Ang tunay na nagmamahal

Rep. Gina de Venecia

Dagupan City Mayor Benjie S. Lim

Ni RUEL CAMBA

Ginagawa ang lahat ng mga katunggali ni Mayor Benjie Lim sa pulitika para hindi matuloy ang pagpapatayo ng Maternal and Children’s Lying-in Hospital na magbibigay ng libreng serbisyong pangkalusugan sa mga kapuspalad sa lungsod. Ginagamit nila ang kanilang kapangyarihan para kumbinsihin ang Kalihim ng Edukasyon na huwag payagan ang paglipat ng mga mag-aral mula sa Don TeofiloGuadiz Elementary Shool sa bagong paaralan na pinagawa ng city government sa barangay Poblacion Oeste.
 Nakatakdang umpisahan ang construction ng naturang hospital sa lugar na kinatatayuan ng Guadiz Elementary School. Ang lugar ay bahain at lumang-luma na ang gusali.
 Ang bagong paaralan na pinatayo ng city government ay mataas kung kaya’t hindi maabot ng tubig-baha, at isa ito sa mga pinakamagandang school building sa buong rehiyon, ayun mismo kay Dr. Gloria Torres, ang city schools division superintendent.
 Bakit ganyan na lamang ang pagtutol ng mga kalaban ni Mayor Lim na magkakaroon ng sariling hospital ang siudad para sa mga mahihirap? OO nga’t maraming ospital sa lungsod, isama na ang Region 1 Medical Center.
 Sabi nila, sapat na ang Region I Medical Center para tugonan ang pangangailangan natin ng serbisyong pangkalusugan. Sapat at maasahan nga ba ang serbisyong binibigay ng naturang ospital?
 Hindi ba’t mismong si Dr. Roland Mejia, ang director ng Region I Medical Center, ang umamin sa isang press conference na “lahat ng serbisyodito sa Region I Medical Center ay may bayad.” Pati pagpaparada ng sasakyan, maybayad!
 Paano na ngayon ang mga mahihirap?
 Kilala ba ninyo si Efren Balauza Santineller?
Siya ay nanirahan sa 061 PNR Site, Mayombo, Dagupan City.
 Dinala siya sa Region I Medical Center noong March 5, 2013 dahil sa sakit na viral hepatitis.
 Na-confine ng limang araw, ngunit binawian ng buhay.
Halos tatlong araw ng nasa morgi ng Region I Medical Center ang bangkay dahil hindi hinayaang ilabas ng mga kamag-anak.
Ang dahilan: hindi makabayad ang mga kaanak ng kawawang biktima ang hospital bill na nagkakahalaga ng P32,562.00.
 At nagbayad pa ang mga kamag-anak nito ng P2,000 or P50 pesos bawat oras habang nasa morgi ang bangkay!
 Si Charlyn Joy Tumo, taga sitio Longos, Bonuan Boquig, ay na-confine din sa Region I Medical Center ng 19 na araw at umabot ang kanyang hospital bill sa P93,457.60!
Hanggang ngayon hindi pinapayagan na makalabas sa |Region I Medical Center dahil hindi mabayaran ang hospital bill, KAHIT NA MAY CERTIFICATION NA ITO AY ISANG INDIGENT PATIENT!
Sina Congresswoman Gina de Venecia, Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez at sampo ng kasamahan nila sa partido, bakit ayaw nilang matuloy ang ospital na balak ipatayo ni Mayor Benjie Lim para sa mga kapuspalad na kababayan natin?
 Talaga bang sila’y para sa mahihirap? Sino ngayon ang tunay na nag mamahal sa mga Dagupeños?
Sila ba o si Mayor Benjie Lim na gustong magkaroon ng sariling ospital para sa mgaDagupeños na kung saan libre ang serbisyo para sa mga kapuspalad?
 ****
 Sadyang di kapani-paniwala ang sinasabi ng mga kontrabida sa ating lungsod na lugi daw ang city government nang ibenta nito ang MC Adore hotel.
 Noong 2002, binili ng city government ang MC Adore hotel mula sa Asset Privatization Trust sa halagang P50 milyon lamang.
Ito ay nabenta sa halagang P119 milyon, kaya’t may tubo ang lungsod na P69 milyon, bukod pa ang humigit-kumulang na P30 milyon na nakolekta ng lungsod sa pagbebenta ng cash tickets sa mga tindera sa naturang lugar. Kung ganon, umabot sa P99 milyon higit-kumulang ang kinita ng city government mula sa MC Adore hotel!
 Kahit na batang musmos ay madali nitong naintindihan.
 Nguni’t iginigiit ng mga kontrabida sa lungsod na dapat hindi bumaba sa P200 milyon ang pagbenta sa MC Adore. Ano ang kanilang batayan?
WALA!
At isa pa, sana’y nag sumite na lang sila ng bid nang isubasta ang naturang ari-arian kesa dakdak na sila ng dakdak! Mismong ang Commission on Audit ang nagtakda ng presyo kung magkano at papaano ibenta ang MC Adore na naayon sa COA Circular Bilang 89-296. Bumuo ang COA ng Inspection and Appraisal Team na nagsiyasat at nagtakda ng presyo ng MC Adore.
 Kabilang sa mga COA Team ay sina Engr. Francis C. Estrada, Engr. Josie Cornel Ico, at Engr. Orlando G. Soco, ang hepeng Technical Information Technology Services ng COA Region I Office.
 Ayun sa report ng COA, hindi dapat bababa sa P106,283,000.00 ang presyo ng MC Adore.
Ngayon, bakit hindi sumali sa public bidding ang mga KONTRABIDA SA LUNGSOD kung talagang matibay ang kanilang paniniwala na hindi bababasa P200 milyon ang presyong MC Adore?
Mas marunong ba sila kaysa COA?
Wala ba silang tiwala sa COA? O kaya’y sadyang nililinlang at nililito lamang nila ang taong bayan?
 Sinunod lahat ng city government ang mga patakaran upang maging bukas sa publiko o kaya’y transparent ang ginawang pagbenta ng MC Adore hotel.
 Bumuo itong Appraisal Committee at Awards Committee nakabilang sa mga miyembro ay mula sa Sangguniang Panlungsod at pribadong sektor.
 Ang Invitation to Bid ay nalathala sa dalawang national daily newspapers at mahigit sampung local newspapers sa Pangasinan.
 Ayun kay Ginoong Benjamin Ramos, chief finance officer ng AMB. ALC Holdings and Management Corporation na siyang nakabili ng MC Adore, ang balak nila ay gawing five-star hotel ang MC Adore. Magkakaroon ito ng 120 hotel rooms, function rooms for banquet and conventions, Savings Bank, at commercial spaces para sa restaurant at retail stores.
 Mangangailangan ito ng mahigit 180 na empleyado.
Ayun kay Mayor Benjie Lim, mula dalawa hanggang tatlong milyong peso ang kikitain ng lungsod kada taon mula sa business taxes at license fees nama kokolekta mula sa MC Adore!
 Ngayon, sino ang talo?
Siyempre, ang mga KONTRABIDA SA LUNGSOD.
 PANALO ANG MGA DAGUPEÑO!

Braganza-Lomibao Team Kicks off Campaign

Gubernatorial candidate Hernani Braganza and his running mate Arturo Lomibao formally kick off their electoral campaign dubbed “Lakbay Pangasinan, Lakbay Pagbabago” tomorrow (April 1) with barangay sorties and town hall meetings in the towns of Urbiztondo, Mangatarem and Bugallon, hoping to deliver their messages directly to voters even in far-flung barrios. Braganza, the mayor of Alaminos City, explained that the Liberal Party in Pangasinan would focus on grassroots campaigning as part of its effort to reach the greatest number of voters possible in the 45-day campaign period.

 “We will go directly to the voters to listen to their concerns and to deliver our messages,” said the LP’s gubernatorial bet. “We will attend the rallies organized by our local candidates in the town plazas, but we will devote most of our time interacting with our fellow Pangasinenses in the barrios,” he added.
 Braganza noted that the barangay consultations would be interactive in character, enabling voters not just to see and hear the candidates but also giving them the chance to articulate their aspirations for a better Pangasinan.
 Voters and residents will also be encouraged to become an integral part of the campaign in their respective barangays by spearheading a series of localized activities -- such as vote’s education-- aimed to promote the programs of the Braganza-Lomibao team to as many citizens as possible.
 Braganza admitted that grassroots campaigning might be physically taxing on him and his running mate given the fact that Pangasinan has the biggest land area among the provinces with almost 1.6 million voters. But Braganza noted that he and Lomibao, a former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), are prepared physically and mentally to undertake such a rigorous campaign schedule. “Grassroots campaigning is the only way to counter the traditional use of guns, goons and gold by our political rivals,” said Braganza, a former student activist and an advocate of grassroots campaigning.
 Braganza noted that his supporters from religious, civic and business groups would also campaign in the grassroots level, particularly in areas that he could no longer visit due to time constraints. “Aside from the Liberal Party machinery, the organizations in the grassroots level have committed to campaign for our ticket and ensure the victory of Team P-Noy in Pangasinan,” he said. “Our youth groups, on the other hand, have committed to campaign actively in the social media to reach voters in the cities and other urban areas,” he added. Keeping within Comelec-prescribed limits, for a change The barangay sorties and town hall meetings would also allow the Liberal Party candidates to spend for the campaign within the limit prescribed by law and the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Braganza explained. Under the law, a local candidate is allowed to spend only PhP3 for every voter. This means that a local candidate in Pangasinan, which has 1.6 million voters, is limited to spend only PhP4.8 million during the campaign period.
 “Traditionally, candidates are obliged to provide food and spend for transportation during big rallies. That, in itself, is a violation of election laws,” Braganza pointed out. Braganza said he had also advised his supporters to follow strictly the Comelec guidelines in the printing and posting of campaign posters and other paraphernalia. “I have advised them against printing oversized posters, banners and streamers. I also advised them not to post campaign posters outside the Comelec-sanctioned areas,” he added.

