By Ermin Garcia Jr.

THAT trash piled up at the Dagupan dumpsite in Bonuan during the Lim administration is old news. Nothing surprising there.

But the new trash that continues to pile up in Dagupan City are news about the reports of corruption that fed the insatiable greed of the officials and barkada of ex-Mayor Brian Lim! The latest is the discovery of the unspeakable and despicable, totally unexpected misuse of the city government’s annual P16-M scholarship program since 2019 to 2021.

Nobody would have thought that the previous Lim administration would even consider dipping its fingers in funds for the city’s indigent but deserving students as a source for their corruption agenda. But it did!

It was not enough that Mr. Lim’s cabal exploited the illegal opportunities provided by the city’s rivers with the proliferation of illegal fish pens, never mind that there is a city ordinance banning it; the vulnerabilities of fish vendors by imposing their protection racket that extended to alien bangus traders, never mind that the Dagupan bangus industry risked losing its brand marketing advantage; setting aside a waste to energy contract for a more lucrative garbage collection contract with haulers, never mind that the stench from the dumpsite pollutes fresh air from the beach; setting up baratillos in areas without an ordinance, never mind that the city is violating a DILG directive to clear all obstructions, etc.

But to consider “stealing” from scholarship funds for Mr. Lim’s political agenda with fake scholars and for added allowances of the barkada with ghost scholars, is condemnable.

The past scholarship committee members chaired by Mr. Lim cannot and should not be allowed to escape culpability in this heinous corruption activity. Their refusal to turn over the documents substantiating the selection of fake and ghost scholars to cover up their corruption should be enough grounds to haul them before the Ombudsman. Who are they??

There was Lenny de Venecia who served as vice chairman, replacing City Assessor Alan Zarate, and became focal person of the program. She cannot deny that she knew nothing because she presided over meetings when their Boss Brian was out of town. She was invited to appear before the city council to clarify issues about reported fake scholars before she resigned, but she refused to appear, following the acts of the corrupt market marshals who thumbed their noses at the city councilors. Didn’t it bother her any that the “De Venecia” name would be dragged to something anomalous?  Perhaps not.

Then there was James Arzadon, who as head of the committee’s secretariat was the repositor of official documents that validated and qualified fake and ghost scholars. He cannot escape culpability by requiring his committee members’ authorization before he can submit the documents to the new committee under the Fernandez administration. That Mr. Arzadon is now working for Councilor Celia Lim, mother of committee chairman Mayor Brian, speaks volume of what the councilor knows but is not saying.

There was Leila Natividad, who served as head of the City Social Welfare Department under Mr. Lim. One wonders how she reacted on being told to agree to divert funds intended for indigent students to non-resident fake and ghost scholars.  What a shame!

There was Linda Ventenilla, program officer of the Dagupan City Schools Division. Apparently, it didn’t take much to convince her to serve priorities to fake scholars from other towns and cities, never mind that it was her main responsibility to serve the interests of children of Dagupeños first. But fake scholars??

Vlad Mata was named in the Mr. Lim’s Executive Order in 2019 for the creation of the committee under his administration. He resigned after two years… I wonder how many fake and ghost scholars he endorsed as city administrator then?

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LENNY AND JAMES.  I’m personally aghast that both Ms. Lenny (a “De Venecia” who was recently elected LO president of Dagupan JCI) and Mr. Arzadon (the Local Youth Development Officer of Dagupan City, secretary  JCI Dagupan Bangus and Sangguniang Kabataan ng Barangay Mayombo, and former public information officer of DepEd Dagupan City Division) would think nothing of lending themselves to racketeering and to the cover-up to defend Mr. Lim.

But will ex-Mayor Brian or Councilor Celia (his mother) or Councilor Irene (his sister) come forward to their defense? Tsk-tsk.  Perhaps Councilor Red Erfe-Mejia, Mr.  Lim’s constant companion and consultant during their heydays, may not know enough about the racket because it was he who unwittingly exposed the scholarship fund mess with his privilege speech when he demanded that 26 students be accepted as  “scholars”. (He should be congratulated by the minority). Even Majority Floor Leader Librada Macalanda who allowed herself to be used to pressure city hall, was again clueless for backing up Mr. Erfe-Mejia’s boo-boo.

These main characters still have a chance to clean their acts and redeem themselves by telling all with the documents – identifying who did what that led to the enlistment of fake and ghost scholars. But will they? Perhaps they (and Mr. Brian) will only admit to all in front of the Ombudsman.

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ALIVE BUT STILL MISSING. We received a copy of a picture from PUNCH correspondent fotog Ray Zambrano showing Guv. Mon-Mon Guico in photo ops at the Region 1 Medical Center, after our editorial “Where’s Governor Guico?” was published week.

What the photo simply proved was the governor is alive! He’s not mssing. But like in most photo ops, personalities just smile and say little else about their capabilities.

To date, the governor is still below governance radar. Why? Is he afraid to be confronted by media on Covid issues, illegal drugs, peace and order, his promised economic initiatives?? Worse, not even provincial department chiefs are not being heard invoking any order from the governor. Is there a gag order?

So, who’s running the capitol?? Vice Guv Mark Lambino? Or his consultants led by Binalonan ex-Mayor Cesar Quiambao?

Meanwhile, Vice Guv Mark and his provincial board are not moving forward with the investigation of the P2.5-B drug bust in Pozorrubio. Is that on Guv Mon-Mon’s order? They are still not willing to make anyone accountable for the major drug operations in Pozorrubio.

The PUNCH will ask the same questions next week.

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WHO HAS AN “EVA” IN THE FAMILY? Last Wednesday, our former senior reporter Eva Visperas, now city information officer of Dagupan City, lost her ailing 92-year-old father, who was already suffering from the dreaded Alzheimer’s,  after more than 10 years of intensive care and love at their Binmaley home.  

Her father’s death is not the story retold by her friends in media and in government. At the front and center is Eva herself, she who cared for her father uncomplaining for more than a decade, but it’s not about the number of years but how she did it over the years.

Not a few among the oldies (70s-90s) have begun to wonder if there is an “Eva” among their surviving children. Will they be as fortunate as Eva’s father who was doted, fed, cared and sung to whatever his mood was? Will there be an “Eva” who will dutifully rush to them before they turn in for the night? Will they be hugged like  child playmates just like what Eva did for her father every day without fail?

Will they have regular laughs with their “Eva” even if their children know their names are hardly remembered?

Alas, the generation of “Evas” is fast vanishing. It means oldies in the next decade will just have to live with caregivers while they breathe. No hugging. No laughing. Just feeding.

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