78% of Pangasinan barangays now drug-cleared - PNP

DAGUPAN CITY - The Pangasinan Police Office announced today that 78 percent of all the barangays in Pangasinan are now cleared of illegal drug activities.

 Urdaneta City Mayor Amadeo "Bobom" G.E. Perez IVT turns over
a new mobile patrol car to O.I.C Chief of Police Superintendent Jackie
Candelario for the police station's efficient maintenance of the security
 for the burgeoning city.

Supt. Jackie Candelario, deputy police director for operations, said out of the 1,296 drug-affected  barangays, 1,010 have been cleared as of January 17, 2017.

“We are positive na maki-clear natin and buong Pangasinan sa illegal drugs sa katapusan ng Pebrero dahil 78 percent na and cleared and this is a good indicator na kakayanin natin,“ Candelario said during the KBP Forum on Thursday.

President Rodrigo Duterte gave the PNP until February 2017 to clear the country of illegal drugs and illegal drug activities. This was an extension to the December 2016 deadline.

Candelario said the eastern town of Natividad may soon be declared drug-free after all the certifications would be granted. Alaminos City may follow if the lone affected village, Barangay Poblacion, would be cleared of illegal drug activities.

Pangasinan has 1,364 barangays and Sto. Tomas is the only town in the province to be declared drug-free even before the Oplan Double Barrel rolled. (VHS/PIA-1, Pangasinan) 

Pangasinan intensifies anti-rabies awareness campaign

DAGUPAN CITY - The  provincial-government has intensified its campaign against rabies in its bid to reduce the number of rabies cases in Pangasinan. 

Dr. Eric Perez, provincial veterinarian,  said vaccination of pets is scheduled all year-round and responsible pet ownership is encouraged.

Photo Credit:PIO Eastern Samar

Perez said Republic Act 9482 or the Anti-Rabies Act provides that all pet owners should have their dogs vaccinated and maintain a record of all the vaccination conducted on their dogs. 

In the Health Summit conducted in Lingayen town in October 2016, Pangasinan ranked first nationwide in the most number of human death caused by rabies numbering 16. This was again reported in a health summit held in Clark in January this year. 

Perez said the towns and cities  with the most number of rabies cases in Pangasinan include San Carlos City in District 3, San Fabian in District 4 and Urdaneta City in District 5.

Nurse Ruby Doria of the Provincial Health Office’s infectious diseases team said in 2016, most of the 16 people in Pangasinan who died of rabies  did not submit themselves to vaccination after they were bitten by dogs.

Doria lamented that even with the passage of RA 9842, the law has not been implemented strictly nor followed in the villages.

Binmaley mayor cites countless infras in SOMA

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BINMALEY – The mayor here enumerated the major and minor infrastructure projects he implemented under his second term watch of this burgeoning town in his recent State of the Municipality Address (SOMA).

SOMA. Binmaley Mayor Sammy Rosario exhorts his constituents in his State 

of the Municipality Address (SOMA) held at the fully air-conditioned 

400-seater’s Binmaley Manpower Development Center last January 23, 2017.

Mayor Simplicio Rosario cited at the fully airconditioned Binmaley Manpower Development Center the ongoing construction of the Phases 1 and 2’s Binmaley Fishport and Wharf, renovations of the annex building to accommodate this municipality’s library, and the offices of the Municipal Trial Court, Commission on Election, and Department of Agrarian Reform.

He cited too last January 23 the construction of the Binmaley Arcade''s Phases 1 and 2, rehabilitation of the Triangle Park that will be renamed Estacion de Binmaley, and evacuation center in the town proper.

He disclosed that the delivery of the mixed gravel for the backfilling of the housing site at Barangay Papagueyan, the erection of the giant led display board, and the construction of the multi-purpose building in Barangays Sta. Rosa, Pallas and Canaoalan.

Rosario crowed that as a result of the series of the immediate accomplishment of these projects he commended the engineering office under the watch of Municipal Engineer Vitaliano Valerio.

The shallow arguments of Senator Hontiveros on Death Penalty

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

“Pin-head o mahina rin ang utak nitong senator na ito,” this what I quipped after I read the Face Book’s post on the proposed death penalty bill of Senator Risa Hontiveros published by Politics.com.ph.

Hontiveros assailed the proposed death penalty passed by the House of Representatives that she and her Liberal Party’s colleague wanted to torpedo after it reached at the Senate.

PHOTO CREDIT: PINOY ARTICLE

“Death penalty is a cruel, inhumane and degrading punishment, which has a disproportionate impact on the poor and little guarantee that innocent people, would not be sentenced to death,” Hontiveros wrote and was quoted by the Liberal Party’s friendly website.



In that article, Politics.com.ph posted a poster of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal and the three activist priests Fathers Mariano Gomez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, called as Gomburza for brevity by Filipinos, who were victims of death penalty by quoting Hontiveros’ comment “simply for standing up for equal rights, freedom and democracy.”

The website titled its paraphrase of Hontiveros Face Book’s post as: “Paano kung inosente? Risa Hontiveros opposes ‘cruel’ death penalty”.

Lacson schools Bato how to run the police

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Senator Ping Lacson, a former chief of the national police, schooled incumbent chief of the Philippine National Police’s Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa when he told the latter at the Senate's Committee on Dangerous Drugs hearing Thursday the following: “Don’t wait for your men to be sued. You sued them administratively so they could be suspended”. He said that the chief PNP should be pro-active to interfere on his policemen who were caught by security cameras “planting ” illegal drugs shabu to table drawers of foreigners like those South Koreans and Chinese and cops who were panned by close circuit cameras stealing valuables of foreigners where some they physically hurt during their raid.

TOP BRASS. From left Philippine National Police's Director General
 Ronald dela Rosa and Senator Panfilo Lacson. Photo Credit:
Meme Buster

“Respect and trust among your men are earned, they cannot be demanded,” the ramrod former four - star general, who even forced policemen to reduce their beer belly during his watch, cited. The lecture ensued during the hearing of the death of the South Korean executive of Hanjin, world’s biggest shipbuilder that give jobs to Filipinos, who was murdered near the office of General Bato by police officials who also shamelessly fleeced the wife of Jee Ick Joo with five million pesos ransom even after they murdered him. The incumbent Chief PNP looked incompetent on the call of Lacson who was feared but respected during his unforgettable stint as top honcho of the national security. Bato should remember the quotes of political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli when he wrote them on his book The Prince: “It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both”, “If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared” and “The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him”. The last one was very applicable to the exhortation last Thursday of Lacson to dela Rosa. Son of a gun, those quotes that are being used nowadays as dogma by effective leaders were written by Machiavelli in the 16th Century in Florence, Italy. Critics of Bato criticized him not for his heavy handedness leadership but as singer, clown, and drama artist on concerts, boxing of Manny Pacquiao in the U.S, and Senate hearing and national TV interviews where he in some occasions wept unabashedly just like what he had with the effeminate balding host Boy Abunda.

Condom para sa Mag-aaral, payag ka?

BY KITZ BASILA 

DRUG test, bawal frat at sorority, iwas barkada, don’t smoke nor drink wine or beer, ay ilan lamang sa teka-muna paalala na dapat umiral sa mga mag-aaral sa lahat ng antas.

Pero, sa bilang na sandamakmak na nabibiktima sa sex-capade na talamak, abay sa ulat ay pabata nang pabata ang edad na mula 15-below pa, ay naalarma bigla ang pamahalaan.

Dito, ayon sa DOH ay kailangan ang buklurang kilos para sawatahin ang dahilan ng paglobo ng HIV patients sa ating bansa.
Tugmang paggabay ng magulang at pangaral ng mga guro ay maiiwas ang mga kabataan sa sexually transmitted na sakit na HIV positive.

Tutulong pa ang pamahalaan sa pagdaraos ng iba’t-ibang pamamaraan para mabigyan ng babala at tugmang kaalaman patungkol sa pag-iwas sa mga suliranin na dulot ng mapariwarang siste ng pagkikipagtalik (sex).

Opps, condom ipapamahagi sa mga mag-aaral, payag ka?

Well, kung ito ang isa sa mga pwedeng magsawata sa suliranin na bunga ng di-mapigilang init o nasa, abay! bakit hindi! Basta, pangunahan ng tugmang gabay at pangaral bago po ang pagbibigay ng Condom, nagkakaisang panukala ng mga ngayon pa lamang nabuksan ang tanto sa problema ng mga so-eager na mga tin-edyer. Susme!

Kabayan, pati na rin po ang mga di-maawat sa kasibaan na haling sa papalit-palit na katalik ay maseguro na ligtas dahil sa paggamit ng Condom.

Teka, mas mainam daw ang faithfully sa love and only-one sa buhay mo ay kasiping. Mas tanggap na, mas ligtas pa. (Kitz Basila)

Bataoil joins final peace talk between gov’t and reds

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Pangasinan Congressman Leopoldo Bataoil joined the government panel for the 3^rd and final peace talk with the communist in Rome, Italy.

PEACE TALK. Pangasinan Congressman Leopoldo Bataoil (3rd from right) and fellow 
members of the House of Representatives during the third and final negotiation between

the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and National Democratic Front in Rome, Italy. Bataoil and fellow lawmakers attended the meeting just like the second meeting in Norway in October last year as observer so that whatever talking points in the concluded peace talk brokered by Norway that needed legislation would be  expedited in Congress because of their presence.

The solon together with his eight fellow representatives from Congress were observers that could easily expedite any legislation whatever agreements concluded by the Government Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front.

The contentious issues that needed legislation in that peace talks in Europe were those brought by the twin agenda on socio-economic reforms (SER) and political and constitutional reforms (PCR).

BIR Region-1 has new two top execs

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO – The Revenue Region No.1 of the Bureau of Internal Revenue based here would have two new top brass this coming Monday.

NEW HONCHO. Incoming Revenue Region No. 1 Director Teresita M. Dizon speaks
last Wednesday before the personnel of the Bureau of Internal Revenue's regional
office in Calasiao, Pangasinan. Dizon in the turned over ceremony photo will
assume the top  post from outgoing Director Marina de Guzman on January 30.
PHOTO: Mortz C. Ortigoza

Mr. Lee Caday, head of the Taxpayers' Assistance Unit, said that Director Teresita M. Dizon and Assistant Regional Director Fely Simon would replace Director Marina de Guzman and Assistant Director Antonio Jonathan G. Jaminola.

Caday cited that Dizon before she assumed her post here comes as Director of Revenue Region No. 2 in Cordillera while Simon, from Bautista, Pangasinan, before she commences her work as the number two top executive of the Revenue Region No. 2 comes from Revenue District Offices in Central Pangasinan and Paco, Metro Manila.

De Guzman and Jaminola would be transferred to Revenue Regions 7 and 9B in Quezon City and San Pablo City, respectively.

Meanwhile, because of the exemplary performance in the collection of the highest taxes in percentage level, the Revenue Region No. 1 Director de Guzman would be transferred to the second biggest BIR regional office in Quezon City.

Director de Guzman said that the six Revenue District Offices’ regional office based here outperformed the other 19 regional offices all over the country in achieving the highest collection of taxes last year.

As a result of this, BIR insider who asked anonymity cited that de Guzman was plucked to Revenue Region No.7 in Metro Manila.

De Guzman disclosed that in the year-on-year basis she spiked the collection of Revenue Region No.1 by 21.82 percent from the 9.7 billion pesos in 2015 versus the 11.9 billion collections in 2016.
“We have an excess of 136 million pesos,” she cited by exceeding the tax goal given to her by the national government.

With a 20 percent increases every year she sees the more or less 145 billion pesos collection last year in Revenue Region No. 7 would become a tax goal of more or less 174 billion pesos at the end of this year.

INCOMING Assistant Regional Director for BIR Region-1
  Fely Simon (extreme left) in a mass at Revenue District Office-6
in Urdaneta City

Revenue Region No. 1 is expected to be given a tax goal of more or less 14 billion pesos for 2017.

The director said one of her strategies to hike the collection last year was to follow the 10 Point Agenda of the Duterte Administration.

“Priorities based on the national office’s previous target. It’s up to you because you know better than you do (your area),” she stressed.

Dagupan City's New Growth Center

PNP: Campaign against illegal drug is continuous and serious

Police Regional Director Gregorio Pimentel said the ‘Double Barrel’, ‘Operation Tokhang'  and other peace an order schemes will be dealt with seriously. 

“The campaign against illegal drugs  is continuous. We are not sleeping on that matter. We are very serious,” Pimentel said in a media interview during  his visit to this Capital town  recently.

For those who have surrendered, Pimentel said their revelations will be reviewed in order to know from them those who are still in hiding.

“We  will still be knocking at their doors and convince them to surface and surrender for reformation and rehabilitation,” he added.

