By Gonzalo Duque

 

MY editor, Ermin Garcia Jr, and I met at the Bread House on De Venecia Highway last week.  Over breakfast, we discussed the possibility of teaming up on a Podcast to talk about pressing national and local issues.

It might be a two-day program each week. We agreed, we will have a test run on one Saturday in December 2024.

The title of the podcast would be The Punching Duo. Our battle cry in this program is “White hair, we share and we care.”  As we all know, Ermin and I are now both sporting silver white hair.

Our intention is to give everybody an opportunity to air their respective sides on all issues affecting our community, locally and nationwide.

*          *          *          *

As it is turning out, the taunting made against Vice Mayor Bryan Kua questioning his capability as presiding officer of the Sanggunian Panlungsod has boomeranged against the former majority in the council.

 Bryan Kua is turning out to be an effective vice mayor of Dagupan City and presiding officer of the SP. He has so far demonstrated his intelligence in guiding his majority bloc in the passage of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 annual budgets.

 VM Bryan has demonstrated his patience and perseverance in dealing with the former majority bloc, of course with the able assistance of now majority leader Honorable Michael Fernandez, whose fearless shepherding of his group has earned him, in my opinion, the most outstanding councilor in the city and the whole of Region 1.

*          *          *          *

In the recent decision of Regional Trial Court Judge Michael Paul Israel of Branch 76 in the Special Civil Action filed by opposition Councilors Librada Reyna, Marilou Fernandez, Alvin Coquia and Redford Erfe-Mejia against Mayor Belen Fernandez, Vice Mayor Bryan Kua,et al, a pertinent Audit Observation Memorandum of the Commission on Audit was quoted.

It says: “We recommend that the concerned officials of the Executive and Legislative Departments of the City Government of Dagupan coordinate and cooperate with each other and see to it that the Annual Budget of the City could be enacted through an ordinance within the prescribed period set in Section 39 of the Local Government Code of 1991 avoiding a re-enacted budget and thus enabling the full implementation of the much-needed development programs/projects/activities of the City”.

The COA memo was used by Judge Israel in denying for lack of merit on November 11, 2024 the petition for Declaratory Relief with Prayer for Injunction and Temporary Restraining Order filed by the four opposition councilors.

Mukhang minamalas talaga ang ating mga kaibigan sa kabila.

This was the third case filed by them that was denied by Judge Israel.

In addition, natalo yung old majority bloc (Alfie Fernandez, Irene Lim Acosta and Erfe-Mejia) in the case filed against them before the Office of the President. Baka hindi na sila makabalik.

Ehem, there is also a criminal case filed by the same petitioners against MBTF, VM Kua et al before the Office of the Ombudsman, also about the passing of the ordinance that enacted the 2023 budget. But we doubt very much if that will prosper.

But at the same time, former Mayor Brian Lim is also a recipient of a series of suits filed before the Ombudsman. Among these was a case filed by Marietta Barrientos, a fish vendor, for closing streets for the purpose of holding baratillo for the Bangus Festival and city fiestas sans any approved Sanggunian ordinance.

Another case involves two ghost motorboats, which on record appeared to have been paid and turned over to the city government, but the truth is these were not actually delivered. One incumbent department head and another department head of the past administration, whose signatures were forged, filed the criminal action against the former mayor.

We do not know yet what happened to these cases.

*          *          *          *

A lot of surveys coming out on the senatorial derby place brothers Erwin and Ben Tulfo as top picks. But I doubt whether they will land in the Top 2 eventually.

 Note that if the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and Iglesia Ni Cristo will combine their followers, they will easily command seven million votes all over the country.

That will be minus seven million votes for Erwin and Ben. Where will they be? Baka pulutin sila sa pansitan. 

Let’s wait and see how the KOJC and INC will be voting. Will they endorse 12 senatorial candidates or at least four?

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments