Punchline
How to get rich quick in Dagupan City
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
Leave it to our incumbent city officials at the Dagupan City hall to show you how to get rich quick at the expense of the city government.
First they must know that you come from a prominent, affluent and influential political family. Kung poor ka, sorry na lang.
Second, you must be well connected with the city hall that will prescribe the script for the process to get things done and get away with them. Kung wa ka say, sorry na lang.
Thirdly, the laws will be interpreted and stretched to suit your purposes. Kung masunurin ka, OK ka!
Such is the case of the planned controversial tourism complex being constructed today by Metrostate Realty Corporation at the Magsaysay Park.
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Dagupan City Engineer Virginia Rosario appears to be on the side of the law pointing out to The PUNCH that the construction by Metrostate Realty Corporation is illegal. She said the corporation has not been issued a building permit given the failure of the company to submit documents pertaining to its right to build on the controversial site, Magsaysay Park. What a discerning public official.
But her dutiful stand ends there. She attempts to defend the continued construction activity by citing a proviso in the Building Code that says no one can stop construction but that only penalty fines will apply for the delay in the issuance of a business permit.
By her statement, it would appear that it’s perfectly all right for a filthy rich family to build a resthouse in the middle of the city plaza without any building permit, and will not risk being stopped or arrested but will only be subjected to penalty fines.
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The city engineer must be reminded that the building code that she referred to applies to normal construction activities by owners of any real estate on their own properties. In other words, I can build a mansion on my 120 sq. meter lot, and government cannot stop me from completing it but it can compel me to pay corresponding fines for my failure to comply with legal administrative requirements.
But the issue at hand is not about an ordinary construction in a private property. The site of the construction is owned by the city, and therefore, unless and until the Siapno cousins who won the Metrostate Realty Corp. can produce documents which state it has legal right over it, they cannot be entitled to construct anything on that land.
Since no documents to show proof of rights over the property have been forwarded, what is Engr. Rosario waiting for? What happened to her notable discernment on the side of the people?
She must be warned that unless she enforces the law and acts to protect city government property, she risks being cited for violating the anti-graft and corruption practices act.
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MOROS ARE SHOWING THE WAY. From all indications, our brother Muslims in Mindanao are now showing the way how to fight shameless political warlordism, putting to shame Christians who would rather rely on priests to do the fighting for them.
I have come face to face with some of the witnesses from Mindanao who came forward to deplore the wanton disregard for our electoral laws. While they showed unmistakable serious fears for their lives, one cannot miss the raw courage they have mustered to help put an end to the cheating culture in our country.
It was refreshing to see them come forward to blunt efforts of our Comelec officials to cover-up for the latest version of “Hello Garci”.
(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/punchline/)
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