By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

THE release of the Department of Budget and Management’s decision finding Dagupan City’s 2023 annual budget as “inoperative in its entirety” was actually anti-climactic.

That it even took DBM more than two months to make that decision is disappointing.

There was simply no way for the DBM to decide otherwise, even to remotely find it merely ‘deficient but operable’. The P864.93-M budget which represents only 68% of the submitted P1.3-B annual budget for activities and services over a 12- month period, might be viable for a third-class municipality but certainly not even for a second-class town, worse, not for a first-class city like Dagupan.

The budget approved by the seven epaLiFe councilors (Redford Erfe-Mejia, Celia and Irene Lim-Acosta (mother and sister respectively of ex-Mayor Brian Lim), Dada Reyna-Macalanda, Alfie Fernandez, Alvin Coquia and Marilou Fernandez) was clearly meant to taunt and sabotage Mayor Belen Fernandez’s plans, nothing more, since they view her as incapable of defending herself when pushed around, insulted and bullied.

*          *          *          *

WORRISOME SCENARIO. But here’s another worrisome scenario for Mayor Belen Fernandez who was quoted by her Information Officer Dave Paragas that she will file a case against the 7 epaLiFes for the “inoperative” budget that the latter submitted as a response to her submitted P1.3 billion budget. 

Having heard the mayor threaten those who squandered the city’s scholarship funds not only once but thrice, and other corrupt Lim officials whose anomalous transactions were documented, but have not done so after six months, I’m no longer sure if she is indeed, capable of acting against anyone who acted against the interests of the city.

Going by Dave’s statements, the mayor is keen on not letting the 7epaLifes go scot-free without being made accountable for what they did to the city. Great! But that initial thought is ominous of what’s ahead in the face of her next statement, that she is considering submitting another budget to the SP as recommended by the DBM.

Airing her threat in media again is coming out more like a bargaining chip, again, for her negotiation to have her submitted budget approved. And I’m sure this is not lost to the 7epaLifes.

He quoted her as having said what she wants to see how the 7 epaLiFes will respond this time once she submits a new budget. That’s valid but I dare ask – How will she respond when she is asked to guarantee that she will not file the charges (or will drop the charges) in exchange for the easy passage of the P1.3-billion that she desperately wants?

Bottom line: She will get her budget if she doesn’t file cases. If that isn’t plain blackmail, I don’t know what is.

*          *          *          *

WHO’LL FIGHT DAGUPAN’S ENEMIES?  Mayor Belen’s threat to file cases against the 7 councilors sounds no different from the threats she threw against the scholarship committee and others. Yet, she later bowed to their demand that she humiliates herself by presenting herself before the committee.

I dread, therefore, to predict that she will succumb to the 7 epaLiFes’ brash and brazen blackmail, and not file cases against them after all the threats.

Offhand, my sense is she’d actually be happy not to file the cases for as long as she gets the budget she wants for the city. After all, I’m sure her close advisers believe that giving in to 7 epaLiFes’ demand would be a fair exchange. No accountability, with no sanctions, penalties whatsoever, a fair exchange?

When that happens, she must know that she is giving the 7 obstructionists a narrative for the 2025 election campaign that will effectively diminish whatever she says about them in 2025 election: It was the 7epaLiFes that helped her Unliserbisyo by granting her the P1.3-B budget she demanded.

Then, hers will be the legacy in the city as the would-be great champion against corruption that never was because when her opportunity came to fight, she turned her back.

I believe that what Dagupeños would love to see and hear is one strong response from Mayor Belen instead of amicably yielding to the signature blackmail of the 7 epaLiFes.  It is knowing and hearing her tell off the 7 epaLiFes to their faces – “If you don’t pass the new budget, I will file another case against you that will surely keep you in jail for more than 10 years!!”

That will be the kind of chutzpah that Mayor Belen has yet to show in fighting the enemies of Dagupeños. But will she do that for Dagupan and its people? Let’s hear it from her close advisers.

*          *          *          *

SOCIAL COPRPORATE RESPONSIBILITES.  If there is one private company that should be emulated by all, it is Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC), a mining company, and its subsidiaries.  

It is one company that takes its committed social corporate responsibility seriously when most others simply pay lip service to theirs.

NAC’s Rio Tuba Mining Corp. and Coral Bay Nickel Corp. recently inaugurated a P42-million Safety and Skills Training Center in Palawan in response to the UN Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring health and safety in the workplace… and to ensure inclusive and equitable education and lifelong opportunities for all.”

The Hinatuan Mining Corp. recently launched its plans for its annual Environmental Protection and Enhancement Program in Surigao del Norte.

The Cagdianao Mining Corp. not only established a scholarship program that already benefitted 61 high school graduates, some of whom retuned to their communities to serve in various capacities but also regularly distributes health supplies for senior citizens and persons with disabilities in Dinagat Islands. 

It’d be great to see and hear what Sual Power Plant, San Roque Dam and Northern Cement and others have done to improve the lot of Pangasinenses, particularly the communities that host their operations.

*          *          *          *

GUV’S GHOSTING.  Just when we thought local media will finally be kept in the loop on Gov. Mon-mon Guico’s activities after provincial government finally appointed an information officer at the Capitol, The PUNCH did not get a single information about the governor’s activities or statements from his interviews, if any, over the week.

Thank God, PIA- Pangasinan had a report on the tribute Guv. Mon-mon paid on Don Daniel Maramba on Independence Day, and a photo release from DAR showing him with DAR Sec. Conrado Estrella III during the turnover of farm equipment.

Still, Guv Mon-mon still has not issued a statement of concern about plight of farmers or plans how to mitigate the impact of El Niño. Nothing, too, about the forecasted shortage of onion and rice? Nothing about countermeasures to prevent a possible uptick in Covid cases?

It appears any news worthy statement from the Capitol can only be expected from the Guv’s Special Assistant Von Mark Mendoza who’s been busy making appearances for him in many official functions. It makes many wonder, why Guv Mon-mon is an absentee, keeping to himself after more than a year in office.

My sympathies to the Pangasinan Information Office staff. They have a tough job coping with the governor’s ghosting most of the time.

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments