian? Perhaps a last ditch  effort to include him in the council line-up will, in JDV’s parlance, be the win-win solution.

And voila –  Speaker Joe de V will remain the 4th’s representative. Whether or not he will remain a Speaker is another story. I’ll dwell on that soon.

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BRIAN’S IDEALISM. Speaking of Brian Lim, don’t knock the guy off your political screen. If he doesn’t take after his dad, he might just be the next popular and best politico around. I only pray that his idealism today will persist till the day he becomes the city’s future chief exec.

I can only hope that the pro-people programs he started at the Magic enterprise were not only for politicking purposes and will continue in the years ahead.

Here’s my unsolicited advice to Brian: Don’t ever mix business with public office! People who did ended up either bankrupt or have corrupted public office.

And to my favorite mayor: Stay clear of Brian. He has a bright future ahead of him. (Ooops. That was none of my business).

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GUADIZ ON THE MOVE. Well, well…look who’s talking bright and upright! It’s our Absentee Councilor Teofilo Guadiz III!

In his attempt to justify and promote what was patently an irregular process in awarding the contract of the tourism complex inside the Magsaysay Park last year, he pooh-poohed the observation forwarded by Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez that the legal process was not observed. Today, he now wants to impress on everyone in the city that due process as prescribed by law is paramount as in the case of the supposed  “midnight appointments”.

Gee, I wonder what prompted our Absentee-councilor, who figured prominently in the past in facilitating the city contracts for the over-priced sanitary landfill in San Jacinto, the over-priced streetlights, the over-priced Malimgas market building, the over-priced dredging machine, to make this turn-about.

Does he actually think that his “pro-good governance” stance today can easily make people forget how he manipulated the city council to serve his personal interests since 2001?

Some perhaps who will stand to benefit from his goody-goody moves today will elect to forget-but not this corner. He is as much responsible as   Mr. Benjie Lim for the huge losses that the city government suffered due to corruption.

I   assure him this corner will never forget how an absentee chief Onor-onor used the city for his own purposes.

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THE POLITICAL DOGS.  The gubernatorial derby today, particularly the party intramurals between Gov. Vic Agbayani and Vice Governor Oscar Lambino, clearly illustrates what ails the governance and the political system.

Note, there is no party-system to speak of, only the “bata-bata” system exists. There is no platform of government that matters, only political machineries matter. There is no performance issue, only beneficial political relationships are important.

It’s the “dog-eat-dog” culture of our politicians.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/punchline/)

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