Politicos Attack Rivals as Campaign Period Starts

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I was in my rustic town M’lang, Cotabato Province when the official campaign period for local elective officials for the May 13, 2019 Election started.

It started in March 29 and will end 45 days thereafter in May 11.

Last Saturday, market day there, I dropped by at the Post World War II house near the plaza of my California based brother when a campaign rally of the PDP –Laban lead by the province’s gubernatorial bet Nancy Catamco, a last term member of the House of Representatives, and the town mayor lawyer Russel Abonado.

The acrimonious campaign rally in the Philippines.

During the initial verbal joust by the provincial board member bet Maybelle  Valdivieso, I, clad in my Doc Martens boots with their yellow laces, tee he, even went to the stage before the thousands of spectators as based on the mountain of packed lunches there from the 37 villages of the town when I saw my younger brother, a former military professor at the PMA, exchanged pleasantries with Maybelle who just lambasted the poor services of the provincial hospital under the watch of Governor Lala Talino.

When my sibling introduced me to Valdivieso, I told her she was good in rabble rousing.

“You’re feisty”! I quipped to her.

You know readers I loved listening to excellent verbally endowed individuals specially to guys like former Senator Ruding Ganzon, former five-time House Speaker Joe de Venecia, German Reichstag fiery speaker the Herr Fuhrer Adolf Hitler, Italy’s Benito Mussolini, who even practice his feet stomping and hand waving and lectern hitting speeches, Cuba’s Fidel Castro,  U.S Third Army Son of  a B*tch Three-Star General George Patton, who told his troops in a pep talk before the invasion of Normandy to extract German intestines so they could use them as grease for their tanks’ road wheels and iron links and others.

Even in Pangasinan, I was surprised that vice gubernatorial bet Angel Baniqued was emphatic when he rocked the crowd in a fiesta in Mangaldan with words: Aya si abogado Angel Baniqued para vice gubernador yad inar-aro tayon nga probinsiyad Pangasinan! (This is lawyer Angel Banique for vice governor of our beloved province Pangasinan). Forgive me son of a gun for my stuttered Pangasinan wannabe dialect but that’s what he vigorously declared incessantly before the hoi polloi.

The crowd went wild to the gift of gab, just like those rabble rousing American evangelists like  slut loving Jimmy Swaggart, of Baniqued – a seasoned provincial board member from San Carlos City.

I thought before the scientific survey of a proven pollster friend, Angel would be thrashed and thwacked by his well oiled vice governorship rival Nationalist People’s Coalition Mark Lambino.

But the result showed that Baniqued eclipsed the wet behind the ears Lambino who run,  just like his mayoral bet mother in Mangaldan as political kibitzers see it, as a product of the powerful position given to his father Cagayan Economic Zone Czar Secretary Raul Lambino by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The polls should be a wake up call for the Lambinos to double time as they are pitted with a feisty speaker.

Let’s go back to my hometown.

“Siling nila dapat ang M’lang ay dapat maging Carmen. Pero ang Department of Trade and Industry ay nagpaguwa nga ang M’lang ay Top 25 nga Most Competitive First Class Town sa bilog nga 1,488 nga banwa sa bilog nga Pilipinas. Karon, diin ang Carmen? (They said M’lang town has a lot to catch up with Carmen town. But according to the Department of Trade & Industry, M’lang was among the Top 25 Most Competitive First Class Town among the more than 1,000 municipalities in the Philippines. Now, where is Carmen?)” dig by M’lang reelective mayor Russel Abonado as I took photo of him at the old stage located at the town plaza.

He belittled Carmen, the town of governorsip bet  and Mayor Roger Talino, a big time retired PC Master Sergeant from Bayambang, Pangasinan, whose daughter Lala will be ending her last term on June 30 as nine years governor of the one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines.

Salamabit, every time I passed by Davao del Sur and North Cotabato bound to my town I became gloomy inside the vehicle looking at the surroundings as dilapidated houses are sparsely located unlike in the densely located jungle concrete specially in Central Luzon and even Central Pangasinan where investors and residents keep building their edifices near the roadways.

