By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

THE seven Dagupan City councilors in the majority have, without a doubt, earned their ignominious places in the city’s political history.  For the first time, the city was told by a bunch of arrogant and egoistic legislators that its residents do not deserve any help or true public service from their city government.

Let the public records show that on March 28, 2023, Councilors Redford Erfe-Mejia, Celia Lim, Irene Lim-Acosta, Dada Reyna-Macalanda, Marilou Fernandez, Alvin Coquia and Alfie Fernandez, voted as one in their campaign uniforms, to sabotage the city government’s operations and deprive thousands of city residents of what’s due them. Without any thought of consideration for their constituents, they rejected the proposed 2023 P1.3 trillion annual budget, and instead a granted a mere P864 million budget that can only serve needs of a third-class municipality.

They know that a measly P864 million as operating budget, would result in –

1. Termination of jobs of hundreds of city hall employees (POSO enforcers, garbage haulers, street cleaners, etc.)
2. Barangay health workers without allowances.
3. Depriving 2,000 youths of college scholarships due them.
4. Cutting off of health programs for the city’s senior citizens.
5. End of assistance programs to indigent families.
6. Suspension of implementation of national programs introduced by individual senators, congressmen.
7. Termination of consultancy services of doctors, nurses, needed for implementation of medical programs, and coaches as consultants for sports development programs for the youth.

They knew their decision would impact on all the above, but that they did it anyway, proves they don’t deserve any leniency and respect from their constituents!

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‘PREMEDITATED MURDER’. The official rejection of the 2023 budget came after delaying action on it for six months, failing to pass it the first time on December 31, 2022. The 7 epaLiFes resorted to all dilatory and illegal tactics since to prevent the city government from operating fully, with a reenacted P1.2-B budget.

Judging from their mindset, the 7 epaLiFes are no better than the drug dealers out to suck the lifeblood out of their chosen victims. They are definitely far worse because they chose to victimize Dagupeños wholesale by invoking their legal authority being in the majority so they can cause pain and suffering to their own constituents. But that was not even their ultimate objective. They want the mayor to be blamed for what they did, because they believe they can get away with it easily.  Duh?

They didn’t even find the need to study the budget because the items were defensible. If there was a questionable item, they could have pointed it out to COA, but they didn’t. They just wanted to fault the mayor with refusing to comply with their flimsy demands.

But what made their decision truly despicable was the fact that it was all about their greed! They wanted the city to pay them P100k not just P30K, but to their dismay, the mayor shut the door closed on them! The7 epaLifes’ egos can’t take it! They wanted the mayor to pay mercilessly for her being obstinate. The P864-M was their response.

The budget they granted made all the 7 epaLife councilors singly and collectively guilty of “premeditated murder” of Dagupeños plight and welfare!

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WANTED: POLITICAL COURAGE. Now that the days of hostaging and scheming over the budget is done, the time to make some people accountable for the massive corruption under the Brian Lim administration is now.

The 7 epaLiFes must also be made to account for consistently refusing to provide the budget the city and its people deserve. They must be made to account to the Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan!

Clearly, the budget that Erfe-Mejia and the Lims granted last week was obviously to deliver the message that they won’t ever hesitate to paint the mayor’s face black even at the expense of their constituents from hereon. So fine, the 7 epaLiFes did their worst.

I wish Mayor Belen had read the writings on the wall, that it was her display of weakness, particularly, reluctance to file charges over the scholarship scam under Brian Lim, that emboldened the 7 epaLifes to get this far with her.

But will the Belen Fernandez administration prosecute and jail the corrupt and the 7epaLifes, finally? It’s still anybody’s guess.

Unfortunately, Mayor Belen still has not shown she has the political courage to do what’s right by the people. This is worrisome for the citizenry and taxpayers who’ve had enough of the corrupt system, because it presents more opportunities for the unrepentant corrupt inside and out of her circle.

The Dagupeños sorely need to see a champion rise and fight the pervasive corruption in their government. Someone brave enough to act drastically to back one’s brave words. Could that still be Mayor Belen?

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MEET THE NEW GOVERNOR. Finally, Guv Mon-mon Guico broke his “No talk-No mistake” mantra for his governance and dared to impress his constituents with his vision of a better Pangasinan through his first State of the Province Address. 

This time, he went beyond citing what the Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed and approved as proofs that he did what was expected of him as the province’s new governor.

This time, he came across as the entrepreneur-cum-public servant with plans to govern like a corporate man with corporate strategies and objectives to attain his vision and goals.

This time, he began articulating his thoughts and direction as governor, no longer like the small town mayor who can just come and go when he pleases as long as he is in photo ops that makes himself look and appear relevant.

This time, he came forward to be held accountable by his constituents.  Aha! Pangasinan has a talking, thinking governor, finally!

I sincerely pray that all these are not just illusions for a day from the Governor and will continue to engage is constituents in dialogues as their accountable public servant.

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE. Guv Mon-mon is clearly set on building infrastructures on which to build a better economic future for Pangasinan. That’s a positive vision.

It’s the “How to?” that raises red flags from among old timers who’ve seen how good intentions in the past paved the way to insatiable greed and worse corruption in the system.

It is for this reason that Guv Mon-Mon needs to assure a hopeful constituency that he’s not like “the others”, that he can be made to account for each strategy he employs.  The fact that not one of the board members dared to question the wisdom of his plans to secure a mind-blowing P6 billion credit line for unstudied, unvetted list of infra projects was enough to suspect that something of the usual double-talk was afoot.

Unity in politics is great. Unity in public service and good governance is rare.

Hopefully, this is where Guv Mon-mon can make that difference.

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