Saturday, November 27, 2021

Patuloy ang mga Programa ni Mayor Dooy sa Mapandan

Patuloy ang mga iba’t ibang programa ng butihing Mapandan Mayor Anthony “Dooy” Cerame Penuliar at ang Team Aguila na pinangungunahan ni governorship and vice governorship candidates Ramon “Monmon” Guico, III at Vice Governor Mark Lambino.

 “Patuloy po naming inilalapit sa inyo ang mga programang makatutulong sa ating mga mga kababayan. Nais ko rin po sanang ipaalala sa inyo lalo na sa mga for discharge sa mga pribadong hospital na kung nakalabas na po ang pasyente ay limitado na po ang tulong na maihatid po natin,” ani ni Mayor Dooy sa mga constituents niya.

Mapandan Mayor Anthony “Dooy” Cerame Penuliar

Nagpapasalamat din ang Alkalde sa  butihing Third District Congresswoman  Rosemarie Baby Arenas at Madam Rachel Arenas at sa Aksyon Man Ng Tersero Distrito na si Board Member Vici Ventanilla sa walang sawang pagtulong sa mga taga Mapandan.

Hinikayat ni Mayor Penuliar ang mga kababayan niya na makipag-ugnay lamang sa kanyang tangapan para sa kanilang mga medical assistance.

***

Ayon kay Northern Watch Newspaper’s columnist Arnel Montemayor alias Munting Isko: “Napakapalad ng bayan ng Mapandan sa liderato ni Mayor Anthony "Dooy"Penuliar, sapagkat mula noong siya ang naging mayor ay tinapos niya ang maraming proyekto na hindi natapos noong nakaraang administration tulad ng public market at farm to market roads. Limang barangay naman ang makikinabang sa inihandang proyekto na may halagang P37 million sa Brgy Primicias at karatig brgy para sa evacuation center. Hindi matatawaran ang kakaibang siste ng mayor sa kanyang pagiging mapagpakumbabang tao. Madaling kausap at walang pagkasayang aksyon para lutasin ang mga problema sa bayan kaya siya ay mahal na mahal ng kanyang mga kababayan".

Less Moneyed Mayorship Bet uses Bluff to Win Election

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I quipped to Political Operator-1 of an incumbent rich town’s mayor that in the 2019 election Operator-2 told me he discouraged his patron’s mayorship candidate to proceed in the vote buying of the electorates at P800 each in the eve of the May 13, 2019 election.

“Sinabihan ko na si Mayor na huwag na ilabas ang P800 kasi ang kalaban namimili ng P2,000 per voter,” I quoted what Operator-2 disclosed to me to Operator -1-  a retired cop.

“Talaga bang nagpabaha si Mayor ninyo ng pera sa bayan ninyo?” I posed.

He said the losing mayor spent P5,000 each voter in the one month’s span before the voters cast their ballots in the precinct.

MASSIVE VOTE BUYING. The customary vote buying in the Philippines that runs now to thousands of pesos per gullible and vulnerable voter where the less intelligent but moneyed candidate wins against the financially deprived but brainy rival.

Tinadtad (made installments) nila ang P5,000. Meron pa diyan ibinigay P2,000 kada botante. Mas maraming pera si ex- mayor kaysa kay mayor noong election,” he stressed to me in Tagalog.

When I bumped into him middle of this year, the losing mayor told me that they vote buy earlier because he and his father were afraid that his rival who had connection with the police provincial director could box in the corner his bagmen - who shell-out monies to voters as ingratiation for him and his family to win – in the eve of the election. 

 In Pangasinan province they called it “Pakurong” read in countless English words (Damn, just learned the Pangalatok, er, Pangasinan language is superior in the brevity game to English) as discreet shelling out of sums to the houses of voters or in a specific venue.

“Magkano ang bilihan ng boto sa bayan ninyo at kayo ay natalo?”.

“Dalawang libo isang linggo bago mag eleksyon,” he answered

Bakit isang linggo bago mag eleksiyon. Dapat sa eve ng eleksyon kayo namumudmod ng pera?” I added.

His fear was reminiscent of a former Pangasinan PD  - a Colonel – who emphatically ordered his men to disable a city mayor and his bagmen not to buy votes that allow the other rival candidate to vote buy and win the election.

The aggressiveness of the PD, my source said on conditioned of anonymity, was a quid pro quo to the other rival that in case the patron candidate wins the cop get his share of the monthly jueteng (illegal number game) ingreso from the gambling lord to the city.

Bluffed by Menacing Looking Motorcycle Men

Sabi ni ex-Mayor natakot daw sila kasama ang mga supporters nila dahil may mga umiikot sa mga bara-barangay na naka motor (motorcycles) naka black jacket. Sabi ni ex-Mayor mga goons daw ni Mayor iyon,” I told Operator -1.

The ex –cop laughed. He said they were not goons and hit men as the rival pictured them in the media.  It was a successful bluff that psyched out their wits.

“Mga motorcycle group iyon ni rentahan namin para bumu-o ng takot sa isip ng mga kalaban”.

Godzak and Godzilla! So the P2,000 per voter – where the ex - cop and company ferried those boxes of P1,000 bills in cigarette boxes from Lingayen in  the day before the election - and the imagined fear created by the incumbent mayor and his supporters have been a bluff, chutzpah, and sly that saw the long reign streaked of the ex-mayor and his father - another ex-mayor - halted in a competitive 2019 poll?

I remembered a city where each of the two mayorship candidate spent P333,659,200 average as I computed (Geez, to a post that gives P150, 000 monthly for three years) to buy the favor of the mostly greedy vote for sale voters probably in Region-1.

In the eve of the May 2019 election, sports utility vehicles (SUVs) roamed noisily the highways and streets of the city and the villages crowing their huge posters marked N.B.I pasted on the side of their car.

Was it an abbreviation of the National Bureau of Investigation or Na Bluff Ikaw?

I learned later it was the creation of the astute mayorship bet and his advisers composed of incumbent and retired generals to deter his rival – a multi-millionaire – in sowing the dough to the voters who have been queuing the gate of a university where the distribution of the P2,500 for each of the excited voters would ensue.

The bag men of the sly mayorship bet - who distributed P2,000 for each of the crowd in the wee hour escaped hair-thin from the jaw clamping looming defeat – told them to wait as they would pick up the sacks of monies – donated allegedly by Filipino Chinese traders who hated the then incumbent hizzoner - and would add another P1,000 to make the purchase of their “sacred” Right of Suffrage at P3,000.

Result: The incumbent mayor basking on the victory - backed up by a scientific poll that she would win in a closed contest -  lost by a nip and tuck votes.

It happened because voters would vote for the one who shelled out the highest amount – P3,000 versus P2,500.

  A seasoned mayor in the Third Congressional District told me years ago: Iyong mga tubo (pipe) ng gripo (faucet), kahoy (lumber) yero (galvanized iron sheets)  na pinamimigay  at mga medical mission na milyon year or years before the election, wala iyan. Pag nagbigay ang kalaban ng P700 kada botante sa gabi bago mag eleksiyon at ang rival P500 lang, talo ang P500 kahit na nag bigay siya noong mga gamit na sinabi ko at nag medical mission pa siya.

READ MY OTHER BLOG/COLUMN:

Why Politicians Spend a Fortune to a Post that Pays a Pittance?


 

Thursday, November 25, 2021

Tatalunin ng Sual ang Alaminos sa Turismo – Boying


By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SUAL, Pangasinan – Dahil sa kanyang kabundukan, dagat, at talon tatalunin ng first class na ito ang Alaminos City ayon kay dating Congressman Jesus Salvador “Boying” Celeste

“Tatalunin po natin – huwag magagalit iyang mga taga Alaminos – dahil isisigurado ko po sa inyo tatalunin po natin ang siyudad ng Alaminos. Wala naman silang mga kabundukan. Mayroon lang sa Alamino City ay Hundred Islands. Parang Bolinao tinalo namin ang Alaminos dahil sa beaches. Malakas ang aking loob na sabihin na tatalunin natin ang Alaminos dahil ang magiging attraction po natin dito iyang kabundukan po  ninyo,” ayon sa tumatakbong pagka alkalde sa coastal town na ito sa Western Pangasinan habang kapanayam ang mga libong nagpapalakpakan na mga supporters na dumayo sa congressional office dito sa Barangay Poblacion.

Ani Celeste magmula ng dumating siya dito ay pinunduhan na ng kanyang nakakabatang kapatid na si First District Rep. Arnold “Noli” Celeste ng P50 million ang kalsada na magmula sa Barangay Caoayan papunta sa mga kabundukan.

Bird's eye view of Sual, Pangasinan is an internet grab.

“Nagtataka po kayo siguro bakit ko nagawa iyan hindi na po tayo nakaupo? Kapatid ko pa rin ang Congressman. Ako pa rin po ang pinapakinggan sa ngalan po ng development at puwede ko e suggest ang mga magandang plano dito sa ating distrito”.

Sa kanyang talumpati kamakailan sa congressional office dito sa mga supporters na nagmula pa sa ibat ibang barangays, walang pag alinlangang binanatan niya ang mga land grabbers na kumamkam ng daang ektaryang lupain sa mga kabundukan dito.

“Ang inyong kabundukan ay gaganda po iyan kaysa kukunin lang ng mga gahaman sa lupa. Ibig kung sabihin gahaman sa lupa kung hihigit ka na sa isang daang ektarya kukunin mo porke’t malakas ka sa gobyerno aanuhin mo ang pag-aari ng taga-Sual. Iyong mga malalaking may ari ng lupa diyan hindi naman po sila taga rito taga ibang lugar iyan po para sa akin iyan po ang para sa inyo para po iyan sa mga taong bayan ng Sual”.