Without citing  statistics, Pimentel said  the number of barangays being cleared of drugs is increasing. Rehabilitation programs for those who surrendered are also in the process.

In Pangasinan, only the town of Sto. Tomas has been confirmed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to be drug-free even before the Operation: Double Barrel. 

The PNP director assured that the peace and order situation in Region I is in normal condition and that there is nothing to worry about. (VHS/PIA-Pangasinan)

Pangasinan gov’t, CFO to implement ‘BaLinkBayan’ project

 

LINGAYEN – The provincial government of Pangasinan in partnership with the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) will soon implement the e-governance project called “BaLinkBayan” to effectively mainstream migration and development initiatives of Pangasinan and link Filipinos abroad to their families

 

On Monday, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan here approved a resolution authorizing Governor Amado Espino III, to sign pacts with CFO Interim Officer-In-Charge Maria Regina Galias for the implementation of the Overseas Filipinos’ one-stop online portal for diaspora engagement.

 

A quip on the Filipino word balikbayan (a returning overseas Filipino), BaLinkBayan is a means to connect Filipino individuals and communities to the Philippines through the Diaspora to Development (D2D) program of the CFO.

DFA -Pangasinan intensifies services

CALASIAO  - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Consular Office   located at the Robinsons Mall here promised better quality and more comprehensive services to the public as it celebrates its first year anniversary in  Pangasinan.

Officer-in-Charge Jennifer De Mesa thanked the department’s partners in the government and in the private sector for continuously making work easier for their clients. 

“I am honoured to be part of this Department  which ensures  help and service to the public,” De Mesa said in a simple program during the anniversary celebration on Tuesday.

De Mesa said the Department is also gearing up for the Philippine hosting of the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations (ASEAN). 

DFA Calasiao now incorporates  the singing of the ASEAN Hymn during their flag-raising ceremony and will soon implement the wearing of Filipino dresses among its staff, she quipped.

Mayor Armand Bauzon of Calasiao town thanked DFA for its speedy services which, he said, was instrumental in his quest to help the people of Calasiao  especially his kababayans who now reside and work in Florida. 

Pangasinan’s migration council to pursue OFW mapping project

CALASIAO – In pursuit of helping not only the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) but even the Filipinos residing abroad, a local Council is bent on pursuing an OFW mapping project.

Alex Ferrer, chief of the Public Employment Services Office (PESO) of Pangasinan said the OF/W mapping project is being pursued by the Pangasinan Migration  and Development Council (PMDC). 

Ferrer said the PMDC, which he Chairs, has been helping a lot  of distressed OFWs  and their families. The OF/W is purposely written with a slash because it aims to cater not only to OFWs but also to overseas Filipinos (OF) who are residing abroad.

“With the OF/W mapping project, malalaman  natin kung saan sila banda, anong work nila at matutulungan natin sila bago umalls sa Pilipinas, habang andun sa ibang bansa  at maging sa kanilang oag-uwi,” Ferrer said during the first anniversary celebration of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Calasiao town.

Ferrer said the provincial government led by Gov. Amado Espino III  is appreciative  of the efforts of the PMDC. (VHS/PIA-Pangasinan)

DFA to clients: Wear proper attire

CALASIAO- When about to transact business with the Department of Foreign Affairs, be sure to be wearing  a ‘respectable’ attire, otherwise, you will end up buying clothes at the department store just to continue with your purpose.

This was advised by Jennifer De Mesa, officer-in-charge of the DFA in Calasiao town located at the Robinsons Mall.

“We wish to advise our clients applying for Philippine passport or availing of other DFA services  to observe proper decorum by wearing appropriate attire or observing dress code,” De Mesa told the Philippine Information Agency during the Consular office’s first year anniversary on Tuesday.

De Mesa said the observance of dress   code is strictly implemented in all DFA offices as a sign of  respect to the institution.

Among the attires prohibited at the DFA offices are: above the knee shorts, sandos, sleeveless undergarments, short shorts, pants  skirts with very low waist line or very high side slits, blouses or  shirts that show the navel, transparent and off- shoulder,  spaghetti straps, backless and plunging neckline blouses  and mini-skirts.

Wearing of sunglasses, slippers,  sandals,  flip- flops  and hats are also strictly prohibited. 

De Mesa reiterated DFA’s on-line appointment system. Applicants are advised to  log-on to https://www.passport.gov.ph.