Solon laments absence of Espino and Braganza in Peace Covenant

Rep. Arenas (L) and Governor Espinoc (C)

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 DAGUPAN CITY – A congresswoman deplores the non show- up of major candidates in Pangasinan in a covenant for peace and cooperation called recently here by Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Commission on Election, and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting .
Rep. Maria Rachel Arenas (3rd District, Pangasinan) commiserate with the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese who spent time to organize the convergence of candidates to sign for a peaceful May 13, 2013 national and local elections.
 Cosnpicously absent at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist here last March 25, 2013 were Governor Amado T. Espino and his rival Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza
“Sa palagay ko iyong effort ni Archbishop (Villagas) they should not take it for granted. For the rest of the candidates I don’t know pero the fact that bishop took time which we need here I think we should (have heed it).,” lamented by Arenas. Except for Arenas,  Representatives Leopoldo Bataoil( 2nd District, Pangasinan) and Kimi Cojuangco ( 5th District, Pangasinan) all of the three congressmen of the more than 1.6 million voters rich Pangasinan were not around, Most of the candidates of the 46 city and town mayors except Dagupan City Mayor Benjie S. Lim, and most candidates for the provincial, city, and municipal council did not show up too.
 “Maybe they have their own reasons”, Braganza’s vice gubernatorial bet Arturo Lomibao said when asked if Espino and Braganza were not serious about the covenant for peace.
 “I don’t think so naman siguro”, Lomibao quipped in the vernacular when asked if the non presence of most candidates were a mockery of the call of the church and Comelec for a peaceful election.
 Vice Governor Ferdinan Calimlim, Lomibao’s rival for the vice gubernatorial race, attended the peace pact. Espino in his letter to lawyer Marino Salas and Fr. Morris Allan Abuan, provincial election supervisor of Pangasinan and chairman of the PPCRV- Pangasinan, respectively, said that he could not afford to attend because his opponent (Braganza) would breach anyway what would have been agreed.
“You are aware of the various acts of character assassination, well-orchestrated political demolition jobs, false and fabricated accusation, and harassment cases filed against this representation by our politicial opponent,” the governor stressed.
Braganza in an article in Rappler said he would have been willing to “cancel all appointments” to sign a peace covenant for clean and honest election with his rival Espino, Jr. had he been invited.
 He was “amused” over the fact that organizers chose not to invite him to the covenant signing. “I asked my staff to check if there was any invitation. None by mail, e-mail, fax, phone call or text message. Even in my Facebook account, there is no invitation for that peace covenant signing,” Braganza said.
 Excerpts of the significant portion of the texts of the Covenant for Peace and Cooperation that were simultaneously read by the candidates say “we agree to adhere and cooperate to the intentions and purposes of this covenant in ensuring for Clean, Honest Accountable, Meaningful and Peaceful (C.H.A.M.P) and Secure and Fair Elections (S.A.F.E) so that justice and freedom may reign not only in our locality during this political exercise, but in the whole country at all times. For this purpose, we agree to adhere and cooperate to the intentions and purposes of this covenant in ensuring for CHAMP, SAFE and hereby PLEDGE”.

Arenas, who gave way for her mother Rosemarie for the congressional race, said that she did not know why Espino and Braganza were absent. “Siguro baka may schedule silang iba or hindi natin masabi. Maybe you should ask them”.
A source who asked anonymity said the absence of the duo was due to the highly charged election atmosphere. He said it could be understandable that Espino and Braganza shun each other at this moment after both threw everything at each other including the proverbial kitchen sink.
“The previous two gubernatorial polls would be no match to the acrimony and dirty charges and counter charges lodged at each other by the supporters of the two rivals even months before the polls”.
 The Espino camp suspected the camp of Braganza to be the brain in the illegal gambling game jueteng expose’ and the subsequent filling of plunder case against him at the Ombudsman by Bugallon Mayor Ricardo Orduna and the suspected trumped-up charges filled by one Jestin Aquino, a minor, at the Department of Justice blaming Espino as the master mind of the killing of the three political personalities in Pangasinan in the past.
 The camp of Braganza  likewise suspected too that the camp of Espino to be behind the plunder case filled by village chiefs at the Ombudsman of the allegedly unfinished and ghost projects of Mayor Braganza worth more than P4 billion pesos in Alaminos City

Judicial Affidavit Rule eyes more foreign investors

By Mortz C. Ortigoza
 DAGUPAN CITY – A legal luminary in Pangasinan said that the implementation of the court of a rule to shorten litigation will encourage more foreign investors to put monies in the country. Attorney Rufino Moreno, Jr. said that the reduction by two-third of the time the presentation of testimonies of witnesses in court cases will make the Philippines an attractive haven for the elusive foreign investors that could provide more jobs to Filipinos.
 “Case congestion and delays plague most courts in the country, given the huge volume of cases filed each year and the slow and cumbersome adversarial system that the judiciary has in place,” he stressed.
Last year, the Philippines snared only a sluggish U.S $1.5 billion foreign direct investment, while fellow South East Asian countries Singapore and Indonesia hosted U.S $54 billion and US $19.2 billion in the same year.
Moreno, who is the chief of the Registry of Deeds in Dagupan City, cited the Judicial Affidavit Rule (JAR) could substantially shortened court cases that will be good for the country’s legal system before the eyes of foreigners.
 He said it is the Sub-Committee on the Revision of the Rules on Civil Procedure of the Supreme Court headed by Associate Justice Roberto A. Abad that recommended the implementation of the JAR nationwide. He said the piloting of the rule has been a riveting success in courts in Quezon City last February 21, 2012. Consequently the high tribunal recommended its adoption this year for all courts except the Supreme Court all over the country. “This rule has taken effect last January 1, 2013 following its publication in two newspapers of general circulation”.
Moreover, Moreno expounded how the JAR is practiced in court. He said the conflicting parties shall file with the court and serve on the adverse party personally or by licensed courier service, nor later than five days before pre-trial or preliminary conference or the scheduled hearing with respect to motions.
A memorandum from the Supreme Court issued to courts all over the country given by Moreno to this paper explained that JAR shall be prepared in the language known to the witness and, if not in English or Filipino, accompanied by a translation in English or Filipino and shall include the personal background of the witness, the lawyer, statement of the witness in his answer to the questions ask. Section 4 of the JAR said that it shall contain a sworn attestation at the end, executed by the lawyer who conducted or supervised the examination of the witness.
 Moreno said non-compliance of the party with the JAR shall be deemed to have waived their submission. The court may, however, allow only once the late submission of the same provided the delay is for a valid reason, would not unduly prejudice the opposing party , and the defaulting party pays a fine of not less than P1,000.00 nor more than P5,000.00, at the discretion of the court.

Two media men try to kill Satan

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By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