Ani ng tumatakbong mayor ang mga atraksyon sa kabundukan at sa kanyang ipapatayong facilities ay dudumugin ng mga turista na manggagaling sa buong Pilipinas.

“Merong patent iyong Matico Falls kinausap ko ang may ari ng Matico Falls hindi mapunta iyan sa akin. Hindi ko gagawin iyan para gagawin kung private property. Balak kung gagawin natin na municipal resort. Ang bayan ng Sual ang magpapatakbo ang kita po niyan ay mapupunta sa bayan ninyo para maibalik natin sa dati. Kung hindi number two magiging number one”.

Experto si Celeste sa paghikayat sa mga maperang turista dahil nagawa niya iyan sa beach rich na bayan ng Bolinao kung saan ang kanyang siyam na taong pagiging punong ehekutibo ay nagpakita kung paano umasenso ang bayan dahil sa turismo.

“Expert po tayo diyan sa municipal resorts nagawa ko na po iyan. Sa bayan ng Bolinao ako po ang Ama ng Turismo nag Congressman ako binuksan ko po ang mga kalsada papuntang mga beaches natin. Iyan po ang nakita kung potential na gagawin nating pasilidad sa turismo. Magkakaroon na ng coastal road  magmula Dasol to Bolinao iyon ang magpapa-angat sa atin. Dahil ako po ang author po niyan ako pa ang nag umpisa niyan dahil hindi po natin ipapatalo itong bayan ninyo na mas maganda sa lahat sa ngalan ng turismo”.

Kamakailan binanatan ni Celeste si congressional candidate Oscar Orbos ng sabihin ng huli na siya ang orihinal na may idea sa coastal highways sa distrito.

Ang proyekto ayon sa kanya ay magbibigay ng isandaang trabaho sa Western Pangasinan.

“May proposal nga kami. Gaya gaya na lang siya. Basta kung ano na ang sinasabi ni Orbos. Noong kalakasan niya hindi niya ginawa pero noong nakita niya (na) nangyayari sa amin ngayon sasabihin niya siya na ang author, kalukuhan! “ani Celeste sa Northern Watch Newspaper.

Si Celeste at re-elective Mayor Liseldo “Dong” Calugay ay maglalaban sa May 9, 2022 election.

Si Calugay ay manok ni Governor Amado Espino, III at si Celeste naman ay kakampi ni governorship challenger Ramon Guico, III.

 READ MY OTHER BLOG/COLUMN:

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Bitter Political Rivals Unite to Beat Malasiqui Mayor


By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – former bitter and perennial electoral rival grudgingly merges with each other to trounce-out their bĂȘte noire the sitting mayor of this biggest populated town in Pangasinan province.

Former nine years' mayor and incumbent vice mayor Armando Domantay, Sr. said that it took Bayambang billionaire Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao to broker that he and former Liga ng mga Barangay President Alfie Soriano joined forces to beat Mayor Noel Anthony M. Geslani, Governor Amado Espino, III and his ticket to get the majority of the more or less 80, 000 voting populated town.


RIVALS MERGE. Perennial and bitter political rivals Malasiqui Vice Mayor Armando Domantay, Sr. (left photo clockwise) and former Liga ng Barangay President Alfie Soriano collaborated to beat their bĂȘte noire Mayor Noel Anthony Geslani in the May 9, 2022 election. Domantay and Soriano – a product of the deft brokerage of Bayambang Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao – run for the mayorship and vice mayorship, respectively, of the biggest town in Pangasinan Province.

The Vice Mayor did not imagine that someday he would be collaborating with a former perennial foe where they both crossed swords of decades of ugly and acrimonious skirmishes to control the political power here.

Domantay narrated that the clashes started with Soriano’s father Alfonso or Ponsing in the vice mayorship race in 1995, continued in 2007 when he beat Alfie for the mayorship, and his mother Fe in the 2010 mayorship derby.

Alam na po ninyo hindi ko po maipagkaila na ang Domantay at Soriano ay dekadang ng naglalaban ngunit ito sigurong anduon ng magkaisa na ang naglalaban sa pulitika sa tawag ng kabutihan, kapayapaan, at kaunlaran ng bayang Malasiqui,” he articulated in Pilipino.

Indeed, politics makes strange bedfellows, to rephrase what William Shakespeare wrote on the play’s The Tempest.

Domantay stressed that after he defeated Alfie in the 2007 mayorship election with a lead votes of more than 2,000, he eclipsed with more or less 1,000 votes Fe Soriano in the mayorship contest in 2010.

Pangatlong mayor (election) Nanay Fe na naman pero malayo na. Sa vice mayor ko naman si Nanay Fe 2013, 2016 si Alfie muli. 2019 wala na,” he said about his easy win against Fe in their rematch in the 2013 election.

In his reelection in the 2016 vice mayorship derby, he beat the young Soriano with a measly 32 votes.