Priority, however,  will be given to applicants who belong to the following categories:  senior citizen, persons with disabilities (with PWD  card or medical record), children below seven  years old and  pregnant women ( five months and above).

Priority applicants mentioned above will only be accommodated  from Monday to Friday while Saturdays  will only be for applicants with  confirmed appointment. (VHS/PIA-1, Pangasinan) 

Dagupan athletes gear for regional meet

DAGUPAN CITY – The city’s athletes are now gearing up  for the Region 1 Athletic Association (R1AA) Meet  and the  Palarong Pambansa as the Dagupan City Athletic Association (DCAA) Division Meet ended in huge success on January 18 in a ceremony held at the Lyceum Northwestern University Gym in Tapuac.

The 2016 DCAA Division Meet closing program and awarding ceremonies was led by Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, Schools Division Superintendent Froserfina J. Bravo and the Dagupan City Sports Commission officials led by Finnela T. Sim.

Declared champions in the over-all standing in the elementary and secondary levels were District VI and Dagupan City National High School, respectively.

The first runner-ups were District III and Bonuan Boquig National High School; second runner-ups were District II and Lyceum Northwestern University-Francisco Q. Duque Medical Foundation Special Science High School (FQDMFSSHS); third runner-ups were District IV and East Central Integrated School; while the fourth runner-ups were District 1 and Saint Albert the Great School.

Winners in the basketball elementary boys and girls were Wonderland School and East Central Integrated School, respectively,  with Asher Vidal of Wonderland School and Hanneylet Bonus of East Central Integrated School as Most Valuable Players; while in the secondary division,  the winners were FQDMFSSHS and Judge Jose De Venecia Sr. Technical-Vocational Secondary School (JJDVSTVSS) with Russel Vincent Manaois of FQDMFSSHS and Kristine Cayabyab of JJDVSTVSS as Most Valuable Players.

Calasiao security blanket a model for other fiestas

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO – The successful security preparation spread out by the police for the mammoth four days festival here could be a model for other towns or cities that wanted to emulate it.

COPS. Policemen of Calasiao, Pangasinan pose with the town Mayor Joseph Arman Bauzon

 (4^th from left, front row) and their chief of police Superintendent Charles Umayam (5^th from

left, front law). The Calasiao Police Station has 80 policemen lead by Umayam and his two deputy

 chiefs of police and four Non-Uniformed Personnel (NUP). It has a Police to Population Ration 

of 1:1,380.  

Police Superintendent Charles Umayam cited that the security challenged brought by the Calasiao Puto Festival in December 8-11 last year was daunting than those brought by the fiesta celebration of the 86 villages' San Carlos City.

Although his present post is a town, the chief of police explained that the thousands of people that attended the fiesta here could eclipse those that attended the fiesta in a big city like San Carlos.

Umayam cited the influx of a huge crowd for the fiesta was due to urbanization of this burgeoning town and her proximity with Dagupan City.

“Mas marami dito kasi ginamit natin dito tatlong areas, plaza at doon sa extended,” he stressed.

DAGUPAN EYES WASTE- TO- WORTH PROJECT TO FINALLY END 50-YEAR OLD DUMPSITE

DAGUPAN CITY – Mayor Belen T. Fernandez is now about to make true her promise to solve the 50-year old garbage problem of Dagupan with the establishment soon of a waste-to- worth facility that could convert garbage into useful diesel fuel when she led in the turnover of core shelter assistance to 30 scavenger families living within the dumpsite.

A DREAM COME TRUE – In partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the city government finally fulfilled its promise to the 30 scavengers and their families at the city’s 50-year old dumpsite when they received the key of the 30 core shelters at Sitio Korea in Binloc on January 17 under the city’s “Maayos na Bahay, Maunlad na Buhay” program. Handling the key are Mayor Belen T. Fernandez (left) and DSWD Region 1 Director Marcelo Nicomedes J. Castillo (right). (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo) 
“Our Waste-to-Worth Project is now on its evaluation stage. Very soon, this will be built and put into operation to be our long term solution to our 50-year old problem on garbage," Mayor Fernandez said when she turned over the project located in Sitio Korea, Bonuan Binloc to the beneficiaries, along with Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Director Marcelo Nicomedes J. Castillo. "The health of the people is our utmost concern and this has been my vision even when I was still a city councilor. I promised myself that if I become the mayor of our beloved city I will try my best to close the dumpsite because I feel the sentiments of the residents in the area and in the neighboring barangays due to the foul smell and the smoke coming from the dumpsite,” added Fernandez.

