By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

DAGUPEÑOS should thank their stars that it was Mayor Belen Fernandez who won the 2022 elections over former Mayor Brian Lim, and not the other way around like when the latter dislodged the reelectionist Fernandez in 2019.

After listening to and reading the endless rants of Mr. Lim, who’s seeking the vice mayoral post this time, during his group’s press conferences and radio programs about his claimed negative impact of the elevation of the roads in the city, I knew then he neither had the vision, wisdom and political will to proceed with the street elevation projects funded by the national government, if the decision was his to do.

He was emphatic that the elevation projects were not welcomed by the business sector, so he would have turned down the DPWH program, if he were the mayor.  Really?

The more he ranted, the more Mr. Lim showed he had a very shallow comprehension of what the street elevation projects in the commercial districts were about.  He is shortsighted in his belief that the problem is simply about flood mitigation measures that did not have to be done at the expense of the business sector.

He is absolutely and grossly mistaken and has made himself and his epaLiFe barkada totally irrelevant for deliberately misleading his constituents, hiding the truth: The worsening flooding in the city is caused by the fact that Dagupan City is already literally sinking!

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As early as the 1950s, the city was already estimated to be only one meter above sea level. With the dramatic changes in global climate over the decades, Dagupan already found itself nearing below sea level in the mid-60s. Proof of this was the frequent flooding even without a tropical storm over the years in the 80s. Monsoon rains alone triggered by high tide caused knee-deep flooding in the city’s low-lying barangays including the business districts (A.B. Fernandez East and West Avenues, Perez Boulevard, Arellano and Tapuac Districts).

Perhaps if the flooding in the city was only caused by lack of effective flood mitigation measures, i.,e the need to construct more flood gates, increase the volume of dredging, etc., then his rants about street elevation have basis.

BUT he deliberately misses out on one fact – with the street elevation is the elevation of the main drainage system!

The elevation of the streets adds height to the city’s position vis-à-vis its below sea level while the elevation of the drainage system enables flood waters to flow back efficiently to the sea, and minimize flooding!

The DPWH knew, and Mayor Belen agreed, that one without the other would be an exercise in futility.  Surely Mr. Brian would have agreed too, if he had the common sense of the situation. This was precisely why his Flood Mitigating Commission failed and could only think of recommending short-term mitigating measures.

So imagine, if Mr. Lim were the mayor backed by his epaLiFe barkada and decided against the elevation projects, the city would never see the city’s busy streets dry and passable in the next decade during high tide alone. 

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OPPOSITION AS OBSTRUCTIONIST. Mayor Belen demonstrated that she has what it takes to exercise political will – to do what’s right, a character that Mr. Lim, unfortunately, does not have. He cannot see beyond what his epaLife barkada can see other than what political convenience offers.

What is even more pathetic is his tact in using his select friends’ “complaints” to exemplify his claim that many of the affected business sectors continue to suffer from the elevated streets. He fails to appreciate that any development for the long term offers long-term benefits! Surely, his affected friends and patrons now see and appreciate floodless areas during high tide, seeing pedestrians and motorists having easier access to their establishments.

So, one more time to Mr. Lim and his gang of epaLiFes, stop lying and misleading your constituents. Mayor Belen did the right thing by proceeding with the elevation projects post-haste despite efforts of his obstructionist barkada to stop the elevation of the streets and drainage system.

In fact, if only his epaLiFe barkada had shown support for these projects, they, too, could have claimed credit for the benefits being delivered by the elevated streets and drainage today but they were more obsessed with their role as the obstructionists!

So heads-up Dagupeños!  The epaLiFe barkada already warns of “sagabal” to ward off corruption. They are saying they will continue their obstruction policy if they win the majority seats again!

(By the way, why is Mr. Lim doing all the ranting when it’s his mother, Celia Lim, who’s vying for the mayoralty post? Is it the plan that should they both win, he will run the city hall from the sidelines while presiding sessions of the Sangguniang Panlungsod that his sister Irene Lim-Acosta would be a member of? Is the Lim family planning to make the Dagupan City government a permanent subsidiary of the Magic Group of Companies? Heaven forbid!).

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PING AS A PERSON. Here’s something that many don’t and didn’t know about the character of former Sen. Ping Lacson.

Those who were already voting in 2001 will recall that his worst tormentor was then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.  When fake news wasn’t still what we know today, he was publicly accused and tagged as a drug lord, head of a crime syndicate, mass murderer, a gay and a corrupt senator dished out by her and her husband Mike Arroyo’s top troll, “Rosebud”.

There were even attempts by then DOJ Leila de Lima to revive the dismissed criminal cases filed against him and had a new arrest warrant served. At that point, he knew he had to go into hiding since it became clear that they wanted him jailed at the Bilibid where he could easily be eliminated. Expressing confidence about the false charges, the Court of Appeals reversed the warrant of arrest served against him. And he was vindicated.

Today, there’s news about ex-PGMA’s appeal for prayers for her husband, former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and son, Mikey, who are suffering from serious health problems. Mr. Lacson was asked by media with malice in mind, if he will pray for the early recovery of ex-PGMA’s husband and son.

He said he has long forgiven Mrs. Arroyo and for what they did to him.

“I’m a very forgiving person. All of those who harassed me, I have forgiven them, because that is what my parents taught me,” he said in Pilipino. “I may be forgiving but I always remember the act. Still, we must forgive and not hate the person; it is also better if you live without the burden of hating,” he said.

Certainly, Mr. Lacson is not your usual trapo and vindictive politician.

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REALITY CHECK. Let’s pray for concerted efforts among the civic society in barangays to help our masa get a reality check on what’s ahead in our Senate if surveys are to be believed.

At the rate our TV, entertainment and sports celebrities who have had no legal training are being supported, we may soon see a senate that will have less relevant output but with more silly debates elicited by ‘marites’ talk in social media.

In such a situation, our senators will either be glorified or bashed not for their committee hearings and studies but for social media engagements.

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