Alfie went to the court and questioned the minuscule win allegedly reeking with anomaly against Domantay. The court however rejected the petition of Soriano.

“Ngunit dahil siguro kaunti ang lamang pero sa counting nanalo ako. Saka sa evidentiary protesta naman niya panalo na naman ako kaya dinismis na nila ang protesta niya. So malinis na ngayon, oo”.

Domantay said that before he was picked by the party of governorship candidate Ramon Guico, III, another candidate lobbied Guico and Quiambao to be the official mayoralty candidate.

Sources of Northern Watch Newspaper said it was perennial mayorship aspirant Jebong de Guzman.

“Noong nag ayos si Mayor Cezar Quiambao. Nag courtesy call ako sa kanya doon  sa Bayambang kasama ko si (Board Member) VC Ventanilla. Kinausap nila ako kung ano ang gusto ko. Tatakbo ba akong mayor? Nasabi ko kay Engineer Rosendo So may vice mayor ako o wala tatakbo akong mayor”.

At that time Soriano was adamant to tandem with Domantay but the influential intercession of Quiambao – a huge financial contributor to his political allies – made Soriano acquiesced to the collaboration.

“Ayaw sumama. Ngayon tinawagan ni Mayor Quiambao. Ako ang bahala. Ang mayor ko Domantay. “Okay okay Boss walang problema kung ako ang gusto niya”, “he quoted the retort of Alfie Soriano to Quiambao.

He said the people of Malasiqui – 143, 094 populated in the Philippines Statistics Authority's 2020 census – were happy to learn about the unification. For them, he continued, the bickering families chose the path of “aliguas”, “Kapayapaan”, and “Katahimikan” as they flex their muscle to expose the alleged corruption of the Geslani Administration on its six years’ reign.

“Sa katunayan ako nag endorse sa kanya noong naging mayor siya. Hindi ko masikmura ang kanyang ginagawa sa kanyang panunungkulang sa munisipyo,” Domantay criticism of his rival.

During the State of the Municipality Address (SOMA) of Quiambao middle of this year in Bayambang, Soriano could just envy how the Mayor implemented his zero tolerance to corruption.

“Hindi siya corrupt at very transparent. Inuuna ang kapakanan ng kanyang constituents at ang visions niya for Bayambang ay nakakalula. I wish we can do that too sa Malasiqui,” he reacted with insinuation probably how the Mayor of the biggest town in the 44 towns, three cities’ Pangasinan mismanages the coffer.

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Wednesday, November 17, 2021

MASIPAG SI DOOY

 

MASIPAG SI DOOY. Mayor Anthony "Dooy"Penuliar of Mapandan, Pangasinan is at his best while talking to his constituents. He runs for his second term bid for the mayoralty. He told the crowd here about his decision to team-up with the best public and social services given by the Alyansang Guico-Lambino (AGUILA) lead by governorship and vice governorship candidates Ramon “Monmon” Guico, III and Vice Governor Mark Lambino, respectively. Penuliar is pitted with a certain Dela Vega whom many kibitzers said has still lack of political experience. People of Mapandan lauds Penuliar in his mayorship stints because he performed well during the rampages of the African Swine Fever (ASF) and when the Corona Virus Disease-19’s pandemic reared its ugly heads in March 2020 and sows fear to people up to present. Penuliar is dubbed by his supporters in the vernacular as “Makuli (masipag )ya Mayor si Dooy”.


Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Gobierno Que Se Merece


(The Gov't that We Deserved)
By Mortz C. Ortigoza
With those clowns in the Senate and House of Thieves and those running for the seat of the Commander -in-Thief, er, Chief and the Senate like Robin Padilla, Jojo Binay, Jinggoy and JV Estrada, and Monsour del Rosario- a martial art expert sanamagan!- who are in the Top 24 of the Senate bets as polled lately by SWS, I shuddered HolyJesusMary&Joseph!
Was it President Manuel Quezon - who rabble roused in the Senate of the Commonwealth Government (an OJT government given to us by our White Master the Yanks) in the 1930s - or was it U.S President Abraham Lincoln who said?:
"Un pueblo obtiene solo el tipo de gobierno que se merece (A people get only the kind of government that they deserve)".
Photo is an internet grabbed.