“Walang masyadong malalaking mga bahay sa lugar ninyo sa Mindanao,” quipped by my wife Miles, who grew up in Pangasinan and Makati City, when I brought her and my two kids last June in the war torn Island.

“Dahil kasi takot mga investors pumunta dito sa lugar naman dahil magulo,” I retorted.

I hope the newly approved Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), where the local government unit run by Moro brothers will have more privileges on tax collection up to 75 percent they will retain on the income of local resources, will be a magic bullet to end the perennial warfares between the Christians and the Muslims that broke up in the late 1960s.

READ MY OTHER ARTICLE:

The House Speaker and I on Ali

(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) 

Bayambang Mayor Sues Reporter, Radio Station at RTC

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BAYAMBANG – The mayor here has already filed a damage suit against a female reporter, her radio station, and another complaint of indirect contempt against her at the Regional Trial Court in San Carlos City, Pangasinan.

“Si Janice, iyong radio station kasama na rin ang contempt iyong ni file ko sa RTC San Carlos City,” Mayor Cezar T. Quiabao told recently this writer.

Bayambang, Pangasinan Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao (left) and newshen Janice Hidalgo.

This stemmed from a video program made by Hidalgo painting the mayor to be involved in a series of alleged anomalous projects in this thriving town.

The video she posted at Facebook became viral as people who saw it shared it with others in and out of this municipality.

Mayor Quiambao told reporters in February 2019 in a press conference he called at his residence here that he would be filing a P5 million moral damage suit against Hidalgo in a court in Manila.

 But Quiambao’s lawyer included as respondent DWCM Aksyon Radyo in Dagupan City, he told this writer in a brief conversation after he inaugurated the Housing Project for the LGU Workers here in Barangay Bical Sur.

Hidalgo, who has a one hour Saturday program in Aksyon, still hit the mayor and his administration, according to Quiambao.

“Pag may libelous kada Sabado na program, another case ipa file ko. Kada sabado isang case,” Quiambao said.

When asked if any extortion case will be charged against Hidalgo after he filed a cyber and regular libel against her, the mayor said it is up to his lawyer and the prosecutor to decide if it will be filed, too, after the civil case will be decided by finality by the court.

In a telephone interview with Hidalgo she said she is not intimidated with the threat of court cases the mayor will file as a result of her critical 11-12 Pm Saturday radio program.

“Hawak ko ang katotohanan. Eni expose ko ang alleged anomaly sa Bayambang dahil may basehan ako,” she explained.

Hidalgo stressed that she will be posting again Saturday at Facebook another video documentary she made about people being harassed by Quiambao and the documents that will incriminate him.

In her text message to this writer she said the following:

"Paki add din po na libelous lang ang isang bagay kung malisyoso at personal ang banat. Isyu lang ang tinutukan ko. Dapat nga si Quiambao ang makulong dahil sa paninira na ginagastusan pa talaga niya  tinatayang milyon din ang ads niya sa Bombo para lang sirain at ipakalat na nang hingi ako sa kanya. Kung nanghingi ako bakit hindi extortion ang kinaso niya sapat ngayon para sabihin niya na sinisiraan ko lang siya. Kaso hindi totoo iyon fake news iyong siya sa pamamagitan ni  (Board Member candidate Darwina) Sampang ang nagalok ng two million pesos at kotse sa akin, Nahuha ni Sampang ang CCTV di ba ngayon kami mag lie detector sa harap ng CCTV footage kamo".

On the contempt charge the mayor told this writer, Rule 71 of the Rules of Court says “(b) Disobedience of or resistance to a lawful writ, process, order, or judgment of a court” and “(f) Failure to obey a subpoena duly served”.

READ: 

Mayor to File P5M Damage Suit vs Lady Reporter

School Principal Innovates to Solve Funding Deficit

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO – The new lady principal here is hell bent to solve the dilemma brought by her P350, 000 a month Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) that could hardly sustain the monthly  electrical bill, salaries of her more than 20 security guards and utility men, and other expenses in the biggest public high school in this burgeoning town.

Principal IV Olive Paragas Terrado, Ed.D told this writer that the Calasiao Comprehensive National High School pays P150,000 a month for the monthly electric bill  and P250, 000 for the three security guards and the 20 utility men  alone every month who serve roughly 5,500 secondary education students here.

Calasiao Comprehensive National High School  Principal Dr, Olive P. Terrado (R) poses for posterity with her former boss San Carlos City, Pangasinan School Division Superintendent Sheila Marie Primicias.

MOOE is the allocated funds for public elementary and secondary schools in the Philippines that can be spent on activities and necessities like electricity and water that support learning programs and help maintain a safe and healthy environment.

“Each of my three guards receives P10, 000  monthly alone while the more than 20 utility men are paid less than P10, 000 a month ,” Terrado who took over the premier  secondary school from Magdalena C. Manaoat, Ph.D six months ago.

Terrado was the principal of the main public high school in Malasiqui, Pangasinan for four years before she swapped with Manaoat where the latter is now the principal of Daniel Maramba National High School in Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan.

Terrado cited the  canteen here will be the savior that could sustain the expenses covered by the P350,000 a month MOOE here.

CITY HONORS SUPERIOR DAGUPAN ATHLETES

Athletes Show 'Em All Who were the "Boss" in Region-1

DAGUPAN CITY – For their victorious campaigns in major sports events, more than 600 athletes and coaches received a hero’s welcome from Dagupeños when they strutted along the city’s main thoroughfares during their victory parade on March 25.

These included athletes who did another historical stunt for bringing home the second consecutive overall title in the Region 1 Athletic Association (R1AA) meet crown and those who competed in the recently concluded Batang Pinoy Luzon Qualifying Leg where this burgeoning city ranked eighth among more than 100 cities and provinces in Luzon.

HOME OF CHAMPIONS – Mayor Belen T. Fernandez (left photo, center) leads the victory parade to honor the Balon Dagupan athletes for their victory in the 2019 Region 1 Athletic Association Meet in Laoag City and the Batang Pinoy Luzon Qualifying Leg in Ilagan, Isabela. The city clinched its second consecutive R1AA championship crown after ensnaring 87 gold, 64 silver and 55 bronze medals. Dagupan City also hauled 16 gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze medals in the Batang Pinoy, placing eighth overall among more than 100 delegations from Luzon. (CIO photos by Jojo Tamayo)

Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, Liga ng mga Barangay President Dean Bryan Kua and city councilors, along with DepEd Dagupan officials led by Schools Division Superintendent Lorna G. Bugayong, commissioners of the Dagupan City Sports Commission (DCSC) led by Finnela Sim and the officers of the Dagupan City Athletic Association (DCAA) led by  Renato Benitez, paraded  along with the athletes, coaches and city employees from Perez Boulevard, Marcelo H. Del Pilar street, A.B. Fernandez Avenue and finally to the city plaza.

The delegation later convened at CSI Stadia where a victory party was held.

Brahmos Hopes AFP will Buy its Deadliest, Fastest Cruise Missiles

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

PASAY CITY – A representative of the deadliest and fastest medium sized supersonic cruise missile in the world market today was optimistic that his company and the Armed Forces of the Philippines  will have a rapport after India failed to sell her cheapest priced frigates to the Philippines. 
 Colonel JP Uniyal, Director of Business Development & Product Support, told this writer that Brahmos Weapon System, a Russian-Indian’s consortium, sells cruise missile from land to sea, ship to land, land to land, and land to ship.

Cruise missile, according to Collins Dictionary, is a long range, jet propelled winged missile that can be launched from an airplane, submarine, ship, others, and guided to a target by a remote control.

DEADLY - A battery of the deadliest and fastest cruise missiles made by Brahmos Weapon System (Photo Credit: NDTV.com)

The brochure given to this writer showed Brahmos’ missiles can be launched from a  jet fighter to hit an enemy’s ship and troop on the sea and the ground.

MBTF: DAGUPAN AT ITS STRONGEST STATE SINCE 1947

DAGUPAN CITY – Dagupan has finally risen from the ashes, transforming itself into a robust city with a stable economy never before seen since it attained cityhood in 1947.

This was gleaned from the State of the City Address (SOCA) of Mayor Belen T. Fernandez during a special session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod at CSI Stadia on March 20.

“For the last five years, the sun has always been shining in Dagupan. The fruits of our labor cannot be dimmed, darkened nor concealed — it simply cannot be done, neither by wizardry nor magic,” said Fernandez in a fiery speech that was also directed against peddlers of fake news. 

THE STORY IN NUMBERS – Mayor Belen T. Fernandez delivers her fifth State of the City Address before some 15,000 people of Dagupan City during a special session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod at CSI Stadia on March 20. (CIO photos by Arriz Fruelda and Jojo Tamayo)

The mayor revealed that city is now the richest local government unit in the entire province and the Ilocos region after reaching the threshold of P1.010 billion pesos in 2019. This, she said, marks the fastest and highest economic growth rate in the city’s history, as compared to a measly P512 million in 2012 during the past administration.

Fernandez also revealed an influx of new investors to the city through the help of the Dagupan City Investment and Development Board which ensured that incoming investors are attended and their papers processed immediately.

Candidates nag Peace Covenant sa Mangaldan, Sual, San Fabian

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SUAL – Nagsamasama ang mga magkatunggaling kandidato sa bayan na ito, San Fabian, at Mangaldan para ipakita sa publiko na sila ay tutupad sa hangarin na nakasaad sa Covenant of Peace 2019 Mid Term Election ng Commission of Election.

Isa dito ay “refusal to be part of vote buying, election violence, and any manner of corruption".

Sa isang pagtitipon noong March 19 ay nagsamasama sa St. Peter the Martyr Parish Church sa first class town na ito si Sual municipal candidate John Arcinue, vice mayoral candidate Roberto Arcinue, ang complete ticket nila sa Sangguniang Bayan (SB) (Legislative Body) at daan-daan nilang supporters na nakaupo sa loob ng isang bahagi ng simbahan at sa kabila naman ay ang katungali nilang si Liseldo “Dong” Calugay at ilan sa mga kandidato nito sa SB.

SUPPORTERS - Clockwise from left photo below: Presence of supporters of  Sual mayoral and vice mayoral son and father tandem John and Roberto Arcinue and their ticket during the Covenant of Peace held recently at  the St. Peter the Martyr Parish Church.

Mayoral candidate John and rival Liseldo “Dong” Calugay lead their slate in signing their pledge for a peaceful issue based mature election. The comparison of the two parties that obviously show the bevy of supporters that join the Arcinues while the absence of the same at the Calugay slate. (Photo Credit: Sual Pang at Facebook)   

“Iilan lang sila na nandoon. Hindi pa dumating ang vice mayor nila,” ani Mayor Roberto Arcinue  sa kakaunting supporters ni Calugay na nasa loob ng simbahan at ang nakapagtatakang hindi pag dating ng vice mayoral candidate niya na si Donel Caburao.

Sa Mangaldan naman nakitang nagbeso si mayoral challenger Marilyn Lambino kay reelective Mayor Bonafe D. Parayno matapos silang pumirma sa Peace Covenant kasama ang kanilang slate. Nakita rin ang dalawa na nag uusap sa harap ng pari sa loob ng St Thomas Aquinas Parish Church noong March 16.

From War Fronts, Congress, to the Town Hall

The Saga of Leopoldo Bataoil Continues

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

From chasing hardened Moro commanders in Mindanao and Basilan, this battle experienced military and police officer went back to his alma mater the Philippine Military Academy to mentor the cadets of what he learned in the skirmishes and warfare at the battle fronts.

“Ang first assignment ko was Mindanao 54^th PC Ranger Batallion kaso po ang inihanda talaga ng PMA upang maging effective front line leaders, platoon leaders po kami noong second lieutenant sa isang PC Ranger battalion kaagad-agad dinala doon sa Mindanao kaagad - agad dinala kami sa Basilan. At doon namin hinahabol si Chairman Nur Misuari at Chairman Gerry Salapudin. Ito ang mga leaders ng mga MNLF noong araw wala pa iyong MILF noong araw so MNLF ang kalaban ng gobyerno,” cited in Filipino by former three-  star police general and congressman Leopoldo Bataoil, PMA Class of 1976, to this writer.

