The campaign promise to be transparent

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

THE PDU30 – Freedom of Information (FOI) was issued recently as an executive order covering activities only of the executive branch of government, meaning only national agencies under the supervision of the Office of the President are covered.

Its issuance as a fulfillment of PDU30‘s campaign promise only brings about partial accountability and transparency in governance. It doesn’t compel the legislative and judicial branches of government to observe it. Worse, it does not cover local government units – our provincial, town and city governments.

But truth be told, studies have shown that the amount and level of corruption in local governments when tallied cumulatively is much higher than those reported in national agencies. One only needs to monitor the item “Development Fund” (a.k.a pork barrel in disguise) in local budgets to appreciate this fact.

But thankfully, PDU30-FOI, ever respectful of the Local Government Code, still would not let the newly elected and reelected local officials off the hook. It “encourages” LGUs to adopt it as a matter of policy, after all, didn’t all those who campaigned and won in the May 2016 election promised full accountability and transparency?

The basic provisions in the PDU30-FOI are not complicated and practically tailor-fit for local governments. Read:

1. Filipinos may request for the information they need by submitting a written request to the government office concerned. The letter should contain a proof of identity of the requesting party, a description of the information needed and the purpose of the request.
2. Requesting for information in government offices shall be free of charge. However, the offices may charge a “reasonable” fee to shoulder the actual costs of reproduction and copying of the information being requested.
3. Any employee or public officer who will fail to comply with the provisions of the EO may face administrative and disciplinary sanctions.

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SETTING THE EXAMPLE. Hopefully, Vice Guv Ferdie Calimlim can persuade the members of the Sanggunian Panlalawigan to set the example in rallying support for the DU30 government’s policy of transparency and accountability, for all towns and cities to emulate.  

If the SP passes a resolution adopting the basic provisions of the PDU30-FOI, it will set the tone how the Espino III administration will govern throughout. And just as PDU30-FOI has appealed, the resolution should also encourage all towns and cities to adopt its resolution.

Imagine the impact of the SP’s resolution if all the towns and cities pass their own resolutions and snowballs all the way to the barangay councils even before Congress passes its own version of the FOI. 

What a legacy in leadership that will be for the province’s SP!

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REAL RISKS, REAL DANGER. It had to take the violent deaths that both Rowena Tiamson and Roman Manaois met last week to alert communities about the risks and dangers that face people while the war vs. illegal drugs is not letting up.

Understandably, the two victims’ respective families claim extra-judicial killings, worse their kin as victims of mistaken identities.  They were not pushers, not users – so their families and friends assert even as police investigations continue in order to affirm or refute the claims.

But all these are now water under the bridge. Nothing can bring Rowena and Roman back to their families and friends. Even the justice the families and communities seek will never measure up to the loss.

The bottom line: There are serious risks faced by everyone, particularly drug users (whether light or heavy) and non-users but have friends who use or peddle drugs.

If one’s relative-user or friend-user or pusher is not inclined to surrender or be processed as one by the police, then it’d be prudent to keep one’s distance from our friend or relative being a potential target of the police. The risk of getting hit in a crossfire always exists.

And since nobody will ever know whether one’s friend or relative has been reported to the police, the only way to preempt (and prevent) a possible encounter, whether staged or real, is to come up front to be validated.

The dangers and risks are real. And bullets know no friends or foes. They just hit!

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DIFFERING INTELLIGENCE DATA. As the war vs. illegal drugs goes to high gear, I’m a bit perplexed by the differing intelligence reports of the Dagupan City Police Station and the PDEA-Region 1. 

From reports I get from the field from our indefatigable PUNCH correspondents, PDEA’s intelligence data don’t reconcile with that of the Dagupan City Police.

Regional Director Jeoffrey Tacio still tags Bonuan Binloc as a major drug hotspot in the region.  However, Dagupan Police Chief P/Supt Christopher Abrahano said last week, that the main drug characters in Bonuan Binloc have already moved out. Translation: No longer a major threat to the region. 

I hope the two officers can reconcile their intelligence data to effectively guide all law enforcement units in strategizing their operations.

People would like to know: Is Barangay Pedro Gonzales’ Bonuan Binloc still a threat to the security of the region?

Let’s pray a unified response will come our way soon. 

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DAGUPAN’S LOST HISTORY. While the Belen Fernandez administration has made known its clear intention to make history for the city, it would be useful for her administration to revisit the decision of the Sangguniang Panlungsod to amend the history of the city by replacing the 68-year old original seal in 2012.

History was made in the late 40’s when Dagupan’s visionary leaders decided on a seal with the words “Sigue Dagupan” emblazoned on it. For decades, Dagupeños identified with that seal for it gave them the roots of their civilization.

I thought it was insensitive of the city government then to erase Dagupan’s historic early beginning and adopted an illustration that described the fervor of the city under the Lim administration, the promotion of bangus!

As Dagupan’s nostalgic architect, Alex Villaflor, reminded the city, contrary to the claim of the then Lim administration that the old seal was never officially approved anyway, it was in fact submitted and approved by the Philippine Heraldry Committee in 1948.  It featured a railroad “to stress the strategic role it played to establish Dagupan as the trading post of the North.” (Wikepedia)

History is what makes us as a people. We can create marketing slogans to be step with the times, but historic events that trace to our roots must be handed down to generations. Let us return the old seal  – Sige Dagupan!

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MARAMING SALAMAT PO! I wish to thank our readers and advertisers again for keeping faith with us for the past 60 years. We take pride in the fact that at 60 years old, The PUNCH is still the second oldest, surviving community newspaper in the country! (The oldest is the Baguio Midland Courier).  

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