Below are the Top 24 Senate Candidates who would win the election of the 12 Senate seats if it was held on October 20 to 23, 2021. It was a Strat Base ADR commissioned polls by the Social Weather Station (SWS):
1) Raffy Tulfo with 60%,; 2) Former Senator Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero with 51%; 3) Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano with 50%; 4) Antique Rep. Loren Legarda with 45%; 5) Re-electionist Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri with 44%.; 6-7) Former Vice President Jejomar Binay and former Public Works Secretary Mark Villar with 40% each: 😎 Re-electionist Senator Risa Hontiveros with 36%,; 9) Former Senator Jinggoy Estrada with 33%; 10) Actor Robin Padilla with 29%; 11) Broadcaster Noli De Castro with 28% ; 12) Reelectionist Sen. Joel Villanueva with 27%.
Outside the Magic 12 are the following: 13) and 14) Former
Senator JV Ejercito and Re-electionist Sen. Richard Gordon with 26% each; 15) Re-Electionist Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian with 25%,; 16) Actor and former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista with 16% ; 17) Former Senator Gregorio Honasan with 23%.; 18) Former Senator Sonny Trillanes (21%); 19) Re-electionist Sen. Leila De Lima (11%); 20) Human Rights Lawyer Chel Diokno (10%); 21) Former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro (9%); 22 and 23) Former Congressmen Neri Colmenares and Monsour Del Rosario (7% each) and; 24) Former Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol (6%).

URDANETA MAYOR ABANDONS THE GUICOS

 

FEELING BETRAYED


By Renato Remogat and Mortz C. Ortigoza

URDANETA CITY, Pangasinan - Because of betrayal, this huge city’s mayor abandoned a congressional ally who runs for the governorship in favor of the latter's rival.

Mayor Julio “Rammy” Parayno, III defected to the camp of re-elective Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino, III in an act that pundits see can affect the voting equation of the eight towns and one city’s district reigned by Congressman Ramon “Monmon” Guico, III who challenges Espino in the governorship for the May 9, 2022 election.

This city has a 90, 000 voters or more than one fourth among the more or less 350, 000 voters of the eight towns and one city’s district.

ABANDON. Vote – rich Urdaneta City Mayor Julio “Rammy” Parayno, III (left photo and clockwise) deserted political ally Pangasinan Fifth District Congressman Ramon  “Monmon” Guico, III by joining in the trenches re-elective Pangasinan Governor Amado “Pogi” Espino, III on his governorship duel with Guico in the May 9, 2022 election.

Guico’s father and namesake Monching runs for the congressional seat against Parayno’s cousin and Espino’s ally former Board Member Clemente B. "Nino" Arboleda Jr.
In an exclusive interview by Reporter Renato “Atong” Remogat, Parayno smarted that the solon was behind the filing of the certificate of candidacy (CoC) of this city’s former city mayor Amadeo “Bobom” Perez against him in the number one elective seat of this entrepot city.
Parayno was known to be a loyalist of the Aliguas Guico Lambino (AGUILA) ticket but decided to break away from the group because of the actuation of the young Guico.
“Matagal ko ng kinikimkim iyan at alam ko rin na nag-uusap at pumupunta pa mismo si Cong.Mon-mon sa bahay ng mga Perez at bakit pa nila ako pinalabanan kung talagang kaalyado nila ako?”
he said.

He used to be a party man and would not easily bolt to the other camp, he added.
“ Hindi ko naman gagawin iyong babaligtad ako sa grupo dahil “ party man” at kaalyado nila ako”.

Parayno, it can be recalled, left the camp of Governor Espino before the May 2019 election when he learned that the governor’s father and namesake the then incumbent congressman of the district smoked the piece pipe with his rival former mayor Perez and his father and namesake.

Espino, affectionately called “Ama” sued with criminal libel case the older Perez because of his pronouncement against Espino during the meeting de avance in Lingayen of Mark Cojuangco’s failed bid for the 2016 governorship race against the young Espino.

Parayno was a vice mayor then who ran for the mayoralty against Maria Teresa Socorro Perez -Naguiat - the younger sister of the then exiting chief executive of this city.

“Meron pagka-seloso daw si Mayor. Parang ganoon din ang nangyari last election kasi kasama ni Ama na sana si Mayor Rammy kaso nalaman niya na nagpunta si Ama kina Perez. Ayon kumabila siya,” a source of Northern Watch Newspaper, on conditioned of anonymity, said.
 Parayno played a key role in catapulting  Guico to the congressional seat by snatching in a hair-thin votes of 3,512 (1.42%) among the 246, 760 electorates the congressional diadem from the older Espino.

That victory was an upset to a seasoned politico who brainchild the victories of his sons –Governor Espino and Second District Rep. Jumel Espino -, wife Bugallon Mayor Priscilla Espino, and allies in the mayoralty races in many parts of the humungous province.


Political kibitzers saw the shift of loyalty of Parayno to have a major effect to the political stocks of Congressman Guico and his father in the Eastern Pangasinan’s district.

Late last year, another Guico loyalist Board Member John Louie Sison defected to the Espino Camp. Sison and Parayno were seen in a photo shot posted last night at Facebook with Governor Espino and congressional candidate Arboleda.


It was captioned “Nagpahayag ng suporta si Urdaneta City Mayor Julio "Rammy" Parayno III at Vice Mayor Jing Parayno sa administrasyon ni Gob. Amado "Pogi" I. Espino III sa isang simpleng pulong kanina. Kasama ni Gob. Espino sina BM John Louie Sison at former BM Niño Arboleda”.