Recently I dropped by at the camp of the Macanlalays (re-electionist Mayor Mark and Vice Mayor Roy) in Calasiao.
 One of their supporters ridiculed the campaign strategies of retired colonel Roger Danoli and Wilson de Vera who challenged for the mayoralty Mayor Mark. He said Danoli would ask his supporter to gather the surnames of the people in the place he is going to barnstorm so he could include in his speech before the throng there that those surnames have been related to him by consanguinity or affinity.
 “Kamag-anak kayo ng pinsan ng lolo ko sa nanay” something like that the supporter narrated. Thus Danoli is dubbed by the Macanlalays’ fans as scheming “Maka-Nayon (kinship friendly) candidate”
He said de Vera is “Mayabang”(full of hubris). Why? He explained that in the husting, Tigno would bragged to the crowd that if the Macanlalays (Mark and his reelectionist father vice mayor Roy) have P50 million campaign chest to pour up to the May 13, 2013 polls he has the same wherewithal to spend for the sorties and the mobs.
 “E kung ganoon karami ang pera niya, bakit noong tinakbo sa hospital ang tatay niya dinala lang nila sa (government owned) Regional hospital in Dagupan City? Bakit hindi sa (private hospitals) Nazareth or Villaflor?
 ***
 I enjoyed listening to the marvels of this supporter in the Pangasinan’s dialect. He told me that a former elective government official in the town has been rushed to the hospital because of cardiac arrest. When a mayor visited him, the former elective official (a multi-millionaire government contractor, unmitigated womanizer, and incorrigible gambler) confided to the town’s executive that he experienced how to die. “Pinasyal ako ni San Pedro sa langit. Malungkot pala doon. Kung hindi lagi nagdadasal ang mga tao, nasa simbahan sila. Saka ang mga damit doon kulay puti lahat. Noong dinala ako ni San Pedro sa impierno “lasi bale-bale demad luksab, maliket amay tu-o (Geez, the scene downstairs in hell was refreshing because people there were in high spirit).
He cited that beer houses there abound and there were a lot of sexy GROs (acronym of guess relation officers), there were lots of gambling houses like cockpit arenas, casinos, you name it”
 He told St. Peter that he rather stayed in hell than die again in boredom in heaven. But the goatee sporting gate keeper who wears a flour- like sack of clothe did not answer him as his (contractor) servant woke him up.
***
Was it true that chevon ( goat meat) eating media men Atong Remogat and Ronel de Vera experienced to die temporarily too?
 Broadcaster Dennis Mojares narrated to me that in his dream the duo were welcomed by Satan, the inebriated Atong and Ronel thought Satan was the goat that escaped when it was being prepared to be slaughtered during my birthday last month.
“Iyon ang kambing na pulutan (finger food) dapat natin sa birthday ni Mortz na bigay ni colonel noong isang buwan!”
Atong, holding a machete, exclaimed to Ronel who was holding a kuatro kantos marka demonyo gin as they chased the terrorized goat- looking king of darkness.
 According to Dennis the trembling but furious Satan asked for their immediate deportation to the heathen earth. “Mga hayop na iyon, gusto pa akong patayin!” Satan contemptuously quipped.
 ***
In a press conference lately, a faith healer in Central Pangasinan asked media men who among them have sexed with a ghost. One of the media practitioners who have long been sacked from his work raised his hand. The quack doctor, er, faith healer who treat foreigners surprisingly asked him: “Really, you experienced to have sex with the ghost?” “Ay, akala ko goat, ghost pala iyong tanong niyo (O, I thought it was a goat, not the ghost that you asked),” the embarrassed media man quipped in the vernacular.
 ***
Since December last year three mayors of Pangasinan died. One was murdered while the other two succumbed in a heart attack. After the death of one of them, the spouse of the newly installed mayor asked the maintainer of number games Jai-Alai (played like illegal gambling jueteng) if the new mayor could get the three months advance or until June 30 (the end of the term of the mayor) (that runs to P1 million monthly or P3 million in three months) so they can use it for the election campaign. My source said the management of Meridian declined.
 ***
After the other mayor died, his family thought that the vice mayor who became the mayor would still give them a substantial share of the revenues from Jai-Alai because one of the sons of the mayor runs for public office. The new mayor, according to my source, did not honor it. “The following day after his (former mayor) death, the newly installed mayor asked the maintainer to remit to him all of the daily payola”. I told the source that it is but normal for the mayor to get all the protection monies due him. The mayor has to shell-out everyday a sum to all the indigents that pester him for solicitation and alms everyday at his home and office. “His salary of P40 thousand a month would only be enough for one to two days of patronage,” I quipped. ***
 My source at the police told me that the monthly share of the chief of police (COP) from jai-alai of the two towns in the 3rd Congressional District are bigger than the share of the COP in a burgeoning city. “Binabawasan kasi ni mayor iyong binibigay kay hepe (whose rank is a Lieutenant Colonel),” my source said. He bemoaned that the COP receives now less than P200 thousand a month unlike his predecessor before the 2010 election who received almost P400 thousand a month from jueteng. “Kawawa iyong chief of police kasi doon sa less than P200 thousand sa jai-alai kasama na doon ang budget ng pagka-in at ibang operation ng police”.
 ***
The late Lingayen Mayor Jonas Castaneda governs the capital town for 18 years as hizzoner. His reigned was cut short after his wife Josefina or “Iday” won the mayoralty race and served the town for three years. I wrote before that in case I become a mayor (aheem!) somewhere in the Republic of Timbukto I would replicate how Jonas ran the town. Imagine, every body can enter his office whether one is with the upper, middle, or lower classes. What his constituents would do is patiently waits for his turns on the rows of empty chairs inside his office until he was through with his earlier callers. From a mother who needs a sum to buy milk for her newly born baby to a group of intoxicated constituents wearing boxer shirt, short, and slippers who need monies to buy another round of liquor would be going home with satisfaction after Castaneda gave them a token. “Panangaro (My love for you) as he extended a folded P100 or P200 bill to the hand of the needy.
 ***
In New York (U.S.A not Cubao, Quezon City) Mayor Michael Bloomberg implements a new policy for healthy living among his constituents. All cigarettes henceforth would no longer be displayed in the counter. If one buys Marlboro or Philip Morris, er, Benson & Hedges one has to ask the sales person of a store like 7-11 who hide the life threatening products in some drawers. In a forum at Fox TV, some consumer advocates freaked out to Mayor Bloomberg ‘s policy. They feared that someday the mayor would hide from the public eye beer, cholesterol laden hamburger, and others that are detrimental to health. “Do we Americans have no freedom to be fat, or to enjoy the luxury of a cigarette?” one of them posed to the anchor man. (You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com).

Espino hits foes on peace covenant

Espino shows his Certificate of Candidacy

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – “I will always remain faithful to the norms of conduct and strongly support the advocacy of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) for clean, honest, accountable, meaningful and peaceful elections (CHAMP) and the campaign for Secured and Fair Elections (SAFE) of the Philippine National Police.” This was the statement of Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. in his letter of March 23, 2013 addressed to Provincial Election Supervisor Marino Sales and Fr. Allan Morris Abuan, PPCRV chairperson for Pangasinan. While he reassured his support to PPCRV’s guiding principles of CHAMP, Espino, in the same letter, expressed regrets that he could not take part in the ceremonial activity of the peace covenant which was held at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Dagupan City last March 25.
 “For the record, these are the same guideposts that I have lived by in working for clean and peaceful elections, ever since I served as PNP Pangasinan Director, as PNP Region I Director, as a congressman, and now as governor of this province,” Espino stressed.

Rival Braganza (L) and PMA classmate Lomibao

 The governor, however, noted that “some candidates and officials are supposed to promote CHAMP and SAFE elections, are the same people who are violating the core values and principles upon which these advocacies stand.” The governor informed the COMELEC provincial chief and the PPCRV-Pangasinan chair that “majority of the local chief executives in Pangasnan and the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan have signed a manifesto calling for a change in the PNP provincial leadership.
 In their manifesto, the SP members and mayors accused Sr. Supt. Marlo Chan, PNP OIC-provincial director, of “evident bias in favor of some candidates and has arbirtrarily and unilaterally been replacing the chiefs of police in those localities whose political leaders are perceived to be against his (Chan’s) favored candidates, without the requisite consultation with the concerned local chief executives, such acts in violation of the prohibitions imposed by the COMELE during the election period.”
 “You are also aware of the various acts of character-assassination, well-orchestrated political demolition jobs, false and fabricated accusations and harassment cases filed against this representation by our political opponent,” the governor said in his letter
. “Thus, we are afraid that the Peace Covenant Signing would only serve to legitimize the violations and abuses of some PNP officials and deceitful candidates and provide them with the perfect cover-up for their devious schemes,” the governor said in his letter.
 “Our participation in the Peace Covenant Signing would ony give the wrong signal that we are condoning their dirty tricks,” the governor added. (PIO)

