By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

IN this particular round, a tired and angry Mayor Belen Fernandez entered the ring this time with bloodshot but with fire in her eyes, energized and raring to end the round  quickly.

She didn’t disappoint her fans around the ring. She rushed to the center of CSI Stadia and without much ado, slammed the 7 epaLiFes with her 1-2-3 punches to their “ribs and faces”,  not once but twice!

In her State of the City Address, Mayor Belen certainly minced no words when she reminded Dagupeños of the documented string of corruption deals committed by the 7 epaLiFes’s best friends during the administration of their bossman ex-Mayor Brian Lim.  (Read news “Mayor Belen lists ‘corruption’ of past city administration anew”).

Then she quickly shuffled her feet for a barrage of more stinging blows still on the faces and ribs of the 7 epaLiFes’. She retold accounts of the many instances they spat and slapped Dagupeños where it  hurt the most – depriving the city with a preposterous budget aimed at preventing the city government from providing essential services, particularly to the poorest sector in the city and the city hall employees of benefits due them by law. (Read news “MBTF slams 7 majority dads for stopping  services, benefits”) .

Between the two declarations of Mayor Belen, City Legal Officer Aurora Valle should already have enough to hail the enemies of Dagupan City, the 7 epaLiFes’ and their friends and allies who thought nothing of pocketing millions of city funds, before the Ombudsman. The charges are so serious that finding them guilty will surely result in their permanent disqualification as public officers in any capacity.

I surmise that when Mayor Belen decided to deliver her killer punches finally, she had decided she’s had enough. This time, Mayor Belen didn’t qualify her direct order to Atty. Valle: “Ilaban mo kami, ilaban su baley!”  Translation: Sue the 7 epaLiFes!

If Atty. Valle still refuses to file the cases next week because of uncertainties about the evidence that Mayor Belen has, she must resign her post without delay.  Let a more capable, more experienced lawyer take care of the city. The longer she holds back, not only will more daggers be flying around her boss but the city will be sinking deeper in quagmire faster than she can say “Wait lang”.

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WHAT’S IN STORE IN ROUND 11. But given what the 7 epaLiFes have shown what they are capable of, they will not make Mayor Belen win by a TKO in Round 10.

First of all, they are not convinced Mayor Belen has it in her to file cases against them and their best friends. They believe Dagupan has a coward for a mayor, that she won’t risk exposing her closest allies’ secret deals (?) in the city hall in a series of counterpunches by the 7 epaLiFes.

They believe Mayor Belen is not one to create permanent political enemies like them who are “loved” (?) and “protected” (?) by the INC hierarchy (?).  Now, that’s really hard to believe because INC’s members in the city were and still are among the worst hit by the political machinations of the 7 epaLiFes.  The INC is already well aware that the 7 epaLiFes are out to pressure the Fernandez administration to yield to their  millions worth of demands for their self-aggrandisement.

This is the situation that could be expected about them since they were never charged despite Mayor Belen’s thundering threats in the past.

Well, they will likely be charged this time because Mayor Belen appeared to have, indeed, decided to burn some bridges.

But then again, the 7 epaLiFes could still be right.  Let’s see whose credibility will stand, who will be made to eat humble pie in Round 11!  Abangan!

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WATER UNDER THE PLEX. The announcement of Guv Mon-mon declaring the San Miguel Holdings Corporation as the sole and winning bidder (being the “original proponent”), was really anti-climactic. Hearing him declare what the province stands to benefit from a contract with the group of Mr. Ramon Ang, it could be nothing but a “win-win” deal, not just a “sweetheart deal.”

Actually, even the pessimists and Doubting Thomases knew the whole project will land with the SMHC. The giveaway was the travel bonanza that Messrs. Guico, Mark Lambino and his board members (and spouses), department heads embarked on after announcing the designation of SMHC as the “original proponent”.

But all that is now water under the PLEX. (Forgive the pun).  There will be an expressway from Guv’s hometown Binalonan to Lingayen initially. What is not known is whether that would be accomplished during his second (?) or third term (?).

Given Mr. Guico’s capabilities to achieve a “Sana All” approach in dealing with investors, what can truly make his constituencies sing ‘alleluia’ are more “sweetheart deals” that would benefit farmers, senior citizens and the youth without draining government coffers.

He and his Agila Team scored big with PLEX. Can they duplicate this feat?

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