Pinheads bosses of DILG

By Mortz C. Ortigoza Is Malacanang making life difficult to Governor Amado T. Espino? Radio reports announced recently that Police Colonel Sonny Versoza, a close ally of former governor Victor Agbayani, would assume as the Officer–In-Charge of the provincial police in Pangasinan. Media sources scooped Versoza’s appointment from General Nick Bartolome, chief of the Philippine National Police, last Monday when he graced an occasion in La Union. But incumbent OIC provincial director Lt. Colonel Michael Nicolas (yes Virginia, a Lt. Colonel, not a full colonel for the post of the top policeman in Pangasinan) told the media that he has no news about the assumption. Versoza’s closeness to the former governor could be traced to his sibling who was married to a sibling of Agbayani. I heard from sources that Malacanang wants to see that the appointment of the heads of the police in Pangasinan and the Commission on Election in the province would be under the behest of the palace’s occupants. They want to see that next year’s local election would be under their control. Malacanang dislike to the governor was ubiquitous after President Benigno Aquino III spoke in the recent Palarong Pambansa (National Game) in Lingayen, Pangasinan, he immediately flew in his presidential chopper (escorted by the newly purchased Poland-made Sokol military helicopter) to nearby Calasiao town. He ate and cooled his heels there while Espino, former president Fidel V. Ramos, and other dignitaries took their lunch at the swanky world class Sison Auditorium in Lingayen town. Espino is a former stalwart of Lakas-Kampi (under the now detained and former president Gloria Arroyo) who lately joined the Nationalist People’s Coalition of business tycoon Danding Cojuangco. *** I don’t have high regards for the heads of the Department of Interior &Local Government in the province and the region. They do not know the nuances of the Local Government Code of the Philippines of 1991(RA 7160), their supposed Bible. Except probably with former provincial OIC head Romy Prangan and former Dagupan City head Mon Vinluan , all the DILG in Pangasinan and Region 1 are pinheads to quote hard hitting Fox TV take-no-prisoner commentator Bill O’Reilly. Their being pinheads can be blamed on their bachelor’s degrees in Education and Commerce. Like Prangan who finished not only in AB Political Science but Bachelor of Laws, they should have enrolled even part time in Bachelor of Laws to understand the laws on public administration where local government laws are discussed, the Constitution, and even criminal laws. *** Look at DILG Director II Jesus Doque IV’s hubbub because of his interpretation of the special session called by Dagupan City councilor Chito Samson where majority of the aldermen voted to empower Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin S. Lim to sell the McAdore International Palace and the land owned by the city in Bgy. Talibaew, Calasiao town. Doque expressed his view that Resolution No. 6738-2012 suffers from legal infirmity, as it did not go through a second reading. This lapse, he said, can be a ground for concerned parties to file in court appropriate civil charges to declare the resolution invalid. “Hence, be it an ordinary legislative measure or legislative measure certified as urgent by the local chief executive, the same must undergo the first and second readings,” he explained. Susmariosep, how could you provide three readings in a special session held in a day only? That’s why it is called special because it was imbued with urgency it gives because of the public interest as provided in Section 52 (b)of the Local Government Code of 1991. My thesis was corroborated by City Administrator Vlad Mata who said when there was calamity in the city, a special session was called and appropriations through a resolution were passed without the three readings requirements. Public interest on the special session was the justification of Mayor Lim, but which Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez found assailable. But res ipsa loquitour (the thing speak for itself), or from the hippies quipped “look ma’, no hands” there were majority number of dads that voted for the resolution as what the law mandate in a special session. The move of Doque suits the agenda of Belen, the vice mayor can go to court just like what former Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez has done, file a petition for Declaratory Relief and Similar Remedies with injunction for Lim not to sell the two properties. Thus, it would deprive the city the needed cash to bankroll its public service projects. It’s a monkey wrench thrown at the path of the mayor by the vice mayor and the ludicrous interpretations of Duque. I agree with the National Press Club that before a media practitioner could be arrested because of a charge of criminal libel, the Philippine National Police should coordinate with the club (either national or local) so as to not surprise or embarrass the newsmen. This coordination is embodied in the memorandum of agreement signed by the police and NPC in 2001. This issue cropped up after fellow media man in Pangasinan - the hard hitting Jaime Aquino- was resting in a hammock (duyan) when policemen picked him so he can continue his rest at the cold floor of a jail cell in San Carlos for two days. Media friends in politics bailed him out eventually. Aquino, as quoted in the tabloid Hataw, said he was arrested in June 20, 2012 without receiving a subpoena and the copy of the complaint-affidavit by the person who sued him. “This is harassment to the member of the press!” he protested.