Pres. Aquino endorses Braganza

Papalapit na nga po ang eleksyon. Iisa lang po ang ibig sabihin niyan: kailangan na naman po ninyong pumili kung saang direksyon tutungo ang ating bayan. Ang hamon nga po sa atin:
Magpapalinlang ba ulit ang Pangasinan sa mga binuburong pangako ng ilang pulitiko na panay anumalya't katiwalian ang idinulot sa inyong lalawigan?
O papanig kayo sa paglilingkod na may tunay na malasakit sa Pangasinan, at nasa tamang lugar ang puso sa pagseserbisyo?” “Ang tanong ngayon: gusto ba ng Pangasinan na magpatuloy ang arangkada ng ating mga reporma? O mas nanaisin ninyong mag-U-turn ang inyong probinsya?
Saksi kayo kung gaano kasalimuot ang magkaroon ng pinunong puro paninindak, puro katiwalian, at palaging isinasangkalan ang interes ng lalawigan para sa pansariling kapakanan.
May pagkakataon kayo ngayon na baguhin ang umiiral na sistema sa inyong probinsya; may pagkakataon kayo ngayon na ibahagi sa buong lalawigan ng Pangasinan ang mga reporma't mabubuting bagay na nangyayari sa Alaminos, dahil sa subok nang pamumuno ng ating magiging gobernador Nani Braganza. Simple lamang po ang panata ni Nani bilang inyong susunod na Gobernador: paglilingkod na walang halong sugal o tsamba, walang halong ilegal o katiwalian, walang halong sindak at karahasan. Sa halip, tuloy-tuloy na pagsisikap, tuloy-tuloy na tapat at may malasakit na pamamalakad sa buong Pangasinan. Iyan po si Nani Braganza.”
 “Kasamahan ko ho ito sa Kongreso, pero nauna yata siya sa akin sa Kongreso. Ibig sabihin po sa Ingles noon, he is my senior. Ewan ko lang ‘yung public service and in looks, bahala na ho kayong magdesisyon. Pero iyon nga ho ang pagkakilala ko dito kay Nani, madaling kausap, maliwanag kausap, iisa ang salita. Iyan po, hindi tayo mag-aatubili, pagdating ng panahon, may problema kayo, isang tawag lang ni Nani, kikilos na kung sinuman ang kailangang kumilos.”
 “Napakalaki po talaga ng potensyal ng Pangasinan, at sa darating na halalan, nakasalalay sa inyong boto kung ang potensyal na ito ay magagamit para bigyang lakas ang mga Pangasinense, o kung masasayang lamang ito sa kasakiman ng ilang makapangyarihan. Ipakita po nating hindi nadadaan sa impluwensya, at hindi nabibili ng ilang mamisong barya ang kinabukasan ng inyong probinsya.
 Iluklok natin sa kapitolyo ang pinunong nasa tamang lugar ang puso, at ang tanging tuon ay ang pagsilbihan kayo, at ang lahat ng Pilipino. Tiwala po akong hindi tayo madidiskaril sa landas ng tuwid at tapat na paglilingkod dahil may mga Pangasinense tayong kasabay na humahakbang tungo sa katuparan ng ating mga pangarap.” “Kapag meron tayong ulit, namamahala sa atin, magiging partner ko dito, maluwang maghanap ng pondo, dahil gagamitin sa tama, palakihin ang mga pagkakataon para sa mga Pangasinense. Hindi po panaginip iyan. Puwedeng mangyari iyan, siyempre ang susi, kayo, kayo po ang mga boss, kayong magsasabi sa inyong utusan saan tayo tutungo, malaman natin sa halalan.”

3 mayoral bets of Alaminos Unite for Espino’s reelection

Rare Display of Political Unity.  Three opposing mayoral candidates in Alaminos City namely Centrix Democratic Party’s (CDP) Teofilo Humilde Jr. (extreme left), Nationalist People’s Coalition’s (NPC) Arthur Celeste (2^nd from left) and United Nationalist Alliance’s (UNA) Cesar Manzano (center) raise their hands together with Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. (3^rd from left) in a rare display of mutual respect with each other and to denounce the dirty tactics of Liberal Party Gubernatorial bet Nani Braganza and son, Alaminos Mayoral bet Lean during a presscon held at Vista delas Islas in Alaminos City last March 21.  Also shown in photo are the vice mayoral bets of CDP, NPC and UNA.

ALAMINOS CITY, Pangasinan – Three mayoral bets of this city belonging to different political parties forged a tactical alliance in a bid to ensure the victory of reelectinist governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. right in this hometown of rival Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza.
 The mayoral bets – former Rep. Arthur Celeste of the Nationalist People’s Coaliton (NPC), incumbent Provincial Board Member Teofilo Humilde of the Centrist Democratic Party (CDP) and incumbent Alaminos Vice Mayor Manzano of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) – entered into a covenant of unity before a throng of mass-based supporters, including 25 of the city’s 39 barangay leaders.
 In a show of support to Espino, the three mayoralty rivals took turns in denouncing Braganza as an “inveterate liar and a peddler of falsehood who is resorting to character-assassination in a desperate bid to win public support.”
 Celeste who lost by a slim margin to Braganza in the last mayoral elections, accused the latter for “corrupting a minor to fabricate murder charges against the governor.” “He (Braganza) is not worth a cent of the people’s trust,” Celeste said, as he warned the barangay leaders not to fall prey to Braganza’s political antics.
 On the other hand, Humilde, who once served as vice mayor of the city, and Manzano called Braganza an “incompetent and incorrigible leader” as they blamed him for the non-completion of various multi-million peso projects in the city. “Because of his incompetence and lackadaisical leadership, millions of pesos in government investments for the city’s growth are going to waste,” they said.
 On the contrary, the three mayoral candidates hailed Espino for the swift transformation of Pangasinan as one of the country’s top-performing provinces.
 “In 5 years, the governor changed the province’s landscape and environment, scraped off the roadblocks of development and is harnessing to a great extent the growth engines to turn the local economy viable and globally competitive,” Celeste pointed out. “It’s about time city folks of Alaminos learn the lessons from Braganza’s shenaniganism,” he added.
 It can be recalled, Braganza said that the province is a haven of corruption and other crimes. “What Mayor Braganza did during the campaign rally of the Liberal Party here last week was contemptuous, arrogant, and without respect to a fellow candidate. Mayor Braganza used the podium to peddle lies indiscriminately, muddle the political issues and poison minds of the people,” argued the three.
 Celeste, Humilde, and Manzano also called on the President, “Sana pakinggan niya ang mga daing ng mga tao at mga lider ng lalawigan para hindi siya mahila sa mga maling paratang at paniniwala ng isang mapaglinlang na opisyal ng bayan.”
 The three are pitted against Braganza’s son, Lean, for the mayoral post. Owing to this development, political watchers in Pangasinan are raising the possibility that other mayoralty contenders in other towns of the province will similarly forge unity covenants in support of Espino.
 They noted that with NPC’s fielding of 43 mayoralty bets and 28 of whom are reelectionists, as against Liberal Party’s 29 mayoral candidates and three reelectionists, the bandwagon for an Espino win is expected to pick up momentum a week following the start of the official campaign period on March 29. (Pangasinan Asinan Media Bureau)

More unopposed candidates in 2013

MANILA, Philippines – Let’s call them the One Vote Club – they who will have the easiest campaign (or may not need to mount any campaign at all) because they will only need a vote each to win the elections. The number of unopposed candidates for main local positions this year have increased from 2010, records from the Commission on Elections show. There are 12 gubernatorial candidates in 2013 who have no opponents, 4 times more than in the last elections (3 candidates). The number of vice gubernatorial aspirants, at 13, means it quadrupled from 3 in 2010. Unopposed congressional bets almost doubled in number to 25, from 14 in 2010. City and municipal mayoral candidates also almost double to 202 this year, from 123 in the last elections. – Rappler.com

Bulacan candidates sign peace covenant

BULACAN, Philippines – The provincial and local candidates in the province signed a peace covenant on Saturday, March 23, in Malolos City, with religious groups, police and election officials, and poll watchdogs as witnesses.
The local politicians made the "unity pledge" during the “Unity Walk, Prayer Rally and Signing of Peace Covenant for a Secure and Fair Elections (SAFE) 2013" at the Hiyas ng Bulacan Convention Center. Among those who signed the covenant to ensure peaceful and honest polls were re-electionist Gov Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado, who is running unopposed like his wife, re-electionist 1st District Rep Marivic Sy-Alvarado, and Vice Gov Daniel Fernando.
Rival candidates re-electionist Malolos City Mayor Christian Natividad and former City Mayor Danilo Domingo, as well as re-electionist Meycauayan City Mayor Joaqn Alarilla and challenger former Meycauayan City Vice Mayor Salvador “Bogs” Violago, also signed the covenant.
 “This is one way of ensuring the conduct of a clean, honest, accurate, meaningful and peaceful elections and at the same time elevating the maturity of the Filipino electorate by holding candidates to a law-abiding campaign based on issues and not personal attacks," said acting Bulacan police chief Sr Supt Joel Orduna, who administered the unity pledge among the candidates.
 Orduna is part of the Provincial Joint Security Control Center (PJSCC), which initiated the covenant. The PJSCC is composed of the Parish Pastoral Council, the the Commission on Elections, the provincial government of Bulacan, the Bulacan Police Provincial Office, and the Philippine Army. Prior to the signing of the peace covenant, leaders of different religious groups led by Rev Danilo Clavio (United Methodist Church), Bro Benny Flores (Catholic Church), Bishop Edilberto Chan (Baptist Church), and Pastor Nicasio Dionisio (Jesus is Lord Movement) prayed for a peaceful, fair, and orderly elections in the province. Elmo Duque, provincial election supervisor, reminded the candidates to observe the election guidelines.
 He also urged the voters to choose good leaders whom they believe will serve them well in righteous and honest ways. “Kapag mabuti ang mga naglilingkod ay umuunlad ang bayan kaya pilin natin ang mga mabubuti at mahuhusay na mga kandidato (Progress comes when good leaders rule, so let us choose the candidates who are good and knows the job),” Roque said. - Rappler.com

Espino vs. Braganza: Who wins the propaganda?

