By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

THE invitation to the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office by the Sanggunian Panlalawigan to provide information on how a P2.5 billion shabu operation could happen right smack in the middle of the province, was anti-climactic. To call in the PPPO after almost a month showed the provincial government has little interests to continue the war on drugs launched by then PDU30 to protect families from armed drug syndicates.

It was too late even to expect newly designated P/Colonel Jeff Fanged to offer any explanation since he was not in charge when the huge drug operation was doing brisk business in Pangasinan. Poor Col. Fanged, he could only go as far as committing not to allow a major drug operation to exist under his watch.

What the provincial board members missed when they chose to look the other way early on, was to hold Mr. Fanged’s predecessor account for the discovery of the huge drug operation by PDEA. The board members could only surmise that it was a failed intelligence work on the part of the provincial PNP. What the board members didn’t say and could not say, was: “For someone to be able to regularly operate distribution of P2.5 billion worth of shabu, it can only happen with ample protection from local officials and police!”

But no one dared to say it. Why?

Vice Guv Mark Lambino should not allow this case to rest if only to show that the provincial government is intent on waging a war on drugs on its terms.  He should invite all the town, barangay and police officials of Pozorrubio if only to demonstrate his and the provincial government’s political will to make everyone in the province accountable. A precedent like this will make all officials know that they must share responsibility in consequences. PDEA should also be invited to shed light on the extent of illegal drug problems in Pangasinan because many of our local officials will continue to be in denial.

Curiously, Gov. Mon-mon Guico still has not even mumbled a single word to express his concern about the raid and discovery. His continued silence on the P2.5 billion drug operation in the region being hosted in his turf is sending the “right signal” to the drug syndicates, and giving the wrong signal to his constituents who need protection from a governor with a political will to crush the criminal syndicates.

If that raid had happened in another province, the governor would likely be the first to ask accountable officials the easy questions – who and what failed? But not in Pangasinan. Why?

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STOP ILLEGAL FISH PEN OPERATIONS BY ATTRITION. Here’s a heads-up to Dagupan Mayor Belen Fernandez. The information she gets that the illegal fish pen operations have ceased since she took over, is a lot of bull.

Every single day, there are three to five truckloads of commercial fish feeds being unloaded in the middle of the De Venecia Highway junction (that leads to CSI) by the Pantal River. These are loaded on motorized boats and delivered to fish pens still actively operating in island barangays.

When the illegal fish pen owners (mostly affluent businessmen from outside Dagupan) continue their operations, they face legal consequences. But because they aggravate flooding problems in the city by contributing to the rising of the level of riverbeds, they ought to be charged in court by city residents, they who are made to suffer while the unscrupulous, greedy owners sit comfortably in their offices.

To see the illegal fish pens’ continuing operations, it can only mean that the pockets of some city officials of the old (and new?) continue to be filled regularly for their “invaluable protection” offered to the illegal fish pen owners.

But here’s a doable catch-all solution. The operators are aware that the regular delivery of commercial fish feeds is critical for their fish pens operations while they take advantage of the continued delay in the dismantling of their illegal fish pen structures. (Owners themselves refuse to do it and leave it to the city government to do the dismantling at no costs to them). This is why the fish pen operations continue to this day.

If the Belen administration cannot be expected to fully stop all the fish pens until these are fully dismantled, the city government can still do it, the easy way – by attrition!  Starve the fishes inside the pens! Stop the cargo trucks from unloading fish feeds in “No-parking zones”!

Also, Mayor Belen should stop wondering how these commercials feeds are able to reach the illegal fish pens regularly. Some people in her office, still offering “invaluable” protection, continue to laugh all the way to the bank at the expense of her UnliSerbisyo administration! Tsk-tsk.

Time to kick some asses, hard!

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WANTED: EFFICIENT PARKING PLAN. The Dagupan City government must encourage more trading in the city by providing more regulated spaces for parking – for four-wheel vehicles, motorcycles, tricycles and bicycles.

This is a major feature that must be efficiently managed like they do in malls. But offhand, the past (and present?) policy allowing parking only on one side of wide roads and avenues in the city is a counterproductive to its avowed policy of increasing trading activities in the city.

It’s bad enough that the volume of vehicles is increasing, practically doubling within months, and yet timing of streetlights have not been reconfigured.

And with no office visibly managing how limited space is used for parking by motorists, riders, tricyclists, and bikers, a lot of wasted space that could otherwise serve customers of growing list of stores and establishments in commercial districts, prevents motorists easy access to them instead.

Another case in point are the enforcement of conflicting traffic signage posted in many areas that are selectively enforced by POSO.  There are one-way streets that allow tricycles, bikers and riders to counterflow. “No-Parking” signs remain in areas where parking is allowed. Many open parking areas are occupied by mobile stalls of vendors of street-food, with “rights to the space”. (Someone is earning for these “rights”). Pedestrian lanes are blocked by motorists forcing pedestrians to avoid using the lanes. There are storeowners that have taken “propriety rights” over parking in front of their establishments with signs: “For “our”customers only”!

Mayor Belen’s UnliSerbisyo should already consider adding to its legacy its pride that makes the city known as the most organized commercial district in the region, with ample regulated separate parking spaces for all types of vehicles, i.e., cars/vans, motorcycles, tricycles, bicycles and cargo trucks.

Today, it’s a “free-for-all” parking with no known policy on strict enforcement of traffic rules and signs.

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