Punchline
Who needs the SK?
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
WHY isn’t anyone surprised that city and town councils are opposing the proposed move to abolish the sanggunian kabataan (SK)?
Over the years, the LGU sanggunians have learned to adopt one useful purpose for the SK representation in the council – political, nothing else! It doesn’t really matter if the SK chairman in the barangay or town/city takes on more responsibilities to enhance his exposure to governance. It doesn’t even matter to them if the SK president is an absentee president being a fulltime student in another city. Nobody really cares if the local SK chapter is active at all because it is not in the radar screen for public governance, or if the SK officials are over the age limit!
I may not have the officials statistics about it but I surmise that 90% of the present crop of SK officials, particularly the presidents, are relatives of incumbent barangay, town/city officials; and I’d say about 60% are absentee presidents, and only 10-15% of kids (in the SK bracket) are active members of the chapters. Many hold activities that require funding for purchases (ala-pork barrel), i.e., basketball equipment, etc. that are never accounted for (based on a “tutorial” provided elders in the political family). Check out the composition and activities in your own barangays and tell me if I’m wrong about my assumptions. (If I am mistaken, the exceptionally successful chapter is a rare exception. Let’s identify it!).
So why is the SK suddenly an important unit in spite of its widespread failure to fulfill its mandate, its purpose as a training ground for public servants? It is important for one and only one primary reason: It gives bad political dynasties a chance to thrive and increase!
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I, therefore, find Dagupan councilor Jose Netu Tamayo’s proposition in support of the self-serving resolution by the do-nothing SK president Chester Gonzales seeking to oppose the bill filed in the House of Representatives as preposterous.
He reportedly went on record to say: “If there are issues about the people running it, then they should file cases against these people and not remove the organization.” Duh? Who will do that? Who will dare publicly rebuke the son, daughter, grandson or granddaughter, sister or brother of a mayor, councilor, barangay kapitan for malfeasance?
Take the case of Mr. Gonzales himself. Did anyone ask for his suspension in the city council when he was charged for attacking kids from Mangaldan? Were his companions, reportedly SK officials, too, reprimanded? No, sir. I don’t recall Mr. Tamayo raising a howl himself against the grandson of Barangay Kapitan Pedro Gonzales. In fact, not a single councilor stood up to chastise the mayor’s favorite Kapitan’s grandson. Come on, Mr. Tamayo, get real!
Then the “decision” of Mr. Gonzales who opted to join the minority in the city council is another reason for the SK’s abolition. Why would SK be in the opposition? It should logically always be in the majority as a manifestation of collaboration with the LGU since SK is not a political animal but a unit in the bureaucracy. Was the decision the SK federation’s decision? Or was it a decision made for him by his grandfather-kapitan?
Who needs the SK? Only the politicians who need it for political purposes.
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GUV SPINES’ NEXT WAR – Dangerous Drugs Board chairman Sec. Bebot Villar finally has reason to be pleased with the Espino government.
Guv Spines is finally donning his armor for his biggest war yet – against druglords in the province. After scoring a string of victories in his wars for better health services, for preservation of culture, for sports development, for environment protection, for improving government employees’ morale, he is obviously ready for his last legacy war yet – the protection of the future of young Pangasinenses contra illegal drug addiction!
Go for your next legacy, Guv Spines! Knock ‘em dead! Oops, do I mean that literally? Go ahead, make our day. A case that may be filed by the Commission on Human Rights may just be your most prestigious badge of honor yet!
Make Pangasinan (including Dagupan City in the process) truly drug-free, the first and only province in the country that can boldly make that claim!
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CLOSET ALLY. Unknown perhaps to Mayor Belen Fernandez, she has a staunch ally for her reform program in Dagupan in the person of Mr. Francisco Mejia of Calmay District. In fact, Mr. Mejia already communicated with the Ombudsman and the Commission on Audit last year about rampant corruption of the Lim administration.
In his letters to Ombudsman Conchita Morales and COA Commissioner Heidi Mendoza, he detailed accounts of the corruption of the Lim administration, from the feeding program, the events that led to the construction of the Metro Plaza by Metro State Realty Corporation in spite of the Ombudsman’s ruling upholding the decision of City Engr. Virginia Rosario denying the corporation a building permit, and the illegal disbursement of calamity funds in 2010, illegal funding of projects from the city’s Internal Revenue Allotment. In all these, he asked that former City auditor Ofelia Celi be made accountable for not fully reporting on these.
Recently, he wrote City Auditor Virgilio Quinto to make public his findings about the withdrawals made by city councilors as chairmen of past city fiestas and Bangus Festivals. He said he and others are prepared to file the charges against the erring councilors who misused the city’s funds “so that they will not be emulated.”
Well, it looks like the Benjie Lim loyalists may have found another person to include in their “hate-list” which reportedly has my name and that of Fire Player Gonz Duque on top of that list. I understand that to qualify for inclusion in their dreaded “We hate you” list, one must have talked openly about the corrupt Lim administration that they vehemently deny. I believe there are thousands more so if it’s any consolation to Mr. Mejia, I hasten to say you are in good company.
(Speaking of BSL’s loyalists, none of those who insist in their claim that Mr. Lim is recovering from a major stroke has admitted to have seen Mr. Lim personally, not since he disappeared last May 12. I guess just to make the unverified claim simply makes them feel good about being loyalists. Sige la sirin!).
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IT’S OK! District Engr. Rodolfo Dion explained to this corner why business establishments along A.B. Fernandez Avenue in Dagupan need not worry about the effects of the elevated road.
He cited the elevated sidewalks that would be completed will prevent the flow of floodwater inside the stores whose floor levels are aligned with the sidewalks. Stores, however, that are not leveled with the sidewalk may have to elevate their own frontage to align with the sidewalk to minimize flow of rainwater (not floodwater) inside their establishments.
By the way, Engr. Dion has been transferred to Candon in Ilocos Sur. He is succeeded by Eng. Gary Paragas as district engineer.
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