Espino

Braganza

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA 

Over two months after the media bombshell that implicated Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. in a supposedly billion-peso jueteng scandal, and barely a month and-a-half into the local elections, the Pangasinan governor appeared to have overcome whatever ill effects the expose had generated.
 Close observers of Pangasinan politics noted that based on media (mostly print and radio) exposure in social media, Espino has considerably edged his opponent Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza, whose camp had understandably calculated that the sensational whistle blowing by Bugallon Mayor Ric Orduna would dramatically affect the battle for public acceptability in the gubernatorial race.
 The failure of the Braganza spin masters to sustain and capitalize on the Orduna expose’, by squeezing every possible drop of sleazy details that could have helped in damaging Espino’s name, had also gave the Espino camp enough room--and time--to consolidate its defense, in fact, managing to clothe the accusations with political motive, pointing out quite convincingly that it was right after the filing of candidacies for the 2013 elections.
 Espino’s party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), had also greatly helped the governor’s cause with its strongly worded statement warning the Liberal Party of using its powers to discredit its opponents. 

Espino’s neck will be next, but ...

 After the December 2012 Orduna revelations, rumors flew far and wide that Gov. Espino was due to be suspended administratively, similar to the fate of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, a United Nationalist Alliance candidate for reelection, who was suspended by the DILG for six months.
 Innuendos that obviously emanated from the Braganza camp also created unverified suggestions that it was President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III himself who was behind a move to suspend Espino by all means to insure the victory of the Liberal Party gubernatorial candidate, Braganza.
 In fact, the propaganda tide had turned against Braganza when Espino’s supporters right in Alaminos City where Braganza reigns as mayor filed a case of plunder before the Ombudsman allegedly in connection with the city’s anomalous and ghost projects over the past nine years of his (Braganza) incumbency that amounted to over P4 billion.
 Meanwhile, major Manila-based columnists Ramon Tulfo and Roberto Tiglao of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Ninez Cacho-Olivarez of the Tribune, Jojo Robles of the Business Week, Alex Magno of the Philippines Star, and other news writers, took turns in lambasting the Liberal Party’s agenda to unduly impute faults on their perceived enemies, the blatant mobilization of government offices, personnel and resources to tilt the balance on the ruling party candidates. as demonstrated in the persecution of Garcia of Cebu and Espino in Pangsinan.
Sources said that these political writers were allegedly beneficiaries of a handsome sum per article from Espino’s well-oiled political machinery. This machinery can be felt too in the local scene; the frequency and quality of information materials disseminated among the press and radio are almost 10 to 3 in favor of Espino, who has managed to retain the support and belief of media stalwarts in Pangasinan.

 Malacanang backtracks on its plan to suspend Espino 

 Has Malacanang realized how deep the clout of Espino on the provincial voters that it cowered on its plan to suspend the governor?
 Since February 13, deadline imposed by the Commission on Election on preventive suspensions of sitting officials, had expired, and yet Espino still calls the shots as governor of the more than 1.6 million voters’ Pangasinan.
 It was assumed that the president has been deterred to suspend him not more than 90 days otherwise it affects the winnability of his 12 senatorial bets in the mammoth province.
 Another factor in the easing up of the pressure against the governor was the unswerving stand of the NPC led by Mark Cojuangco to support Espino.
 Not a few have observed the threat by Cojuangco, the party’s stalwart, that would caused the withdrawal of senatorial bets Loren Legarda and Chiz Escudero from the LP-NPC senatorial ticket.
 Political spectators surmised that threat of Cojuangco has been a comeuppance to the bigwigs of the LP not to pursue their agenda.

Espino’s masterful defense team 

 With the threat of suspension relegated to the back burner, Espino hired the services of top-notch Manila lawyer Abraham Espejo, who is also the top legal counsel of the powerful religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo, to defend the governor in the plunder case , a non-bailable offense filed before the Ombudsman by Orduna, a close ally of Braganza.
 In a series of counter charges, Espejo and his defense team managed to put together a plunder case against Braganza brought forth by 15 barangay chairmen and city councilors of Alaminos City, claiming that Braganza was behind the anomalous and ghost projects worth P4.6 billion.

 PR War changed in 2013 compares to the last two gubernatorial polls 

 Another media source had noted that the terrain, rules of engagement, and the complexion in the current Pangasinan gubernatorial war has changed dramatically as compared to those when Espino trounced Jamie Agbayani, the wife of outgoing Governor Victor, in 2007, and thereafter the gubernatorial race of 2010 when it was the come-backing former Gov. Agbayani, himself, as the opponent, who lost to Espino by an unprecedented over 500.000 votes.
 Espino is an alumnus of the elite Philippine Military Academy who had survived a number of ambuscades by communist guerrillas of the New People’s Army, while Braganza was once a political officer of the NPA who was arrested by the military but freed a day later through the intercession of his uncle then Constabulary Chief Fidel V. Ramos, who would later become Philippine president. Braganza, in his political forays, had admitted his deep involvement with the dissident movement, and once heard saying in the vernacular: Aminado naman ako na dating NPA ako, pero NPA din si Governor Espino -- No Pera Alisto. as an obvious dig on a previous charge that Espino was involved in black sand mining and smuggling, which was later denied by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
 The DENR’s Environmental Compliance Certificate had marginalized as an issue the black sand mining, and Espino instead trained his gun to his opponent by claiming the baseless charges against him unduly hampered the implementation of Pangasinan’s flagship project which involved the putting of a large Eco-Tourism project that would leapfrog the province’s push for tourism and foreign investments.
 The local pundit observed: " Iba na ang labananan ngayon kumpara noon. Ngayon magaling sa sira-an ang kalaban na kailangan ang talent ng abugado like Espejo to answer them. Noon, pa PR – PR lang kami. We just publish then how the governor spruced up the capitol grounds, its edifices, the 14 provincial hospitals, and many other government assets that centered on putting Lingayen and the province in the forefront of tourism in the country.”

 Different Electoral Battle 

 Observers further opined that the current gubernatorial race had turned ugly, dominated by sensational charges and counter-charges that dwelt not only on public action, but also on the persona, and even personal lives of the candidates.
 “This never happened in the past, and the bitterness of the political rivalry has a negative effect on the psyche of Pangasinenses, normally a peace-loving and gentle people,” the observer added.
 Another dirty element has entered the political scene: the favorite communist practice of agitating trouble-makers to create civic disturbances, such as assembling of a few “radicals,” holding aloft placards that demonize their perceived political foes, as what a number of pro-Braganza supporters have done in a few communities.

 Gubernatorial Media War analyzed

 Reports have been going the rounds that Gov. Espino enjoys a 20 percent advantage in the battle for public attention through the print and social media, which is normal for an incumbent governor who commands a full-staffed information arm led by the Provincial Information Office (PIO).
 Braganza has his City Information Office (CIO) that is half the size of the PIO in terms of personnel, resources and talent.
 According to a source, Toots Orfinada, Braganza’s CIO chief, had intimated to some media friends that the Braganza campaign will be bolstered by a few PR and information specialists from Manila, but the Espino camp, run by two to three battle scarred spienmeisters, has yet to see the result of their supposed superior handiwork.
 For the last three weeks, for instance, the Braganza camp has sent only a sputter of PR articles to the e-mails of media men and blogs like P’nan Biggest Blog.
 When we asked a personnel of the Alaminos City's CIO what’s the latest on their propaganda efforts, showing that they have been losing substantially in the media and propaganda exchanges. He readily answered: “Just wait. They (Espino Camp) will soon self-destruct, you will see.”
Was it a sheer threat or an empty threat?
We will soon learn  as this writer watch with bated breath how the two camps undermine each other almost two months from now before the day of reckoning.
 (Send comments to totomortz@yahoo.com)

U.S Cops are better than the PNP in Frisking

U.S police frisks a suspect after flagging his car.This is seldom done in the Philippines
because cops there are afraid that motorists sue them for harassment.

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

 The farthest place I’ve been in a U.S sounding soil is in New York, Cubao and San Francisco Del Monte in Bulacan.
But allow me to cite what I saw in real police stories on cable TV about how the cops in America search motorists they suspected to carry illegal objects.
 In the United States, suspicious acting motorists are asked with courtesy by the police to slowly come out from their vehicle, turn their back, raised and rest their hands on the roof of their cars as cops frisk their body and search the trunk and compartment of their car of illegal objects.
 In the Philippines, after the police flagged a car or motorcycle, the peace officers contend to visual search the vehicles. Why they could not emulate their counterparts in America?
First, they are afraid about the backlash of coercion and illegal search charges to be filled by the “harassed” motorists.
 Second, according to PNP Lt. Colonel Cris Abrahano, Dagupan City police chief, the U.S way of searching a vehicle could not be applied in the Philippines because the police needs up to five to seven circumstantial evidences (what?) to prove that the motorist is hiding an illegal.
 “Is there jurisprudence for those five circumstantial evidences? “ I posed to him.
“It is embodied in the Constitution,” he told me.
 ***
As what I wrote before, the police fears to ask the motorist if they have suspicious that the vehicles carry the corpus delicti because of the charges that waits for them at the Police Internal Affairs Service, People’s Law Enforcement Board, Human Rights, and Prosecutor’s Office.
 A police sergeant who read my previous column “Why policemen fear to go beyond visual search” told me the downside of being charged by civilians. The PNP member has to shell out personal money to pay for his lawyer. So why explore beyond the visual search when they are the Sword of Damocles hovering above their head. The problem with this practice of visual searching however is criminals are (to borrow the lingo at social media like Face Book) R.O.L or rolling out laughing since they could not get busted of their nefarious trade. It is high time for solons like Congressman Pol Bataoil, a retired police general, to pass legislation that would give more teeth to policemen manning check points.
(Send comments to totomortz@yahoo.com)

When can a police officer search (i.e. frisk) me?