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Monday, November 15, 2021

BIR Offers Free Seminars at Social Media

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

The office of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) that supervises eastern Pangasinan announces to the public about the free online seminar that will guide new business registrants how to file and pay their taxes and other valuable information they need to know.

The webinar is held every Monday and Thursday of the week at 9:30 A.m.

“This is free and the taxpayers can just tap the Zoom by using their meeting identification (I.D) and the password as provided at our Facebook Page,” Revenue District Office No. 6 Chief Bernadette Mangaoang, who oversees the eight towns and one city’s eastern province, told this writer.


The ID is 268 514 7141 and the user can enter RDO6 as password. Other instruction and information can be seen too on the Facebook Page’s BIR RDO No.6 Urdaneta City, Pangasinan.

Some of the posters and topics there by the tax agency’s personnel are the registration and keeping of accounting records of political party and partylists, Estate Tax Amnesty, Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE), Certificate of Registration (CoR), Quarterly Percentage Tax Return, Update, Transfer, or Cancellation of Registration, Tax Exemption or Tax Holiday, and other updates on the programs of the BIR.

 Excerpt of the Estate Tax Amnesty that can be seen on that Facebook Page for example says: “The two-year extension of availment of the Estate Tax Amnesty is deemed appropriate in these trying times. It will give the lawful heirs and beneficiaries, especially those who have been financially struggling during this pandemic, more time to settle their Estate Tax obligations without penalties,” -  Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay”.

Meanwhile, the tax goal this year of the Eastern Pangasinan tax office - as imposed to it by the national government - will be P1.741 billion.

From January to July this year our collection was up by 7.61% (to the given target for that semester),” Mangaoang told this writer.

Mangaoang was optimistic that by the end of the year the P1.741 billion given to her will be eclipsed by the collection aggressively undergone by her staff.

Thursday, November 11, 2021

Celeste to Orbos: You’re a Copy Cat!

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SUAL, Pangasinan – Former congressman and mayoralty candidate of this burgeoning coastal town hit former Executive Secretary Oscar Orbos about his plan to create Project Boracay de Pangasinan Coastal Highway where its stretches from the towns of Infanta, Dasol, Burgos, Agno, Bani, and Bolinao.

The project, according to Orbos, will create more than 100,000 tourism related jobs to the people of the mentioned municipalities.

“May proposal nga kami. Gaya gaya na lang siya. Basta kung ano na ang sinasabi ni Orbos. Noong kalakasan niya hindi niya ginawa pero noong nakita niya (na) nangyayari sa  amin ngayon sasabihin niya siya na ang author, kalukuhan!" reacted to this writer by Celeste when he heard the pronouncement in the social media of former Congressman Orbos.

CANDIDATES. Former Department of Transportation Secretary Oscar Orbos (left photo) and former First District Rep. Jesus Celeste. Orbos makes a congressional comeback on the nine towns and one city’s district used to be reigned by Celeste for nine years. The latter runs for the May 9, 2021 election on the mayoralty post of Sual, Pangasinan.

Orbos is gunning for the congressional seat of the nine towns and one city’s district in the May 9, 2021 election. He is pitted with Celeste’s younger brother Art -- who liked Orbos makes a comeback to the congressional seat of the district.

After he filed his certificate of candidacy (CoC) for the national elective position, Orbos has been seen in and out of the social media aggressively promoting his projects for the district like the Sual-Bugallon-Villasis Tarlac- Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, Sual International Airport, Sual Seaport and Logistic Center, Integrated Water System, Bolinao Mainland to Santiago Island Bridge, and Western Pangasinan Medical Center in Alaminos City.

“Ang proyektong ito ay nagawan na ni Cong. Oscar Orbos ng legal at financial framework na ibinase sa mga lugar na nagpatupad na ng katulad na proyekto kaya't makasisiguro tayo na ito ay subok na,” read in Pilipino by the caption he put under the poster of each of the projects he posted at Facebook with his name.

In the December 30, 2017 issue of this newspaper, it featured the plan of First District Rep. Celeste about the billions of pesos’ national highway at the coastal areas to amplify tourism that he shepherded in the national budget after he consulted with municipal and village officials in those towns.

Pristine beaches, golden shorelines, lush vegetation, million years old Hundred Islands, clear turquoise water from falls, Renaissance-style black coral stones made church, breathtaking caves, and other gems are the draws of the nine towns and a city’s Western Pangasinan that made its tireless congressman moves heaven and earth to lobby for billions of pesos funding from the national government to maximize the potentials of the areas,” excerpt of the article written by Mortz C. Ortigoza and titled Celeste Spikes Tourism in District with Billions".

This mayorship bet of this town cited that the vaunted national artery that snake near the seashores materialized because of the collaboration and cooperation of the Departments of Public Works & Highways, Tourism, Environment & Natural Resources, and Philippine Tourism Authority.

Press report in 2017 said that public work activities for that tourism endeavors had already billowed at the coastal areas of rustic town Bolinao and Alaminos City.