He said as a Constabulary Ranger he idolized his commanders at the First and Second Ranger Battalions who even joined him and his men in the battle fields against the fiery Moro insurgents in the two islands in the Southern Philippines.

Bataoil was a trained member of the British inspired commando’s the elite Special Action Force.

Retired Three - Star Police General Leopoldo Bataoil is a former commander of the elite British inspired commando's Special Action Force. (Photo grab from the internet)

“There were really true leaders and they were really very inspiring leaders na ang feeling namin they are the best example of.  I remember General Dictador Alquiza my First Battalion's commander . I remember Agerico Cagaoan my Second Battalion's commander in another battalion. They were really leaders na very inspiring na they talk to you the very critical area iyong mga battle area. They will die for you. Ang iyong feeling  namin he will die for our country and people all together we will die for our country and people”.

He cited one officer’s conspicuous bravery and extraordinary courage awed him. Glyxe Sua, Bataoil recounted, even asked his men to locate the sniper concealed behind the coconuts and the tree’s leaves  above sniping them.

Espino Thrashes Celeste by 73% - 27% in Poll

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

Pollster Saw Losses of Braganza, Cojuangco in Past Guv Races

DAGUPAN CITY -  A prestigious pollster showed that Pangasinan reelective governor Amado I. Espino, III  lopsidedly dominated his challenger Alaminos City Mayor Art Celeste by 73 percent versus 27 percent if election would be held on February 14-24 or  almost three months before the May 13, 2019 election.

Mr. Art G. Valenzuela, manager of  Vox Populi Polls (VPP), cited too that in the same period lawyer Angel Baniqued beat in a competitive race rival Mark Lambino in the vice governorship derby in the province, Second District's congressional bet Bugallon Mayor Jumel Espino outpointed with a few percentages former ally Board Member Raul Sison while seasoned politico reelective congressman Amado T. Espino, Jr pummeled challenger Binalonan Mayor Ramon “Monmon” Guico III.

RIVAL - Pangasinan reelective governor Amado "Pogi" I. Espino, III (L) and challenger Alaminos City mayor Art Celeste. 

VPP had predicted several weeks before the governorship elections in years 2013 and 2016 the heavy loses of gubernatorial candidates Alaminos City then Mayor Hernani Braganza and former Fifth District Congressman Mark Cojuangco when they challenged then governor Amado T. Espino, Jr and his son and namesake the present governor, respectively.

For the May 13, 2019 election, the poll cited that Espino III outstandingly garnered 821,250 votes or 73 percent while Celeste poorly received 303,750 or 27 percent or with a lead votes of 517,500.

“The principal method we used in the conduct of this survey was Randomized Sampling with a total universe or sampling frame of 1,500 respondents of voting age as distributed on weighted averages in all of the 3 cities and 44 municipalities of the province. The poll was conducted February 14-24 on a Confidence Level of 98 percent on the overall design with an error margin of 2.8 percent on the overall landscape/level and 3-5 percentage points on the local application at the city/municipal level,” Valenzuela stressed.

"NO VOTE" for Most of the Reelective Senators

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Before I delve on my arguments why I will not vote for most of the reelective senators in the May 13, 2019 national election, please listen to the recent tell-all of former senatorial wannabe Harry Roque, a former congressman, to GMA Super Radyo (DZBB 594) broadcaster Mike Enriquez who asked him the following questions. 

QUESTION: Sinabi ninyo na ang kandidato sa pagka senador ay dapat gumastos ng minimum na P500 million at hindi ka pa siguradong mananalo doon?

ANSWER: Pag senador useless ma mudmod ng pera hindi mo kakayanin iyan. Hindi mo kakayanin na mag vote buy sa national scale dahil napakalaking pera. Ang gastos mo pag ikaw ang tatakbong senador ads. Kaya sino ang nanga-nga-lampag sa survey iyong maaga pa lang nag ads na iyong mga walang palya nandiyan iyong advertisement. So walang pagkakaiba sa pagbebenta ng softdrinks sa pagbenta ng sino dapat maging senators. Nakakasalalay po iyan sa ads.

