By Leonardo Micua

 

BEFORE leaving for China, Mayor Belen Fernandez made it a point to thoroughly inspect the progress of the construction project on Arellano Street. Recognizing the urgency and importance of this undertaking, she personally met with the contractor to impress on him the need to expedite its completion before the upcoming holiday season.

She told the contractors it was absolutely crucial for the road to be restored as a two-way street by Christmas or, at the latest, before the year comes to a close.

In her meeting with the contractor, Mayor Fernandez underscored the many difficulties suffered by residents due to its temporary conversion into a one-way street.

She said many stores and establishments already suffered innumerable losses.

Mayor Fernandez was empathetic as she acknowledged and understood the hardships faced by businessmen who were counting on increased sales during the Christmas season and difficulties of students of Universidad De Dagupan, who are now forced to walk to school due to their inability to navigate through the one-way traffic on Arellano Street.

Mayor Fernandez strongly urged that two lanes of the street be cemented as soon as possible to allow for sufficient curing time for the newly constructed lanes.

Once the curing process is completed, she said Arellano Street can be restored for the two-way traffic and providing the much-needed respite for the local community while work crews would be preparing the remaining unpaved lane.

Recall that in order to expedite the construction process on Arellano Street, the contractor proposed to the Dagupan City government the temporary implementation of a one-way traffic system. This temporary adjustment, priorly announced to all concerned by POSO, would facilitate the smooth mobilization of heavy machinery, materials, and a larger workforce to the project site, minimizing any potential disruptions.

The contractor deemed this as a strategic measure to speed up the completion of construction of the whole stretch of Arellano Street and ease the sufferings of the Dagupenos.

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During the Sanggunian Panlungsod session on November 14, Councilor Erfe-Mejia asked the secretariat if it has complied with his directive to submit to him my attendance records in their virtual sessions, as well as the clippings of my column in the Sunday Punch. I seriously wondered what the relevance of these to his duties as a councilor.

What is Erfe-Mejia up to? Whatever it is, it should not extend beyond his legislative boundaries because as a journalist, I am not bound by their House Rules.  And, whatever I report about their official business is already beyond him and his colleagues. 

By the way, as I was enjoying my cup of tea at the Carafe’s in CSI the City Mall on November 11, patiently awaiting the arrival of the former PIO Butch Velasco, Vice Mayor Bryan Kua passed by. 

VM Kua told me that the Zoom platform utilized in every SP session is open to the public, including journalists, confirming that my actions of observing through Zoom (with the link provided by the SP secretariat) were neither unlawful nor a violation of any ethical practice.

Note that during the SP’s November 7 session, Erfe-Mejia asked the presiding officer (VM Kua) to install CCTV cameras inside and outside the session hall and to order the secretariat to register all those entering the session hall, short of saying that any one entering their enclave must be bodily searched. He even asked VM Kua to designate a sergeant-at-arms.

What’s happening to Erfe-Mejia? Is he now afraid of everyone? Or have I become a security threat to him because I watch the session virtually? He has become paranoid.

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