At the same time, she assured that the city will conduct an investigation in a bid to ascertain what or who triggered the suspicious fire at the dumpsite that started simultaneously from three different points, causing heavy smoke in Bonuan Gueset and the neighboring residential areas of Bonuan Binloc and Bonuan Boquig.

Fernandez has been working for the establishment of a waste facility for the city since she started her reign as mayor in 2013, which she doggedly pursued when she was invited to Chile, United Nations and APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit so that a long-term solution to the city’s waste problem can be instituted.

Part of the mayor’s long term plan in addressing the city’s waste problem is the relocation of the 30 families living in the dumpsite along with the construction of a Day Care Center and a Health Center in the area.The 30 scavengers along with their families personally received the key of the shelter awarded to them by the city and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 1 under the Bottom-Up-Budgeting(BUB).

Each core shelter costs P156,000 from the P2.1 million released by the DSWD with the city providing P2.6 million counterpart.The core shelter project is under the city’s “Maayos na Bahay, Maunlad na Buhay” program.

“We are supporting Dagupan City because they are helping people and we are one with that. We are even ready to provide assistance again relative to the city’s plan of providing these families with livelihood,” said Castillo.“In fact, the mayor has given them more than enough because I noticed that the city also built a day care center and a health center in this area for these families to take advantage of, and now she is providing them employment in the government,” added Castillo.

Fernandez promised to the 30 families that once the waste facility operates, they will be given the first priority to be employed at the facility or they can choose to stay as street sweepers and market janitors of the city government.

On the other hand, Fernandez revealed she is inclined to file a complaint against the vendor of the Awai property in San Jacinto which was bought by the city government purportedly for a sanitary landfill of Dagupan at P16 million. This did not materialize as that property was under the coverage of the Comprehensive Land Reform Program, and later reportedly awarded by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to the tenants.She disclosed that the Commission on Audit (COA) has issued an Audit Memorandum with regards to the Awai property, “which was already paid in full by the administration of then Mayor Benjamin Lim, yet no land title was delivered to the city up to now,” she said.

"I will be consulting our legal officer as the land purchased under the past administration was never turned over to the city.Corollary to this, Fernandez said when she succeeded as mayor she noted that the dump trucks purchased by the past administration purported to be brand new were under repair while the Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) that they built were not being used as these were not suitable for the purpose.

At the same time, she also said the past city administration made it appear they were solving the garbage problem when in fact they were actually bringing wastes somewhere on a land of one businessman in San Jacinto as well as built mini-dumpsites in Tambac, Binloc and Boquig, all in violation of Republic Act 9003. Records showed the former city administration spent P5 million for this.

"There were also reports they allowed garbage from other towns to be deposited to the dumpsites for which they collected fees from trucks unloading their cargo. When we took over, we stopped this,” said Fernandez. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO/Jan. 18, 2017)

Cayetano: Robredo’s opposition a wasted opportunity

When asked about the recent controversy tagged LeniLeaks which involves emails in a Yahoo! Group (Global Filipino Diaspora Council) among the Vice President Leni Robredo’s supporters detailing social media strategies for responding to attacks directed at Robredo, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano acknowledged groups doubting the said email thread’s nature as an ouster plot.

 

“Well, unang-una, merong mga nagdududa kung may conspiracy ba talaga or planong tanggalin ang Pangulo,” explained Cayetano in an interview on January 15, Sunday. “Ang question lang, how organized [is the opposition], sinong magkakasama?”

“I’ve always said that the Vice President doesn’t have to be part of [the plan],” the senator added. “Kasi by merely being Vice President, ikaw ang papalit ‘pag natanggal.”

Cayetano also said that Robredo’s resignation from the Cabinet was a “wasted opportunity” to become one of the President’s advisers.

He stressed, however, that Robredo could have been more productive as Vice President by “criticizing inside” rather than joining rallies and speaking to the media about her opposition to some of the President’s policies.

“Nakikinig naman sa kanya. Ang problema, mas gusto niya, maging oposisyon. Nirerespeto natin ‘yun. Pero ako, sa tingin ko, personally, sayang ‘yung opportunity,” he ended.  #