By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

DAGUPAN’S 7 epaLiFes are already frantic and panic-stricken about their future during the campaign period. They have absolutely nothing to gloat about as their accomplishments as councilors who ruled the city council.

In desperation, they made themselves believe that plagiarizing and hi-jacking proposed ordinances crafted by their counterparts in the minority would do the trick, not realizing that these only made them dig their political graves deeper and worse, in shame and humiliation.

The only things they could remember about themselves were how they succeeded in obstructing and preventing the Belen. Fernandez administration from delivering more priority services to Dagupeños.

Their biggest and worst dilemma today is how to make the voters forget that –

1. They forced the Belen administration to work with a limited 2021reenacted budget instead of approving the 2022 budget that could have supported more programs.
2. They refused to pass all supplementary budgets that could have allowed the city government to deliver public services more efficiently.
3. They filed a case in court against the minority bloc for passing the 2023 budget.
4. They refused to authorize Mayor Belen to accept the DOH’s Mother and Child Hospital.
5. They disrespected the vice mayor as the presiding officer, not once but twice.

Perhaps, the only thing they can fault Mayor Belen with, ironically, is her failure to demonstrate her political will – to stop them at any time and her refusal to make those who engaged in documented illegal activities committed during Brian Lim’s administration, accountable.

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CAPOQUIAN’S VISION — Let’s welcome the new director at the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office in Lingayen, P/Col Rollyfer Capoquian!

I appreciate how he translates his vision into simple practical terms : ‘Pulis ng Pangasinan, Magaling at Maasahan’ which simply means dependable, visible police work in law enforcement.

 It is what we sorely missed in his predecessor P/Col. Jeff Fanged.

 Increased police visibility is proven effective in crime prevention and strict enforcement of laws and ordinances, but this was not thoroughly applied by Mr. Fanged.

 The PNP already acquired more operating mobile assets, (patrol cars and motorcycles), but these are nowhere seen inside barangays and national highways.  In fact, we are seeing mostly traffic enforcers and very few uniformed policemen patrolling in business and commercial districts.

 Where have all the uniformed policemen gone? Gone to doing administrative work inside police stations that otherwise should be done by civilian personnel.

This is the reason why both the motorcycle helmet law and the provincial ordinance requiring motorcycle riders and tricycle drivers to wear reflectorized vests are not even slightly enforced. (it seems only Dagupan is strictly enforcing these).

 Consequently, the province is not only seeing an increase in deaths and injuries among motorcycle riders and tricycle drivers but also increasing the criminal rate involving armed motorcycle tandem riders.

 So, may I ask Col. Capoquian this time – Why are the patrol cars and motorcycles mainly used to escort VIPs and funerals instead of operating as eagle-eyed watchdogs in crime prevention?? Why can’t they be deployed out there on the lookout for law violators to prevent incidental and homicidal deaths?

 I’m certain that the extra-visible presence of police in the province will not only make Pangasinan truly peaceful but will also be known as the province in the region that strictly enforces laws.

 I pray Mr. Capoquian will always say what he means and means what he says.

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WHO’S IN CHARGE? —  It’s no longer Malacañang. It has surrendered its executive mandate to Congress! It is no longer the executive but Congress that leads the investigation of crimes, particularly illegal POGO operations and extra-judicial killings.

Congress is about to lead the investigation into national security in the face of reported espionage activities to both Houses of Congress.  Note this: The QuadCom of the Lower House is set to send a member to Thailand for more clarifications from the detained Chinese spy who detailed the extent of espionage of China in the country.

Tsk-tsk… that’s The job of the DFA, DOJ, and DND! Not congressmen.

Still, PBBM has not issued a single statement to impact on the exposé from that detained Chinese spy in Thailand.

Also, since the hearings started, PBBM has not even reacted to revelations made during the Senate and QuadCom hearings.

PBBM never even ordered the investigation of DOJ (NBI/Immigrations), the DILG (PNP/LGUs) to make its DND, DOJ and DFA officials accountable for the discovered anomalies in their operations. He has not ordered PAGCOR to stop the Internet Gaming License.

It’s worrisome that the mandated check-and-balance will be lost with Congress setting the agenda, leading the executive in defining strategies during the duplicate hearings.

It appears Malacañang wants the public’s attention diverted to the two hearings, away from pressing problems of the country under his watch, i.e., rising prices of basic commodities, solving defective flood mitigation programs, corruption in the ranks of law enforcers, worsening illegal drugs trading, non-enforcement of laws and rules, etc.

PBBM is only seen in public social gatherings with very little to say even during limited ambush interviews. Grabe na!

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MON-MON VS. POGI—It’d be interesting to see how each one will attempt to prove that one is better than the other during the campaign period.

For the moment, let me state their individual strengths in governance:

1. Guv Guico was focused on major infra development to boost the local economy.
2. Guv Pogi was focused on health, livelihood, disaster security, and sports development of the populace.

Their different priorities do not mean the weakness of the other but just these are their priorities.

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My sincere condolences to the surviving family members of Cathy Velasco, wife of the late PUNCHER Jun Velasco. She was the epitome of a down-to-earth, intelligent professional woman who stood by her late husband throughout his journalism career, and under whose care and guidance, her children grew to be successful professionals in their own right.

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Join our weekly PUNCHLINE radio program over 104.7 IFM Dagupan every Monday, 6.30a.m. Live zoom streaming  https://www.facebook.com/ifmdagupan?mibextid=ZbWKwL

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