The political scandal in Bani

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

“ONLY in the Philippines” is how I can describe the ongoing political scandal that now rocks the town of Bani. Where else can you find all the town’s elected officials being the subject of a petition for recall initiated by all of them? Only in Bani. Only in Pangasinan.

The irony of it all is that at the center of the controversy are legitimate issues and questions on governance. It’s the kind of controversy that many towns and cities can learn from if only a healthy political debate by politically mature politicians could be had.

Bani Mayor Marcelo Navarro Jr. has reason to bewail the undue delay in the implementation of his pet projects for his town. Indeed, his listed planned projects will benefit his constituents for a long time, i.e., new market, new cemetery, bio-mass power plant, etc. He suspects his political enemies who compose the majority in the town’s Sanggunian are out to derail his plans.

He now accuses the councilors in the majority for being obstructionists.

Perhaps so. Perhaps not.

On the other hand, the mayor’s perceived arch political enemies headed by the vice mayor, Filipina Rivera, are in the right to demand full transparency in the town’s transactions particularly in the use of the P70 M loan of the town.

The mayor has reportedly refused to present to the town council details of the feasibility study and design of the market despite repeated requests.  Why he refuses is beyond me, assuming that the mayor has nothing to hide.

All legit concerns, right?

I would surmise that that a simple compliance would enable him to proceed with his pet projects with the council’s blessings unless, of course, he cannot explain some details of the plan.  So what’s holding him back?

But Mayor Navarro saw it fit to intimidate the majority by initiating a recall petition against his detractors. Pang gulpi de gulat?

From where I sit, the petition for recall of the vice mayor and four councilors by the mayor citing “lack of trust and confidence” has no place in a democratic setting. “Lack of trust and confidence” can only be cited to seek the dismissal of persons charged with management responsibility by an appointing power.

In this case, the vice mayor and the councilors were duly elected, not appointed, by their constituents precisely to perform the very tasks that the mayor now questions and objects to.  No matter how good the mayor’s intentions are, the petition can only be perceived as a bully tactic. Besides, there is nothing in the local government code that mandates the councilors to serve at the pleasure of the mayor to deserve the trust and confidence of their constituents.  On the contrary, the law says as legislators they provide the check and balance for the people.

On the other hand, the retaliatory attack resorted to by the beleaguered councilors in the majority, initiating their own petition for the mayor and his allies’ recall, smacks of their own immaturity in dealing with the problem. As if the mayor’s scare tactic was not bad enough, the response of the lawmakers was just as disappointing. They thought nothing of compounding the situation for their constituents by initiating their own petition for recall against the mayor. For what reason? For initiating the petition against them? For refusing to accede to their demand for transparency?

Both parties could have avoided appearing pea-brained if they only chose earlier to submit to the jurisdiction of the Department of Interior and Local Government. After all it’s the office that has the authority to invoke the provisions in the Local Government Code?

There’s a lot of arrogance being displayed by both groups and they certainly are not doing justice to the mandate they recently got from their constituents.

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NOT FORGETTABLE. First the good news in Dagupan City.  The city is going to host a forum on the possibility of constructing a sanitary landfill (again!).

Now the bad news. The city government remains in denial about its failed sanitary landfill project in 2002.

The Lim administration continues to claim that the failed sanitary landfill project that cost the city P16 million was a result of “efforts by some sectors” to sabotage it. Hello?

Yet, the fact remains that not only did the 2001-2003 Lim administration fail to implement the project but it also caused the loss of the city government of any right to the land it bought. In brief, Dagupan City was deprived not only of the landfill as promised but lost all P16 million to a businessman who hoodwinked the city into buying a clearly overpriced land already targeted for land reform.

On the other hand, the city council today does not appear keen on confronting Mayor Benjie about the failed project and the P16 million loss of the city on account of his administration’s documented negligence.  The majority in the city council has the documents that point to a serious liability that resulted in the city’s loss of the title to the land because city officials of the 2001-2003 administration were evidently negligent.

This is one transaction of the city government that cannot and should not simply be swept under the rug and forget that it ever happened. Based on the PUNCH’s documented account of the issue, there was clearly an intent and a conspiracy from the very beginning to defraud the city government.

The conspirators must be unmasked and be made accountable for violating the Anti-Graft and Corruption law. I pray that someone soon will have the courage to stand up for what is right and due the city.

If the only issue was a lost opportunity, that would have been forgivable and forgettable. But losing a primary asset through conspiracy and willful negligence is criminal.

Let’s see if the forum would even dare discuss this at all.

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