Punchline
Betraying BSL
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
THE two hearings of Dagupan City sanggunian’s Blue Ribbon Committee on the complaints I filed have so far yielded two common denominators.
First, there are no denials but explanations of the complained irregularities. Second, the officials concerned pointed to Mayor Benjie Lim’s policies as the culprit.
The first was about the accountability of City Agriculturist Emma Molina over the sudden proliferation of illegal fish pens in the city. The second was about accountability of Market Supervisor Aguedo Sta. Maria over the poor collection and low remittances of fees collected from market vendors and stall lessees.
Both claimed that they had no fault whatsoever in the alleged anomalies and it was former Mayor Benjie Lim’s “policies” that led to the violation of the city’s ordinance on fishery and abnormally low collection of fees.
I sure wished Mr. BSL were around to listen how his once loyal subjects have turned against him. I surmise there will be more Judases who will turn up. Wanna bet?
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Personally, I can only thank both for validating The PUNCH’s published reports and my own commentaries about the widespread corruption that marked the three terms of the Lim administration. Lim loyalists like them adamantly denied these while they served at the pleasure literally of Mr. Lim.
My only lament about the past proceedings is that the committee had not gone beyond calling in the subjects of my complaints to explain themselves…and yes, to acquit themselves. I wish Councilor Joey Tamayo and the other members of the committee had called in more witnesses (resource persons) with records who can add more information how the reported anomalies came about. There are the subordinates and official records that can validate or negate the claims but these were not called to enlighten the proceedings. No other details were established except what the subjects offered in defense of themselves.
The committee would serve the people more if it sought the truth in order that better laws and policies can be crafted, and the guilty parties admonished, and reprimanded if not sued by the Ombudsman motu propio. (This is also in
fairness to Mr. Lim who is being blamed for the anomalies).
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EMBARRASSMENT. The impasse between the Dagupan City government and the Citystate Savings Bank cannot remain unresolved beyond February.
Either the city government provides a way out or it summarily orders the suspension of its operations. Or the bank offers an alternative as compromise to the problem posed by its situation and agree to a counter-proposal. Or the city sangguinian steps into the picture finally and decide on an action that will compel a definite ending to the impasse.
The continued operation of the bank without complying with the city’s ordinances is an embarrassment both to the local government and the bank itself. If the city hall is determined not to issue the requested permits, then it must back it with the legal and political power to enforce its will, otherwise the city government is perceived as selective in its enforcement of the law. Not good. On the other hand, a bank that is clearly operating without the required permits cannot be seen by the community as trustworthy, a label that is not deserved by one accredited by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
What should not weigh in for the bank is the claim that the bank, owned by Mr. Antonio Cabangon Chua, deserves special treatment because it is one of his many establishments in the city that employ many Dagupeños and contribute to the city’s coffers. The city owes Mr. Cabannog Chua, his trumpeters claim. They must be extra careful in making this claim because reports by some of their employees of alleged unfair labor practices including non-payment of minimum wages have been relayed to us. Even city hall records reportedly show that the low business taxes paid over the past years by some of these establishments were in identical numbers making their declarations suspect. I suggest they clean their backyards first before making huge claims lest they invite investigations by the Department of Labor and BIR.
That argument aside, a decision must be reached either way, whether favorable to the city or to the bank. But it must end.
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MARK HIS WORD. The earlier declaration of former Cong. Mark Cojuangco that he will seek the governor’s post in 2016 should not really come as a surprise.
What made others fall off their seats was simply the fact that he announced it before others could, and at a time when Guv Spines was not looking. I don’t blame many who were quick to describe his announcement as ill-timed and unfair since there were no consultations within his party. But that’s politics. (To Guv Spines’ credit, his statesman reaction “Trabaho ti ni!” is admirable).
But Mr. Cojuangco’s move was, in fact, to be expected. Since the PDAF was made to vanish in thin air, it’s inevitable that our national legislators who exalted under the PDAF policy are lured to the local government. For decades, they have been made to believe that to be a good congressman, one must deliver projects never mind that he or she never filed a single bill for enactment into law.
Unknown to many perhaps is that local governments still have an item called “Development Funds” (translation: pork barrel) in their annual budgets. It’s no different from PDAF, the only difference being the words PRIORITY and ASSISTANCE are dropped and more! The discretion of the local executive on where and how to spend the millions is complete and unfeterred. (Note: The province’s 2014 budget includes a P600M DF).
So wonder no more why there will be some 10 former and present legislators who now have moist eyes on Guv Spines’ post… and mayoralty posts of rich towns.
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LOYALTY. Not a few PDAF-scam watchers in Pangasinan and elsewhere were shocked and disappointed by the totally unexpected tirade of Vice President Jojo Binay, bewailing the trial by publicity of his political comrades – Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada – to demonstrate his loyalty to his partymates.
Mr. VP lashed out at the duo’s perceived detractors at the senate where an investigation continues to present witnesses implicating his special friends. What made his remarks more telling is the fact that he never invoked the same for primary suspect Janet Napoles and other officials implicated by the whistleblowers.
This has made many rethink of how things could be under a Binay presidency. Recall how many were enamored with his “Ganito kami sa Makati ngayon…” that promised faster progress for the country. His latest antics may very well paint a different setting, a scary scenario – “Kaibigan ko sila, hwag silang galawin!” – could be the rule once he becomes president. Makapataktakot!
There goes Quezon’s “My loyalty to my party ends where my loyalty to my country begins.”
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FOBB. It is not uncommon of the VP to come to the aid of his constituents, as he continues to demonstrate today, rallying support for our OFWs languishing inside death row cells overseas. In fact, he usually does more for his friends, as several have noted.
His totally unexpected rally for support for his political allies persistently implicated by whistleblowers in the PDAF-scam with documents to show, therefore, raised a lot of eyebrows. Will the corrupt among his political and business allies become the country’s “untouchables” over a six-year Binay term?
Consequently, many are now inclined to see him as: “The VP is a good friend to have, but not as our president.” Tsk-tsk.
It’d be interesting to watch how he will react when his FOBB (Friends of Boss Binay) finally get their dues from the court. Will he cry: “A giant miscarriage of justice!”?
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