Is the mayor protecting the syndicate?  

By Ermin Garcia Jr.  

DAGUPAN City Mayor Benjie Lim and his administrator Vlad Mata can cry a river disclaiming any knowledge or participation in the sale of public land and issuance of waivers to businessmen along the beachfront along Bonuan Binloc but their continued refusal to act decisively against the owners speak volumes for now.

And to say that the picture being painted of them by the barangay residents is ugly is an understatement.  They are already beginning to wonder how the loot was shared between the city and barangay officials, and who pocketed the most.

They are convinced that their mayor and barangay kapitan, Pedro Gonzales, will never lift a finger against the affluent squatters in their midst despite claims of forgeries in the issuance of waivers.  They noted that since Mr. Mata publicly denounced the waivers bearing their falsified signatures as fake early last month, the residents have yet to see anyone from city hall investigating the issue contrary to what the office of the city mayor claims.

From our end, we note that while Mr. Lim insisted that it is within the power of the city engineer to demolish any illegal structure in the city, he has adamantly refused to issue a categorical and written order for such a demolition.  His continued refusal to issue the official order to this day cannot but be interpreted by the residents as the mayor’s attempt to protect the unscrupulous affluent businessmen or a syndicate conniving with some officials inside the city hall.

By simply going public with his statement what the city engineering office is empowered to do, Mr. Lim obviously thinks he can easily shift the burden to City Engineer Virginia Rosario while remaining silent about the fact that demolition of any structure requires a written order from either the mayor or the courts.

Now, comes the latest discovery of the city council that the city hall has already began to take steps to legitimize the illegal existence and operations of the ritzy squatters by collecting “back taxes” like these were legal from the very beginning.  This further enraged the residents and legitimate businessmen in the city who are constantly harassed to pay more in business taxes.

The questions being asked these days in whispers inside the city hall and around the city are:  “Why does Mayor Lim appear to be protecting the racketeers and the unscrupulous businessmen?” “Why does the mayor refuse to call in the NBI?”

Indeed. Why, Mr. Mayor? Who are you trying to protect?

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After Mayor Lim’s’ son, Councilor Brian, succeeded in making the city council defer its contemplated action to ask the NBI to initiate its own probe into the racket that criminally used the authority of the city mayor, it behooves upon him to report and update the city on the investigation he claimed to be ongoing at that time. 

Note that nothing has since been heard about the status of the investigation from him nor from the city hall’s information office that reports on every “positive developments” in the affairs of the city hall.

 

The local media was never updated on any detail of the claimed investigation, i.e., know who is heading the investigation, who are being investigated and when will the final report be given to the city.  

Surely, for something as important as this, either Mayor Lim, City Administrator Mata and Councilor Lim should be able to report on the status of the investigation this week easily.  

Failing that, the people expect the city council to write that letter request to the NBI for assistance without delay.  The longer the councilors delay action, the easier it becomes for those behind the racket to cover their tracks. 

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NASAAN KA EMONG, NASAAN KA CHESTER?  Still on the issue of accountability in governance, the two point-persons in the last celebration of the Dagupan City fiesta should now be made to account for all the monies they received for the city in their capacities as Hermano Mayor and Deputy Hermano Mayor.

Councilor Emong Vallejos, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay and his deputy, Chester Gonzales, president of the SK federation, should detail to the city council the millions of pesos they received and spent for and on behalf of the city.

I do hope and pray that their colleagues in the city council will have the nerve to raise the crucial questions if indeed they are not simply paying lip service to transparency and accountability.

Emong tan Chester, agkila kumon unaamot ta nababaengan laray kaiba yon kapitan tan SK presidents!

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SIMPLY INCREDIBLE. I don’t blame the Espino administration for being incensed and incredulous over a news report that saw print in a national daily, painting a very negative picture about the state of health services in the province.  

This paper has seen and read numerous accounts of acquisition of a number of brand new medical equipment for the provincial hospitals, not to mention the impressive rehabilitation of the all hospitals’ premises and buildings so far, never seen nor heard of at anytime in the past.  This much the paper can vouch for. 

What could have been an outstanding, credible investigative report is about the how writer discovered irregularities in the purchases and utilization of the new equipment, but the writer did no such thing.  

If there is anything that any government agency or Guv Spines’ detractors can find fault in the Espino administration, it certainly cannot be found in the health services sector or in the agricultural services or in the promotion of local history and culture and sports. The lie can easily be refuted, and malice detected.  

So, if the swivel-type investigative reporter that wrote the piece is prepared to do an impressive piece based on facts, I suggest that he attempts instead to do a study and report on how the provincial police is fairing against killers-for-hire that operate in the province with impunity, the proliferation of illegal gambling via jai-teng, “Drop-ball”, and video karera in many barangays, many of which are just a stone’s throw from police sub-stations.   

Hopefully, the writer can elicit a credible response from the PNP and the provincial government.  (Hint: The latest statistics submitted by the provincial police are hardly impressive).  

So to pin down the Espino administration on “failing” health (or agricultural, cultural and sports development) services is definitely barking up the wrong tree. That much I know.  

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SAN FABIAN IN THE DARK. The political leadership in San Fabian, whether it likes or not, will be held accountable for any mishap or violence that may occur as a result of the prolonged disconnection of electric service in the town’s barangays.

It is not enough for Mayor Irene Libunao to simply blame the impasse between her and the barangay kapitans as the root of the problem.  She must seek a solution because the fact remains that the barangays are components of the town so whatever problems the barangays have, whether financial or social, the town’s leadership will be made to account.

At the end of the day, if San Fabian’s barangays will remain without electricity in the weeks and months ahead, it will not be the barangay kapitans that will be remembered as responsible for the months of dark nights in the town but Mayor Libunao.

I hope the town’s officials will come to terms soon to avoid a regrettable accident in the days ahead all because they could not reach a compromise on who should foot the electric bills.

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