(PHOTO CREDIT: CNN PHILIPPINES)

A: Ako nga po pruweba ko kulelat ako ng tumigil ako. Pero ano ang nangyari noong nag ads ako sa TV na doble ko iyong conversion votes ko in just one month. At predicted ko iyon na every month pag ganito ang gagastusin ko I will gain six points at pag na continue ko iyan over 90 days pasok pa ako pag dating ng 90^th day.

PCSO Invites Suits on Stance with Globaltech’s Peryahan

By Mortz C. Ortigoza 

MANDALUYONG CITY – The Board of Directors (BOD) of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office flirt with criminal and administrative charges if they will not amend their resolution allowing Globaltech Mobile Online Corporation to continue its operation in violation of the court order, a lawyer for an Authorized Agent Corporation (AAC) of the Small Time Lottery of the PCSO cited.
Globaltech runs the controversial Peryahan ng Bayan’s numbers betting game.
In an opinion requested by a president of an AAC, a lawyer, who asked for anonymity, opined on the decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) and PCSO Resolution No. 0059 that PCSO must issue an amended resolution revising the Resolution by deleting the implementation of the Status Quo Ante Order (SQAO) in favor of Globaltech.

Board of Directors of the Philippines Charity Sweepstakes Office. Clockwise from left: Chairperson / OIC-General Manager Anselmo Simeon P. Pinili; Members of the Board Marlon U. Balite, Sandra M. Cam, and Ramon Ike V. Señeres.

The lawyer said that PCSO should resolve to authorize the filing of a motion for execution before the RTC to implement the directive for Globaltech to post a bond equivalent to Php 50, 336, 029 as based on RTC order in April 24, 2017. He added that PCSO will submit itself to arbitration conformably with the terms of their written agreement and A.M No. 07-11-08-SC or the Special Rules of Court on Alternative Dispute Resolution as Court of Appeals’ decision in January 14, 2019.
The lawyer said that failure of the PCSO to obey the CA will make the members the Board liable for possible sanctions.
He cited these penalty and punishment are contempt of court to administrative and criminal prosecution and conviction under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices or Republic Act 3019.

DAGUPAN CITY IS R1AA BACK-TO-BACK CHAMP

DAGUPAN CITY – The city of Dagupan again asserted itself as a powerhouse in sports after successfully defending its championship in this year’s Region 1 Athletic Association (R1AA) meet during a grueling five-day competition held in Laoag City from March 6 to 11.

Amassing 87 gold, 63 silver and 56 bronze medals after five days of competition, the city again made history by surpassing its total medal count last year of 72 gold, 53 silver and 39 bronze medals.

BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPS – Dagupan City again proved its sports dominance when it retained the  championship in this year’s Region 1 Athletic Association (R1AA) meet during a five-day competition held in Laoag City from March 6 to 11. The back-to-back champion was adjudged as Best Performing Schools Division in swimming, arnis, boxing and aerogymnastics after finishing the competition with 87 gold, 63 silver and 56 bronze medals, surpassing its total medal count from last year’s championship. Shown in photo are Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, DCSC Vice Chair Finnela Sim together with the city’s athletes and trainers. (CIO photo by Arriz Fruelda)

This was the second time since last year that the Balon Dagupan athletes clinched the top spot, to crown itself as back-to-back champions in the R1AA meet.

This city’s swimming team again proved itself as the city’s strongest medal contender when it accounted for 26 gold, 17 silver and 17 bronze medals.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the Balon Dagupan swimming team has been tagged as the team to beat in R1AA’s swimming events.

Meanwhile, the city’s arnis team hauled 14 gold, six silver and six bronze medals while the athletics team for elementary and secondary bagged a total of seven gold, 11 silver and six bronze medals.

The aerogymnastics team also bagged a total of 10 gold and two silver medals while the gymnastics team hauled a total of 10 gold, 10 silver and five bronze medals.

Surprisingly, the city’s boxing and wrestling teams also made history during their very first appearance in the competition. The boxing team bagged three gold and one silver medals, while the wrestling team hauled two gold, five silver and two bronze medals.

