ORTIGOZA: Judge in cahoots with the police?

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Eng.Reynaldo Mencias,  Project Manager of the multi-billion pesos funded Agno River Integrated Irrigation Project (ARRIP), was on hot seat recently in a modified program of ABS-CBN – Dagupan City.

I asked him via phone-patch if it was true that government offices like Department of Public Works & Highway, National Irrigation Authority, Department of Agriculture, and others forego the pre-audit by the Commission on Audit of “sounding ( a gauge using a rod to know how deep the river and lake are from the water bed up to the surface before and after the dredging)” every time there is a dredging operation.

“Yes, there was a circular that pre-audit for dredging has been abolished,” he said.

Susmariosep, without a pre-audit of heavily silted river that needs dredging, vultures in Congress and bigwigs of those government offices I mentioned  could feast more because of the loot they can get from the dredge.

As you know corruption at a dredging operation reached as much as 60 percent.

It means P6 million out of the P10 Million budget goes to the pocket of grafters.

Now I know why some towns and cities are flooded every time there is a drizzle or typhoon.

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Who is this judge who interceded for the downgrading of a case filed by the Lingayen police against a certain Dr. Andico -- a professor of the Pangasinan State University?

According to a source, Andico was arrested and locked-up by the police because of illegal possession of a 9mm pistol in Andrea Beer house in Lingayen last October 6.

“He should be charged with Illegal Possession of Firearm and not Alarm and Scandal,” my source whispered to me.

Alarm & Scandal carries either a mere penalty or fine of Arresto Menor (1 day to 30 days imprisonment) or 200 pesos.

Illegal Possession of Firearm metes a penalty and fine of  prision correctional in its maximum period  ( up to 6 years in prison) and a fine of not less that Fifteen Thousand pesos(P15,000.00) as based on the amended Republic Act No. 8294.

***

Dr. Danny Sison, Assistant Superintendent of the Department of Education in Pangasinan- 1 and head of its Bids & Award Committee (BAC) would not entertain media men in his office recently who want to ask him some questions why a DepEd funded school building sans paint, toilet, ceiling, to name a few cost P750 thousand while its counterpart building with all the amenities the former lacks costs only P350,000.

According to my source, Sison would immediately entertain if the visitors in his office are contractors and suppliers.

***

I doff my hat to Binalot food chain president Rommel Juan and Pangasinan Area franchise owner Ruffy Meneses. They surely know the role played by the media vis-a-vis their products. Recently, they graced a franchise agreement signing and press conference for the national and local media like TV and print.

These guys surely know that without a wide coverage of media, nobody would know their affordable and unique fast food products.

This event held at Dagupena Restaurant recently could not be more successful without the able stewardship of former college professor and now blogger Simon Francis Blais Vistro.

O, Francis mababasa na itong PR ko dito sa inyo worldwide. Mag pa-inom ka na!

You can read my selected intriguing but thought-provoking columns athttp://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com).