DPWH Boss Chooses Post that Gives Less Money

Yolanda Tangco-Out, Boy Dion – In as D.E Pangasinan

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

Just barely warming her seat for two and half months after replacing the beleaguered District Engineer  (DE) Elpidio “Pidyong” Paragas of the 2^nd Engineering Office of the Department of Public Works & Highway in Pangasinan, DE YollyTangco has been whisked recently to DPWH’s Quezon City as acting Assistant Regional Director  for Region IV-A or Calabarzon. She said her watch covers the Cavite, Laguna , Rizal, Batangas, and Quezon Provinces.

Tangco - Out for Promotion

Tangco has been replaced by my friend Engineer Rodolfo “Boy” Dion, a Capri ciggie chomping chap and a bicycle enthusiast, who was the former DE of Ilocos Sur.

“Saan ang mas marami ang pera, O.I.C or acting Assistant Regional Director o District Engineer?” I asked a high DPWH official.

He said Tangco, incase she stays on her post in Lingayen, Pangasinan, could rake tens of millions of pesos as D.E  from willing private contractors and politicians than being an Assistant Regional Director.

I told the brass that I doff my hat to Tangco, she’s a fine woman and eloquent speaker (she speaks good English), who chooses a career advancement than to accumulate more wealth just like those corrupt District Engineers that I know.

***

Oh by the way, hard hitting broadcaster-on-leave Harold Barcelona told me what would happen to those DPWH personnel who were hurling brick bats at the back of Dion when they were ingratiating at Paragas when he replaced last year Dion as D.E of the Pangasinan’s DPWH. He, he, he ayusin niyo si Whispering Harold at iyong dalawang media men noong pinag-sisira-an niyo si Boy Dion sa harap ni Paragas noong nilipat siya (Boy) sa Ilocos.

Saka mali ata ang info mo Harold, sabi mo matatangal si Pangasinan 1^st Engineering Office DE Smile Fermin sa Alaminos City because of alleged questions sa mga projects doon and some powers- that- be there are not happy with him anymore.

***

IThe last time I dropped by at the office of Lingayen Mayor Josefina ”Iday” Castaneda was in the late month of year 2013.

I asked her how much the town’s budget for 2015 since towns on that month have already their next year’s appropriation approved by the council.

“Agwanta, tepet yoy administrator (I don’t know, please ask Administrator Lydia Pioquinto).

When I asked Lydia she said she did not know either!

Gee whiz, I was taken aback since all mayors worth their salts are expected to know this very important figure so that they have ideas where they are going to spend taxpayers’ money.

***

Last Friday afternoon, after I left the group of Police Chief Supt. (General) Roman Felix, Director of Police Regional Office -1 and Pangasinan Police Provincial Director S/Supt. (Colonel) Rey Biay who supervised a lecture at the Lingayen Police Office, I went to the office of Mayor Iday purportedly to ask her side on the aborted P310,000 withdrawal of overtime fees from the scrutiny of the town’s council for the personnel of the three departments. In the follow up investigation, the council found out that Accounting Office Chief Nelson Gumapos’s Daily Time Record was blank and has no signature of Mayor Castaneda. Gumapos claimed P52,000 from January to February this year from the coffer.
***

I was impressed by the renovation done by the mayor to her office. But what saddened me  was she did not stay, despite a desk with her name on it, anymore at the room used by her husband the late Mayor Jonas where the latter entertained callers who came from all walks of life, sport pants and short pants, sober and intoxicated, handsome and ugly, sexy and shabby, and what have you, just to get some financial assistance to buy medicines or booze.

As some callers entered and exited at the door of the mayor’s office, I, some media guys, and indigents waited for an hour for the secretary to call us since we arrived there earlier than the favored callers who just entered and left from the closed mayor’s office.

“Malayo si Iday kay Jonas sa accessibility lalo na sa mahihirap. Pag ganoon ang style niya, baka pag gising niya sa 2016 si Sonny Verzosa (masa and media friendly retired police official and son of the town’s former long reigning mayor) na ang bagong mayor ng Lingayen,’ I heard one media men quipped as I left the mayor’s office disappointed.

***

Police generals could learned a lesson to the blunder of Chief Superintendent Alexander Ignacio, Chief, PNP Directorate for Plans, when he gave a calling card (which he denied) to FHM Sexy Model Alyzza Agustin, her Executive Assistant (EA) in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

You know general, a lot of voluptuous women have their brains inserted between their “private”. They got no brain in their head (like flaunting at Face Book calling cards without thinking that the name at the card would be in a bind) but know how to seduce and make general probably like you looks stupid.

As you know, Agustin flaunted to the world via social media Face Book that she evaded again to pay a fine or penalty when she was nabbed for violating the color coding traffic rules at EDSA in Manila.

“Nahuli na  naman ako dahil sa coding, but because of you Boss Alex wala ng (sic) huli huli. Thank you so much sa napaka useful mong card with matching dedication pa #happykid”.

***

I remember some police generals, where one of them was then the Chief Philippine National Police, who gave me cards like what Ignacio gave to Agustin. In some of that cards where a scribbled note: “Please render any assistance to the bearer of this card”.

Since I was a law abiding citizen - ahem! - I did not flash any of these to traffic and check point officers who flagged my car.

I know some media colleagues who flashed theirs to peace officers and boasted how the cards’ magic work as traffic enforcers profusely apologized to them.

 (You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too attotomortz@yahoo.com).