 By Craig Atkinson 

 Frisking is a technique frequently used by the police of running his or her hands up and down the suspect’s outer clothing to detect weapons or other contraband. As can reasonably be expected, the guilty and the innocent are not comfortable with a stranger feeling up and down their body, to say the least. So when is a police officer lawfully justified in doing so? As was discussed in my prior post, the principles and rationales for when a police officer can make an investigatory stop were laid down in Terry v. Ohio by the United States Supreme Court in 1968. That same case also laid down the rules for when an officer can pat down, frisk, or otherwise search an individual’s person subsequent to a Terry Stop.
 Just because a police officer has a lawful basis to make a Terry Stop does not mean that they are thereby justified in frisking that individual.
 For example, a police officer can stop your car because he witnessed you speeding. That would satisfy the reasonable articulable suspicionrequirement that I spoke of earlier, but the officer would not then be justified in frisking you subsequent to the stop based on the speeding violation alone. The United States Supreme Court has held that a police officer must have additional reasonable articulable suspicion that the individual to be searched is armed with a dangerous weapon and is presently dangerous. In other words, not only must the officer have a reasonable articulable suspicion that the individual is armed with a weapon, but must also have a reasonable articulable suspicion that the individual may use that weapon. To illustrate, take for example a man who is pulled over for speeding who the officer has reason to believe is carrying a concealed weapon, and the officer knows this from a reliable source who would be willing to testify in court, but beyond that he has no reason to believe that the man is dangerous.
The officer approaches the man in his car, the man greets the officer kindly, and he cooperates with the officer’s investigation. It would be hard to imagine how the officer could justify laying hands on someone in these circumstances.
Now, take the same set of circumstances, but change the man’s perceived behavior from friendly and cooperative, to unfriendly, angry, and belligerent. And to make the example even more clear, let’s assume that he is making threats towards the officer. Now we can see a set of circumstances where the police officer has reason to believe that the man is armed, and that the man is presently dangerous. A criminal defendant would be hard pressed to convince a judge that the police didn’t have a basis for frisking the defendant for weapons. The reason for this rule is obvious. We do not want to give police full reign to spend their days frisking every individual they encounter.
 However, we also do not want to tie an officer’s hands in a situation where he has reason to believe a suspect is dangerous and armed. If he has a good reason for believing this, then it makes sense to let him disarm the man he is attempting to investigate. As anyone who has seen an episode of Cops may know, it is very common for police officers to frisk a suspect, find no weapon, but turn up other contraband, like drug paraphernalia. You may ask yourself, if the search is for weapons, and officer safety is the justification, then why are they finding drug contraband? Well, to answer that question, you need to understand what has come to be known as the “plain feel doctrine.”
Essentially what “the plain feel doctrine” means is if during a lawful search for weapons an officer feels something in the clothing of a suspect, the identify of which it is immediately clear, the officer can remove that object. So if an officer is searching for weapons, and feels over the suspect’s pocket and does not feel a gun, but does feel a marijuana pipe, and through his “training and experience” the officer knows what a marijuana pipe feels like through clothing, then the officer can lawfully remove the pipe. Do not be confused though by a different type of frisk you may see on a show like Cops. If a defendant is being frisked after being arrested, then the officer is operating under a different exception to the warrant requirement, and that is the search incident to an arrest exception.
That is an exception that I will discuss in more detail in a later post. Suffice it to say, if a suspect is under arrest, the police are allowed to frisk the suspect for weapons andcontraband. They are not required to have reasonable articulable suspicion that the suspect is armed and presently dangerous. All they need to show is that the frisk was done as part of a lawful arrest. Also, this analysis does not apply to the recent fiasco with the TSA and their new frisking policy prior to boarding a flight. This is another issue that I will probably be writing a blog post about later.
Suffice it to say, a frisk by the TSA is known as an administrative search, and while this particular search is still analyzed under a Fourth amendment analysis, such a warrantless search is valid if it is “no more intrusive or intensive than necessary, in light of current technology, to detect weapons or explosives” and passengers may avoid the search by electing not to fly. Have you been frisked by a law enforcement officer? Do you believe the police officer was justified in doing so? Share you comments below.
 (The author is a Criminal Defense Attorney who has an addressed at 1087 W. River St. Suite 290 Boise,USA. ID, 83702 208-571-0627)

Liberal Party raises fund through rice smuggling?

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

According to the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce U.S $20 billion or P800 billion is lost in the Philippines every year because of the unabated spate of smuggling of all kinds of goods.
U.S $6 billion or P240 billion of this is on rice smuggling. Consequently, Filipino farmers mull not to sow their crop next planting season because rice millers and traders stoped buying the staple at P17 a kilo. They prefer to buy those peddled by smugglers who dump Chinese and Vietnamese cheap rice in different harbors of the country.
According to Abono Party list chair Rosendo So, the national farmer group he belongs wrote recently President Aquino about their concern on the bane brought by the rampant and scandalous smuggling.
 Is Malacanang behind the spate of this scourge against the poor and emaciated Filipino farmers? Many suspected it is behind this in exchange of billions of pesos to boost the stocks of its senatorial and other candidates in the Liberal Party.
 ***
In his column “Edsa repair may fund LP Poll campaign” that saw print in the Philippines Daily Inquirer in February 3,2013, Neil Cruz wrote about the sinister plan of the administration of President Aquino to surreptitiously expedite in May this year almost P4 billion worth of rehabilitation of the stretch of the 23 – kilometer highway EDSA.
Excerpts of Cruz’s column: “If it is not urgent, why is the DPWH (Department of Public Works & Highways) in a hurry to fix it now? The DPWH’s excuse is that there will be two international conferences here in two years. What a shallow excuse”. He said the delegates will not pass through Edsa. From the airport to their hotels, they will pass through Roxas Boulevard. He continued the DPWH says that after the repairs, Edsa will be as “smooth as NLEx.” Is it necessary to make Edsa “as smooth as NLEx”?
No. Vehicles will not be able to speed through Edsa as fast as they do on NLEx and SLEx no matter how “smooth” it is because of the traffic jams. Motorists will be much happier with the traffic flow made to move smoothly rather than with a smooth road with traffic jams”.
 Cruz posed why the DPWH was in a hurry?
 He said part of the almost P4-billion EDSA budget may be used to fund the administration’s election campaign. His sources said the private contractors get 50 percent of the contract budget before any work is started. Fifty percent of P4 billion is P2 billion. The average commission, or kickback, that a contractor coughs up is 30 percent. How much is 30 percent of P2 billion? Since I don’t have a calculator, my abacus said it is a whopping almost P 600 Million that the Liberal Party can get a share to finance its candidates nationwide from the P3.7 billion appropriation.
 After the expose’ Malacanang helter-skelter and cowered by suspending the repair of EDSA because of the heat it would reap.
 As anyone knows, it could undermine the “Birthday Party” of the LP”.
 Does the Palace has a hand on the successful dumping of imported cheap rice at the expense of our poor farmers who would starve to death because nobody buys their staple anymore?
 ***
I therefore support the call of So for the head of Custom Commissioner Rozzano Ruffino Biazon. Biazon, a friend and a medical technology graduate, is an ally of Aquino, is the worst custom chief this country has ever seen after he plunged in a deficit of P60 billion of its custom tax target last year.
 The deficit is the worst since the Bureau of Custom was conceived in 1902.
So explained that mabuti pa ang bulag kumpara kay Biazon kasi pag nahawakan ng bulag alam niya kung anong bagay. But Biazon is like the monkey who couldn’t see and hear about ubiquity of rice smuggling. (Send comments at totomortz@yahoo.com)

Blame P-Noy why Jamby, Jun, and Rissa are laggard

President Aquino (3rd from Right) goes to the side of his
cousin Bam (Extreme Left) in one of the Liberal Party's
 rallies. 

