Punchline
When a son protests too much
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
DON’T look now but at the rate Dagupan Councilor Brian Lim is adamantly opposing the sanggunian’s move to continue the investigation of the “fake” waiver scandal, the investigation will likely lead to damning, incriminating evidence at the doorsteps of the city mayor, his father’s office.
It’s just plain unnatural for a son to protest and oppose an investigation that will help validate his father’s claim that the latter’s signature is being forged and used for criminal purposes. Son Brian said he doesn’t see how the city council’s investigation will help! Duh? I am certain he will also oppose a council resolution inviting the NBI to join the investigation to ascertain the extent of criminal involvement of persons or a syndicate in the conspiracy. It’s about blood loyalty.
By protesting too much, son Brian, is saying a lot more! His naïve display of loyalty for his dad-mayor is virtually hinting to investigators to look for the smoking gun inside his father’s office.
While he’s at it, taking the cudgels for his dad-mayor, son Brian might as well help explain to his colleagues why his father-mayor still has not called Barangay Bonuan Binloc Kapitan Pedro Gonzales to explain the “sudden” proliferation of illegal structures in his barangay; why the NBI has not been asked to investigate and identify the members of the syndicate behind the swindling and falsification of documents; why the owners of the illegal structures have not been arrested for presenting fake documents to Decorp; why the Treasurer’s Office has not been called in to explain why the illegal “resorts” were not listed as among those without permits when it did a mapping months ago, and finally why city hall refuses to issue a written order if it believes it is the right thing to do.
His explanation will certainly cut corners for the councilors. And, I will be too happy to be the first to give the young Lim the credit for the early identification of the racketeers once the dust settles down. (The Mighty 8 councilors can claim credit only if they finally find the courage to file the complaints against the suspects for the city).
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EMONG IS STILL MISSING. Dagupan Councilor Emong Vallejos, as hermano mayor of the city fiesta, has decided to go into “hiding” with Dagupan SK president Chester Gonzales, the deputy hermano mayor, in tow until after the holidays. Both obviously know about the ongoing racket at the city hall, managed and controlled by the mayor’s office, but are not talking for reasons only known to them and their cohorts in city hall.
By deliberately refusing to account for the illegal activities and collection in the city in the name of the city fiesta…meaning the people of Dagupan…Messrs. Vallejos and Gonzales are already being labeled by good governance advocates in the city as “corrupt” by default!
What is tragic about Councilors Vallejos’ and Gonzales’ situation is that they are in the city council to represent the barangays and the youth respectively, mandated by law to promote their sectors’ legitimate interests, not for their personal gains as already being perceived.
I wonder what the other kapitans have to say about Emong’s “solo flight”.
And what of the SK members in the city who profess pride in their affiliation with SK, the movement that trains them as future community leaders? Will the city’s SK now be known as the training vehicle for corruption, thanks to Chester’s suspected participation in the conspiracy to defraud the city?
The duo’s silence is ominous, that’s for sure. Only they can redeem themselves at this point whether they remain worthy to remain in their posts representing their respective sectors or not. They must speak up and clear themselves if they can.
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MEDICAL TOURISM. Someone ought to tip off the camp of former President Gloria Arroyo that she has another viable option in case she ends up unhappy over her detention at the Veterans’ Memorial Hospital. She can opt to be detained in Pangasinan, specifically in Dagupan City.
If she is enamored with the world-class facilities of St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City, she can find such facilities in Dagupan City. Her allies in the province can attest that Nazareth General Hospital’s accommodation facilities can equal those of St. Luke’s hands down.
And if her trusted doctors can’t be in Dagupan, there is Dr. Raul Sabado, a noted orthopedic surgeon who can be on call for her needs.
However, if Mrs. Arroyo will still not be so inclined, the tourism promotions guys in the province should take note that Pangasinan is prepared to be a major destination for medical tourism.
The upgraded provincial government’s hospitals can be a good show window for starters. The array of medical specialists who choose to practice in the province in noted hospitals like Dagupan Doctors Villaflor Memorial Hospital, Luzon Medical Center, Specialists Group Hospital and Trauma Center, Medical City, etc. can certainly give Metro-Manila-based specialists a run for their money, that’s for sure. The province teems with 4 and 3-star hotels and a host of interesting restaurants that cater to varied tastes.
Medical tourism is a goldmine waiting to be tapped if only our tourism guys can measure up to challenge.
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A PUNCH READER’S THOUGHTS. I will give way to reader Francisco J. Mejia of Calmay, Dagupan City who patiently wrote and mailed (a rarity these days since most would just rather email us) a long letter. But because of space constraints and the law on libel, I will, however, have to directly quote some and paraphrase some of his thoughts for our readers’ consumption.
Mr. Mejia wrote: “I read every issue of the Sunday Punch and all along I observed the “sala sa lamig, sala sa init” attitude of your columnist Atty. Gonz Duque. He’s been playing as a “joker” between Mayor Benjie and Vice Belen, the difference between the two officials is about principle in governance. When you let these two people become one and let them forget about their (differing) principles, what will become of Dagupan?”
He continued. “The Sangguniang Panglungsod becomes onor-onor. Kampanti lay Mayor Benjie anggapo lay mangibagay mauges ya gagawaen to, similarly with Vice Belen and it will be very disastrous to the people of Dagupan just like what happened in the past.”
He went on to name another media practitioner as another “joker” but perhaps smarter than Gonz. This guy is betting on two horses – Mayor Benjie and Vice Belen – since “his son, his daughter and son-in-law are in the payroll of the City Government.” Whoever is the mayor, Mr. Mejia maintains, his kids stands to benefit. He wondered what’s in it for “Atty Gonz – I don’t know if his tax debt will be spared this Christmas by Mayor Benjie.”
Mr. Mejia also named four members of the local media who are in the city hall’s payroll – one radio broadcaster, two editors, and one columnist. (Note: I am not naming them here since I have not seen a cash voucher with their signatures). He named them to bring home the point that people cannot protect and promote press freedom for as long as there are media practitioners that are beholden to “corrupt politicians”. “Is this consistent with our fight for justice?” he asked.
Then he gave “Atty. Gonz as president of the media association” his unsolicited advice – “to launch a moral recovery program seminar for all members because only few media practitioners are living up to the standards of truth of press freedom.”
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