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MULTI-PURPOSE TRUCK

 

MULTI-PURPOSE. Aguilar Mayor Roldan “Boyet” Sagles shows proudly to all and sundry the big mocked up key of the CAMC’s multi-purpose ten-wheeler truck the local government unit (LGU) just purchased. He said it will be used to ferry garbage and dump soil to low lying areas. During the ceremony for the vehicle, Sagles said that another firetruck is expected to arrive next month to be funded by either the Department of Interior and Local Government or the LGU.

Last month, 16 brand new L-300 Mitsubishi white utility vehicles - worth tens of millions of pesos - have been turned over by Sagles to 16 village chairmen for the use of their constituents.

Under the first term's stewardship of the Dentist-Mayor, the progressing town has seen various projects being implemented to promote the welfare of the 45,100 populated (2020 PSA) municipality. Text by Mortz C. Ortigoza



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Monday, November 8, 2021

Aguilar Mayor Shelves Festivity, Gives Foods to People

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

AGUILAR, Pangasinan - The mayor in this rustic town has foregone the celebration of the Ansakket Festival by instead giving grocery and food items to his marginalized constituents in the remote villages here.

One of the villages the chief executive and his party trekked recently was the mountainous area of Daang Katutubo Mapita in Barangay Laoag.

MEDICAL MISSION. Aguilar Mayor Roldan “Boyet” Sagles, a dental doctor (second row, sixth from left), poses for posterity with government officials and members of the Rotary Club of Downtown Dagupan on the November 7, 2021 medical mission in Daang Katutubo Sitio Mapita, Aguilar in Pangasinan.This was in coordination with the office of Governor Amado “Pogi” Espino, III and the Provincial Health Office Medical Check Up and Roll Vaccination.


“Mayor Roldan “Boyet” Sagles intention was to give the food items to those in the remotest places of the town. Aside from Sitio Mapita in Barangay Laoag, Sagles and his team continued to give their benevolence to the people of the eight villages here,”
a video narrator at Facebook said.

The office of the mayor foregoes the extravagance of the fiesta due to the danger poses by the pandemic by instead using the funds collected for it to procure the distributed food items.


“Buong pananalig at tiwala ng ating lokal na pamahalaan na tuloy-tuloy ang paghilom ng ating bayan mula sa COVID-19 para sa mas makulay at masayang pagdiriwang ng Ansakket Festival sa susunod na taon,” the narration continued about the recovery the municipality undergoes to the ravages done by the Corona Virus Disease-19 that paralyzes economic and social activities in and out of here.

In his more than two years being the mayor here, Sagles had already accomplished more what his predecessors have done to this once sleepy third class town.

He procured new dump truck, new ambulance -  additional to the first one where the funds came from the award he got from the Seal of Good Governance last year-, and new fire truck. He helped create too the new plaza and the warehouse of the National Food Authority here where the local government unit donated the lot for it, and other laudable programs and projects.

“Tunay ngang Rendering Best Care and Service ang ibinibigay ng ating Mayor sa bayan ng Aguilar. Patuloy pa rin tayong aarangkada kabaleyan!” the narrator at the social media continued.


Indeed, the rendition of being the best care chief executive will continue as the funds of the local government unit under Sagles continues to swell as seen on its annual budget next year.

The proposed town budget for year 2022, according to the mayor, will be P229, 812, 015 – an increase of almost P70, 000, 000 from the present P160, 178, 604 budget.

Sunday, November 7, 2021

Drainage to Parongking River will Solve Calasiao’s Flooding – DPWH

  By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO, Pangasinan - The recent construction of another drainage outlet that will egress to Parongking River will mitigate if not solve the perennial flooding of the poblacion area.

“Meron project diyan para tuluyan maalis ang baha diyan sa BIR hanggang sa Paronking River para siyang drainage outlet nag start ng construction this September last week,” said by 4th District Engineering Office's District Engineer Simplicio D. Gonzales of the Department of Public Works & Highway.

FLOODED image of the entrance of the gate of the regional office of the Bureau of Internal Revenue in Calasiao, Pangasinan whenever downpour hit the town. Personnel of the tax office use a makeshift bridge so its clients' feet would not get wet.

 Gonzales was asked by this newspaper why the entrance of the regional office of the Bureau of Internal Revenue easily get drowned with water whenever downpour or typhoon comes in the town.

A photo taken by this newspaper showed a makeshift bridge has been used again at the gate as bridge by the tax office’s personnel so its clients could transact their business there.

In August 2019 a bench used as makeshift bridge had been used to usher the clients of the tax office after a typhoon scourged this town.

The guard in the BIR told this writer that a pregnant lady fell down from the wooden bench when she slipped from it.

Gonzales could not say in an earlier interview the appropriation for the second drainage system going to Parongking River.

The flooding in the mentioned areas have been blamed since year 2017 to the defective concrete canal of the DPWH. Its reconstruction cost the national government P13 million.