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA
I know now why senatorial bet Bam (not Bum, Mr. Niel Cruz) Aquino was hoisted from Nos. 9-10 (Social Weather Stations February 15-17 polls) to Nos. 4-9 (Pulse Asia February 24-28 survey). Aside from his aggressive TV ads where he exploited himself as a dead ringer of martyr Ninoy Aquino, his lineage to him (Tito Ninoy) and to former president Tita Cory Aquino, and his kuya Noynoy- the incumbent president , President Noy talked much about Bam in Alaminos City.
 In the rally in Dagupan City last Friday, the president crowed lengthily about his cousin's curriculum vitae, both of their father were imprisoned, Bam was a genius, would be earning a windfall in giant corporations who pursue him after he graduated magna cum laude in Ateneo de Manila, etc.
 But the president should know that the LP decided that the president and senatorial candidates should emphasize more on the wannabes who are “kulelat” (laggard) or outside the Top 12 of the pollsters Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia.
 But the president seems not to honor this agreement but subtlety giving more mileage to his cousin Bam than the kulelat Jamby Madrigal, Ramon Magsaysay Jr. and Rissa Hontiveros who were enmeshed in Nos. 14-17, Nos. 16-18, and Nos. 17-18 in the latest poll of Pulse Asia, respectively.
 The adage that blood is thicker than water holds true in the rallies led by the president in the cities of Dagupan and Alaminos in March 15, 2013.
 ***
 The aging Jun Magsaysay could not hide his elite education. He used high level English words like “mantra”, and “tenets” that could not be understood by the mostly “hakot” (hauled) crowd dressed in yellow shirts of the Liberal Party.
 Senator, kaya pala kulelat kayo sa latest survey hangang ngayon hindi pa rin kayo natuto sa rally. Iyong mga iba doon kilala ko. Mga asawa ng mga basurero na nakatira sa slums ng Barangays Tapuac at Pantal. Ang alam lang ng mga pobre na iyon ay “bigas”, “kita” at “magkano”. Iyong mga highfalutin niyo are not in their vocabulary.
 They told me they got mental torture with what you were crowing as your feats. Many of them went home at 1:30 pm furious because their patrons Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez did not give them food and the promised P300.
 Mr. Magsaysay please ask former Congressman Ranjit Shahani how to exploit the hoi-poloi in a rally.
Ranjit does not speak the accented English he learned from Georgetown U.S.A, he did not speak the Indian language from his father, he did not speak even Tagalog. He spoke in the Ilocano vernacular with a rabble rousing spiel where the masses in Eastern Pangasinan vigorously clapped their hands and stomped their feet in his firebrand tirades to his political opponents.
 ***
Talking about “starving,” one of the media men who covered the LP rally in Alaminos City told his colleague that a day before the rally the Philippine Information Office briefed them about the nuances of the presidential visit.
 An official of the City Information Office of Alaminos City told them that the CIO would provide lunch of the media who would join the convoy of the president in the western Pangasinan city.
 According to the disenchanted media guy, they went home feeling sorry for themselves. Gubernatorial bet Nani Braganza should chide this CIO official not to treat shabbily the members of the fourth estate.
If you’re official could not back up what he promises to the media he should better shut up his mouth. His actuation could affect your electoral stocks as you tread to the May 13 poll.
 ***
Another media man told me that during the rally of Aquino, a mayor in the second district could not hide his disgust with the Liberal Party. “Pinagastos lang nila ako. Kung sinabi nila na hindi na sila dadaan dito hindi na ako gumastos sa mga nagpunta na mga tao,” he said.
 My source told me the supporters of the mayor could double the spectators that attended the rally of the LP in Alaminos City.
 It was learned that around one pm when the mayor was in the middle of his speech before the crowd, a liaison of the LP phoned him that the president cancelled his and the senatorial bets whistle stop in that town. “Kung sinabi nila na hindi na sila dadaan dito, hinakot ko na lang iyong mga tao sa Alaminos,” the distressed mayor hissed.
(You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com).

PNoy: Braganza for Governor!

President Benigno Aquino III urged the people of Pangasinan Friday to support Alaminos mayor Hernani ‘Nani’ Braganza, Team PNoy’s candidate for governor of Pangasinan, saying Braganza is the man the province needs to develop its full potential. “Para Gobernador po, ang tiwala ko po’y buong-buo kay Nani Braganza. Di po tulad ng iba, hindi niya isusugal ang inyong kinabukasan (I have full faith and trust in Nani Braganza. Unlike others, he will not gamble away your future, he will not use power and force to stay in power),” the President said in his meeting with local leaders and residents of Pangasinan communities held at the CSI Stadia, CSI Mall in Dagupan City.
 In backing the Alaminos City mayor as his Liberal Party’s gubernatorial bet, Aquino took a swipe at reelectionist Governor Amado Espino Jr. “Wala sa bokabularyo niya ang paggamit ng lakas at dahas, para kumapit sa kapangyarihan, at ipagsapalaran ang pagkakataong umangat ang kabuhayan ng kanyang mga kababayan (It is not in his vocabulary to use violence to hold on to power and gamble away the opportunity to raise the quality of life of his province mates),” the President said.
 He explicitly urged Pangasinenses to vote Braganza if they wanted to have an honest government and to see their province progress. “Kaya kung gusto po natin ng malinis na pamamahala at asensong umaarangkada, iboto po natin si Nani Braganza,” he said.
 Espino, who is seeking his third term as governor, is facing murder charges at the Department of Justice, along with Pangasinan Representative Jesus Celeste, for the death of Infanta Mayor Ruperto Martinez last December 15. Martinez was shot by motorcycle-riding assassins in front of his house and while he was being interviewed by a reporter hours after he allowed residents who are objecting to a local infrastructure project to rally at the town plaza.
 The incumbent governor was also charged with plunder before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly receiving kickbacks from the illegal numbers game, jueteng.
 Speaking before Alaminos City residents in a visit to that Western Pangasinan city held a few hours after his Dagupan visit, the President again took a swipe at Espino and reiterated his call for residents to vote Braganza. “Saksi kayo kung gaano kasalimuot ang magkaroon ng pinunong puro paninindak, puro katiwalian, at palaging isinasangkalan ang interes ng lalawigan para sa pansariling kapakanan. (You have witnessed how difficult it is to have a leadership that is full of bullying and corruption, who brushes aside the interests of the province to put first selfish interests),” he told a huge crowd of thousands of Alaminos residents.
 He urged Pangasinenses to grab the opportunity to change their leaders, pointing out that the people of the province now have a chance to also experience the reforms and good programs implemented by Braganza in Alaminos. “May pagkakataon kayo ngayon na baguhin ang umiiral na sistema sa inyong probinsya. May pagkakataon kayo ngayon na ibahagi sa buong lalawigan ng Pangasinan ang mga reporma't mabubuting bagay na nangyayari sa Alaminos, dahil sa subok nang pamumuno ng ating magiging gobernador Nani Braganza,” Aquino said.
 The President also assured residents that Braganza’s vow was simply to serve without taking chances or gambling with the future of Pangasinan. Braganza, he assured, will serve without any stain of criminality, corruption, bullying and violence, but only sacrifice and hard work. “Simple lamang po ang panata ni Nani bilang inyong susunod na Gobernador: paglilingkod na walang halong sugal o tsamba, walong halong ilegal o katiwalian, walang halong sindak at karahasan. Sa halip, tuloy-tuloy na pagsisikap, tuloy-tuloy na tapat at may malasakit na pamamalakad sa buong Pangasinan. Iyan po si Nani Braganza,” Aquino said.
 Pangasinan is one of the biggest provinces in Luzon by the number of registered voters in 2010.
 It has 1.62 million registered voters spread out in six districts covering 44 municipalities and four cities. Clear development plan for Pangasinan The president said his administration has a clear development plan for Pangasinan to reach its potential and if this plan is to become a reality, he needed Pangasinan leadership to be a partner in undertaking the ‘straight path’. “Siyempre, kailangan natin ng mga kakamping hindi tataliwas sa tuwid na landas, di po ba?” he told the cheering crowd at the Dagupan stadia.
 He said he was sure Braganza was someone who did not need to be watched to ensure that leadership in Pangasinan was honest. “Si Nani po, ‘pag bilang gobernor niyo kung inyong pahintulutan, hindi ko na ho siguro kailangang bantayan araw-araw para siguradong tama ang tinatawid niyong daan.” “Noon pa alam nila ang direksyon natin dapat sa tuwid na daan; siya po ang magpapatuloy,” Aquino said.
 He also pointed out that while he was only halfway into his term, the positive effects of an honest government dedicated to sacrifice and service could be felt. “Wala pa po tayo sa kalahati ng ating termino, pero nararamdaman na po natin ang positibong resulta ng malinis at mapagmalasakit na pamamahala,” the President also said during his address.
 Infrastructure, agriculture, health, tourism The president also said the government would implement more development projects in Pangasinan to continue its strategy to develop that province.
 This includes building new infrastructure such as roads, bridges and irrigation systems including the 88-km Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway Project that will connect the three provinces in the region.
 The project will cut travel time from Tarlac City to Rosario, La Union from the three and a half hours to one hour. Around The project will benefit 20,000 motorists who are expected to traverse the road daily.
 With the first phase of the project is currently underway, Aquino said he expects the final part of the project -- phase III -- to be completed that before he steps down from power in 2016.
 Also meant to cut travel time and boost business is another project, the San Nicolas-Natividad-San Quintin-Umingan-Guimba Road, which the President said will be finished before the end of March.
 For more than 5,400 motorists daily, the road will slash travel time by half from one hour to 30 minutes. To develop Pangasinan’s agriculture, the government has released P10 million to complete the Poblacion-Quinaoayanan Farm-to-Market road, Aquino also said. Funds for the P360-million Macidem Small Reservoir Irrigation Project, which will supply water to 600 hectares of farmland in the province, have also been released, he said. Aquino also reported that an additional 17 irrigation projects in Pangasinan, which will irrigate more than 2,100 hectares of farmland, have received more than P150-million budget from the national government. Providing quality healthcare to the people of Pangasinan is also one of his government’s priorities, Aquino said a few hours earlier in a visit to inaugurate the Emergency Room Complex of the Region 1 Medical Center also in Dagupan City.
 He said this project was a priority of his government because the facility served people not only from the Ilocos region but also from Central Luzon provinces Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and Zambales. He said the national government is allotting more funds for the medical equipment, rather than the structure: P15 million has been allotted for the buildings, while P50 million was spent for the procurement of modern medical equipment of the new emergency room complex. Pangasinan muna, hindi bulsa muna
 This is the way things are done in the straight path, the President said. Government funds are used only for initiatives that benefit people -- and do not go into the pockets of those in power. “Iyan po ang kalakaran sa tuwid na daan. Ang kaban ng bayan, ginagamit lamang sa mga inisyatibang may pakinabang sa mamamayan, at hindi napupunta sa bulsa ng mga maimpluwensiya’t makapangyarihan,” he noted.
 President Aquino graced the big rally of Team PNoy at the Dagupan stadia, but the team’s Pangasinan sortie had opened earlier Friday with pocket rallies at Mangatarem town plaza and Bugallon Park. At noon, Team PNoy candidates joined local leaders in the “symbolic deboning of bangus,” to promote the province’s favorite product.
 Last year, the President led in the inauguration of the Core Shelter Project, a relocation site in Pangasinan for those displaced by typhoons Emong and Pepeng.