FILINVEST TO DEVELOP 6.3 - HECTARE TOWN CENTER IN DAGUPAN

DAGUPAN CITY – A new residential townscape is set to rise in Dagupan City, to be developed by Filinvest, one of the country’s largest property developers, which is expanding its development footprints here.

Filinvest is marking its first entry into Pangasinan with its project ‘Fora Dagupan’, a townscape development that is set to be the city’s newest lifestyle destination soon.

The 6.3-hectare townscape is an integrated development project that will include offices, a commercial strip and a mid-rise residential community.

ANOTHER MAJOR INVESTMENT IN DAGUPAN – Filinvest Land Inc., unveils its 6.3-hectare project “Fora Dagupan” during a ceremony along a property in Barangay Lucao. The project will feature an integrated development that will include offices, a commercial strip and a mid-rise residential community. Shown in photo are (from left to right) Liga ng mga Barangay President Dean Bryan Kua, Mayor Belen Fernandez, Filinvest Senior Vice President for Vis/Min and North Luzon Tristan Las Marias, and Filinvest Project Development Officer Sharon Luntao. (CIO photo by Jojo Tamayo)

All these were revealed during the ceremonial unveiling of ‘Fora Dagupan’ along a property in  Barangay Lucao on March 8.

The ceremony was attended by Mayor Belen Fernandez, Liga ng mga Barangay President Dean Bryan Kua, members of the city’s Investment and Development Board, Lucao Barangay council headed by chairman Marcelino Fernandez and other barangay captains.

Tristan Las Marias, Filinvest Senior Vice President for Vis/Min and North Luzon, said that this is the company’s first project of this magnitude in North Luzon.

 “We chose this flourishing city to build this exciting development project because Dagupan is number one for us. We believe in Dagupan’s prospects and we want to be part of its continued growth,” said Las Marias.

Filinvest also underscored the 

Q & A: BIR No.2 man talks about raid, P2.3T goal, poor collection of reg’l offices

Deputy Commissioner for Operation Arnel Guballa is the primus inter pares of all the deputy commissioners of the hierarchy of the Bureau of Internal Revenue based at its national office in Quezon City.

Guballa, a CPA-Lawyer, is an insider of the agency whose major stints include those at the national office where he brainchild the Run After Tax Evader (RATE) and became regional directors in various parts of the country.

His zealousness at the RATE  cost his wife Evelyn death at the hands of assassins in 2006 probably ordered by unscrupulous big time tax evaders who want to murder him.

Deputy Commissioner for Operation Arnel Guballa (Photo Credit:  RDO Chief Maria Isabel B. Utit) 

The interviewer Mortz Ortigoza of Northern Watch, who met Guballa when he was the director of Region 1, asked him about the series of raids by the BIR, National Bureau of Investigation, and cigarette producers like Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC).

The down to earth deputy commissioner also discussed in this Question and Anwer the P2.3 trillion tax target given by the Duterte Administration to the tax agency, the BIR collection performances last year, and the supposedly poor collection of the BIR regional offices in the country. Excerpts:

MORTZ ORTIGOZA (M.O): Ang tax target this year ng BIR is P2.3 Trillion. As  Deputy Director for Operation malaki ang papel ninyo diyan?

DEP. COM. ARNEL GUBALLA (A.G): Yes, ako ang in-charge niyan!

How Suicide Bombers, Muslim Radicals Operate

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

After some readers online showed their apprehension after reading my column’s What if Suicide Bombers Wage Wars in Luzon, Visayas and the bloodbath those Muslim suicide bombers can do when they started exploding those 10 to 20 kilos nails, iron balls, and other shrapnels' TNT contained vest strapped on their body, here are some of the salient features of the book I read how Islamist terrorists operate.

Before I expound it, I will describe first some of the names and organizations that become a major part of the book Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef but was written by Ron Brackin about the son of  a terrorist organization founder Hamas Sheikh Hassan Yousef.

Just like those fiction best seller thrillers, Mosab became a spy for the Shin Bet.

Shin Bet or Shabak by the way is the Israel Security Agency.

Hamas is a Palestinian organization responsible for countless suicide bombings and other deadly attacks against Israel.

Fanatic Islamic Suicide Bombers.