The appropriation, Gonzales stressed, went to the creation of the drainage that stretches from the cockpit arena here to the BIR, Chowking, Jollibee, and to the Datuin Machine Shop.

The drowning of the area started when the owner of a land where a creek is located at the Judge Jose de Venecia Highway back filled it that impeded the flow of the drainage water that runs to the Banaoang River.

The problem was aggravated because of the bad engineering started by the predecessor of Gonzales as the concrete canal was not tilting to the exit in the Banaoang River. Part of the P13 million budget, he explained, was its reconstruction.

In the national 2021 budget, he proposed to construct another egress of the water from the same drainage system that will exit at the Parongking River. 

Thursday, November 4, 2021

Case Looms as San Fabian’s LGU OK P110 –M Loan

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SAN FABIAN, Pangasinan – A court case looms against the members of the legislative body of the local government unit and the mayor here from the members of the opposition party on the approval recently of the more than hundreds of millions of pesos’ loan to be used for the construction of the new public market.

Former mayorship candidate and lawyer Gerald Gubatan said he would file a criminal case’s Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against the local chief executive for violation of COA' Circular No. 2012-003 for unnecessary expenditure

What was actually filed was an anti-graft case against the local chief executive for violation of COA circular No. 2012-003 for unnecessary expenditure, Gubatan, a candidate for the membership of the provincial board, told this newspaper about the Commission on Audit's circular.

WARRING. The warring politicians of coastal first class town San Fabian in Pangasinan. Photo left clockwise: Outgoing Mayor Danny Agbayani and his mayorship candidate wife Marlyn, former mayorship bet and lawyer Gerard Gubatan – the son of the long reigning hizzoner of the town -, and outgoing provincial board member and mayorship candidate Riby Villegas.

Gubatan wife’s Rolyn runs for the vice mayorship under the ticket of outgoing Board Member and mayorship bet Riby Villegas.

 The LGU, according to Mayor Constante “Danny” Agbayani, will be paying the principal and interest of the multi-million pesos’ loan in ten years.

The P16 million amortization in the first two years would start next year.

Mayor Agbayani said the loan will be used to construct the modern public market located along the highway in Barangay Cayangan here.

 “We are preparing for San Miguel sisimulan na iyan San Miguel 3,000 na empleyado iyan. O di saan sila kakain kung walang Jollibee?”

He said it will cater to the P50 billion San Miguel Corporation’s ago-industrial and tourism industry that will provide up to the 3,000 targeted employees.

Agbayani runs for the vice mayoralty here while his wife Marlyn for the mayorship in the May 9, 2022 election.

“Sa amin naman mag file lang sila ng gusto nila. E kami naman – uh tingnan ninyo iyong ni file sa amin na dismiss na. O ano ang ipa file nila sa amin? We passed all requirements sabi ko ng nga: If you like to pass this resolution my request is to pass all the requirements in order not to face any case against Gubatan and Villegas,” the chief executive here explained.

The Ombudsman dismissed the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Acts on "undue injury to the government" and “entering, on behalf of the Government, into any contract or transaction manifestly and grossly disadvantageous to the same” filed by Alberto Fernandez, Florenda Nabua, et al against Agbayani, Vice Mayor Leopoldo Manalo, members of the Sanggunian Bayan (town legislature), et al when the respondents approved in 2016 the operation of the Villages Water Supply System, Inc (VWSSI).

Agbayani cited with the P315 million for next year town's budget swelled by the Mandanas Ruling of the Supreme Court, it can easily pay the yearly amortization of the loan.

 The high tribunal decision on the Mandanas case specifies that the just share of the local government unit (LGUs) through the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), must be computed based on all national taxes like Custom Taxes, and not just from National Internal Revenue Taxes (NIRT).

Agbayani said even the owners of CSI Group that tend chains of malls in Northern Luzon led by former Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez intended to lease a part of the market when it operates.

“Sabi ni Belen Fernandez you put up first then we will follow. Parang CSI susunod na ang CSI. Pati bangko may bangko ta wala kaming bangko,” he added.

Gubatan, in a letter to this writer, disputed the claim of Agbayani about the construciton of the public market and the intention of CSI Group to lease a space there.

 "Another point of clarification is that it is not a public market. It is a commercial town complex which completely different from a public market. Because if you transfer or construct another public market, it needs a separate ordinance for it to be legally binding. Obviously, the intent of the local legislature is not for the construction of public market. Baka hanggang ngayon e hindi pa alam ni mayor ang difference ng public market at commercial complex," the lawyer wrote.

He doubted that the CSI will rent a space in the complex since it already bought a land there.

"For one, may lupa po ang CSI sa San Fabian. Why would a business mogul rent a commercial space when it can build its own commercial mall? Marami po na bagay na kailangang malaman ng tao. Sagutin nalang po nila yung hinaing naming asunto sa Ombudsman".

 

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