Aquino brings tailender bets to Pangasinan

PANGASINAN, Philippines – It was the first of the ruling coalition’s two-day campaign in the third vote-richest province in the country, but only 4 of the senatorial bets showed up with President Benigno Aquino III. It was good, nevertheless, according to Team PNoy campaign manager Franklin Drilon.
 This northern province of 1.65 million voters is important exposure for the candidates who are lagging behind in surveys. Former senators Jamby Madrigal and Ramon Magsaysay Jr, former Akbayan Rep Risa Hontiveros, and Aurora Rep Sonny Angara had the opportunity to address a large and responsive crowd at the CSI Stadia on Friday, March 15. Drilon understood the significance of the province, and expressed confidence of Aquino's influence here. "This is a big province.
In 2010, Aquino won here that's why we consider this Team PNoy country. We will work hard to win big here in Pangasinan," Drilon told reporters.
 In 2010, Aquino received a total of 537,533 votes in Pangasinan while the 2nd placer, Sen Manny Villar, garnered 318, 533. Former President Joseph Estrada, an UNA stalwart, only managed 223,441.
 In the vice presidential race, Roxas also received the most number of votes at 517,563, ahead of now Vice President and UNA head Jejomar Binay, who received 441,055 votes.
 Bitter rivals Despite the overwhelming support that Aquino got in 2010, and at the Liberal Party-led rally on Friday, the dominant party here isn't the administration's but the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC).
 While the LP and the NPC are allied under Team PNoy on the national level, the two parties are bitter rivals on the local level here.
 Re-electionist Governor Amado Espino is an NPC member. Of the 44 towns, LP is fielding only 29 mayoral candidates compared to NPC's 43. Of LP's 29, only 3 are seeking re-election while NPC has 28 re-electionists.
 A key battleground for both the LP and the NPC, Pangasinan was declared a free zone by the administration. "We knew since the beginning there would be places we couldn't avoid local contests so we emphasized that in local races, when we have candidates, we would allow them to fight but we're allied in the national level," said Drilon. ‘Every town is important’ The gubernatorial race is expected to be intense, considering the sheer size of Pangasinan. Knowing this, Aquino did not hold back in pushing for LP's bet, and using his popularity in the province to gather support. "I have full faith and trust in Nani Braganza (Espino’s rival).
Unlike other, he will not gamble away your future, he will not use power and force to stay in power," said Aquino in his speech. Espino is the subject of an investigation, initiated by LP stalwart and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, for his alleged involvement in the illegal numbers game jueteng. Aquino also pushed for his slate in Pangasinan, not just in Dagupan but also in Alaminos, the city where Braganza was mayor. Angara, who was just outside the Magic 12 in the latest Pulse Asia survey, said it was important to value not just the province, but every town. "Each vote matters especially if you're talking about 12th and 13th (spot). I think in the 2010 elections between Migz Zubiri and Koko Pimentel you're talking a difference of 12,000 or 15,000 votes. So each town matters, not just province," he said. – Rappler.com

Aquino brings tailender bets to Pangasinan

Mayor charged with child abuse running unopposed

Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. (left) proclaims his support for the reelection bid of San Marcelino Mayor Jose Rodriguez, who is on trial for the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in 2010. ROBERT GONZAGA/INQUIRER CENTRAL LUZON

ZAMBALES, Philippines – The mayor of San Marcelino town in this province, who is charged with raping a 12-year-old girl in 2010 in his rest house, is running unopposed.
 Mayor Jose Rodriguez, who denied the rape charges in affidavits filed in court, will need only a single vote to get re-elected despite the ongoing case. Rodriguez is a key member of Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr’s Sulong Zambales party. Comelec records reveal that Rodriguez, and Elvis Soria, also from Ebdane’s party Sulong Zambales, have no one contending against them and needs only a single vote each to win their respective posts. In 2010, court records show that a certain Jonie Ponce, also known as “Jodie,” brought a 12-year-old girl to the mayor’s rest house in San Marcelino on Sept. 12, 2010, where Rodriguez paid for sex. Since the girl was a minor, statutory laws considered the sex acts as rape. The girl was later rescued by her parent and the social welfare department from Rodriguez. In his defense, Rodriguez claimed that he was on his way to Metro Manila on the day the rape supposedly happened. Solid grip? In January 2011, Rodriguez was arraigned by Judge Richard Paradeza of Regional Trial Court Branch 72. He pleaded innocent to the charge of violation of the Anti-Child Abuse Act (Republic Act No. 7610). Joy Bayona, associate provincial prosecutor, filed an amended complaint against Rodriguez after Paradeza dismissed the trafficking charges under Section 4 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 (RA 9208). Bayona also sued Ponce for bringing the girl to the mayor’s rest house.
 The Supreme Court granted the mother’s request for the transfer of the case from this city to a family court in Manila. In her petition, she said Rodriguez wields “so much authority and influence” in San Marcelino and that her daughter was afraid to testify for fear of her life. Despite the case, Rodriguez is running unopposed now. In 2010, he had a one-on-one battle against Ana Liza Peralta of the Liberal Party, whom he defeated with a lead of about 4,000 votes. Rodriguez alleged that the charges against him were just “political’ and meant only to destroy his reputation.
 A source who is privy to this Rodriguez’s campaign told Rappler it’s ironic that Rodriguez would claim the charges against him are being pushed by his political opponents. The mayor’s grip on the town is solid, although people here are also deeply ashamed of what he’s done, said the source, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation from Rodriguez. – Rappler.com

 Mayor on trial for rape of girl seeks reelection

 OLONGAPO CITY—A Zambales mayor undergoing trial on a charge of raping a 12-year-old girl two years ago is seeking another term to the dismay of the girl’s family. “Instead of the mayor’s office, [Rodriguez] should be in jail,” the girl’s mother said in a telephone interview on Sunday. Mayor Jose Rodriguez of San Marcelino town has denied the charge. In an earlier statement, he said the case filed by the girl and her mother was meant to destroy his reputation and cause “political turmoil” in his town. The girl accused Rodriguez of raping her in the official’s rest house in San Marcelino on Sept. 12, 2010. But Rodriguez said he was on his way to Metro Manila on that day. During the launch of the local political party, Sulong Zambales, in the capital town of Iba last month, reelectionist Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. raised the hand of Rodriguez, symbolizing his support for the mayor’s reelection bid. The girl’s mother said she was speechless when she learned that Rodriguez decided to seek reelection despite the case. In January 2011, Rodriguez was arraigned in the sala of Judge Richard Paradeza of Regional Trial Court Branch 72 and pleaded innocent to the charge of violation of the Anti-Child Abuse Act (Republic Act No. 7610). Joy Bayona, associate provincial prosecutor, filed an amended complaint against Rodriguez after Paradeza dismissed the trafficking charges under Section 4 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 (RA 9208). She cited Section 11 of RA 9208 for “use of trafficked persons.” Bayona also sued Jonie Ponce, also known as “Jodie,” for bringing the girl to the mayor’s rest house. The Supreme Court granted the mother’s request for the transfer of the case from this city to a family court in Manila. The mother, in her petition, said Rodriguez wields “so much authority and influence” in San Marcelino and that her daughter was afraid to testify for fear of her life. The transfer order, based on the resolution of the Supreme Court’s third division on Aug. 31, 2011, directed the Olongapo RTC to send the records of the criminal cases to the Manila RTC.