Mosab was imprisoned by the Israeli internal intelligence service. After a chance encounter with a British tourist, he started a six-year quest that undermined Hamas, endangered his family, and threatened his life. He has since became a Christian and sough political asylum in America.

To readers, brace yourself, since what I will narrate and quote here were serious gruesome stuffs where we Christian can learn how to defend ourselves even before those Islamist radical started blowing themselves and their cars their lethal bombs to us and our children.

Israel soldiers took curfews very seriously. These were not like curfews in the United States and the Philippines, where authorities call a teenager’s parents if he was caught loitering around after 11 p.m.
 In Palestine, if a curfew had been declared and you were on the street for any reason, you were shot. “No warning, no arrest. They just shot you,” Mosab described the Israeli soldiers.

He cited that the only law respected by the Muslim is Islamic law, defined by fatwa, or religious rulings on a particular topic. Fatwas are intended to guide Muslims as they apply the Qur’an to daily living, but because there is no central unifying rule maker, various sheiks often issue different fatwas about the same matter. As a result everyone is living by various set of rules, some much more strict than others.

Mosab said the sheikh has more authority than an imam and is more like a general than a priest.

Israeli intelligence wondered why the United States did not prevent the 19 Al Queda terrorists who hijacked  four jetliners in the mainland in September 11, 2001 and made a human driven missiles out of them where three of the planes rammed the  North and South towers, respectively, of the World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan and the Pentagon where 2,996 people were killed and 6,000 humans injured.

The Israelis wondered why the Americans relied mostly on technology and rarely collaborated with the terrorists. For them those tactics may have been fine in the Cold War, but its pretty tough to combat fanatical ideals with technology.

“Israeli intelligence, on the other hand, relied mostly on human resources; had countless spies in mosques, Islamic organization, and leadership roles; and had no problem recruiting even the most dangerous terrorists. They knew they had to have eyes and ears on the inside, along with the minds that understood motives and emotions and that could connect to the dots. America understood neither Islamic culture nor its ideology. That combined with open borders and lax of security, made it a much softer target than Israel. Even so, although my role as a spy enabled Israel to take hundreds of terrorists off the streets, our work couldn’t begin to put an end to terrorism – even in a tiny country like Israel”.

Muslims believed that bombers who killed infidels go to heaven. For the male martyrs they are rewarded as motivation with 72 virgins who look like sultry actress Filipina Bea Alonzo  and U.S hot star Megan Fox  who lie on a water bed in paradise probably naked, son of a gun, to service the lust of the wide eyed hero.

“Islam taught that a devoted servant of Allah who became a martyr went straight to heaven. No questioning by weird angels or torture in the grave but suddenly it seemed that anyone killed by the Israelis – whether a nominal Muslim, a communist, even an atheist was being treated as a holy martyr. The imams and the sheikhs told the families of the dead, “your loved one is in heaven”.

Here’s what Mosab said about one of the galling suicide bombers:

“And then on June 1, at 11:26 p.m, a group of teenagers were standing in line, talking, laughing, and horsing around, eager to enter a popular Tel Aviv disco known as the Dolphi. Most of the kids were from the former Soviet Union, their parents recent emigr’es. Saeed Hotari stood in line, too, but he was Palestinian and  a little older. He was wrapped in explosives and metal fragments”.

He said the newspapers did not call the Dolphinarium attack a suicide bombing. They picture it a massacre. Scores of kids were ripped apart by ball bearings and the sheer force of the blast. Casualties were high: 21 died; 120 wounded.

“No suicide bomber had ever killed so many people in a single attack,” Mosab cited.

Upon reading his narration, I was ashen faced and breathless what the father of Saeed had told neighbors and friends who congratulated the family, and the media men:

“I hope that my other three sons will do the same. I would like all members of my family, all the relatives, to die for my nation and my homeland”.

Now my query: Do Filipino radical Muslims like the Islamic State (ISIS) and its affiliates the Abu Sayaf and other extremist groups in Mindanao have the same belief and perception with the father of Saeed to die for their putative homeland Mindanao and Islam?

READ MY OTHER ARTICLE:

What If Suicide Bombers Wage Wars in Luzon, Visayas

(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)