Bataoil Shuns Loans to Spruce-Up Lingayen’s LGU

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan - Unlike other sitting mayors who frantically move heaven and earth to contract tens if not millions of pesos of loan to improve their turf, the elective chief executive in this capital town will not borrow as long as the local funds can bankroll his projects.

“I make it a point na hindi na tayo mag lo-loan hanggang kaya. Iyang thirty-two utility vehicles P32 million iyan,” Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil told this newspaper about the Mitsubishi's all-purpose cars he bought from the public coffer for the thirty-two village chiefs here.

RE-ELECTIVE Lingayen Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil (Right) in a huddle 
with his mayoralty rival former Mayor Josefina "Iday" Castaneda.

He distributed them recently to each of the barangay chairmen in this burgeoning  coastal town who converged in the public gymnasium located at the town center.

“All of the barangay officials are all recipients and it is local fund without loan and its brand new and without exception to the Kapitanes”.

Bataoil did not distinguish if the recipients of the vehicles are his loyalist or supporters of his mayoralty rival Josefina "Iday" Castaneda - a seasoned nine years former elective chief executive here.

During the administration of then Mayor Jonas Castaneda, the deceased husband of his mayoralty rival, the local government unit borrowed money in a bank to buy utility vehicles for the barangay chairmen.

“I was informed they were reconditioned or did not last. Mitsubishi ito branded reliable guaranteed vehicle, “a source on conditioned of anonymity told this writer about the brand new utility vehicles.

Bataoil, a former Police General and a Congressman, averred that even the town hall will be upgraded without his office's resorting to loan.

Many mayors in Pangasinan have attempted if not availed in the past to borrow tens, hundreds, and a billion of pesos of loan just to construct a municipal or city hall.

“The town hall has been programmed long ago for upgrading in accordance with the DILG (Department of Interior & Local Government) Memorandum Circular to make the local government unit accountable to the people through the so called one- stop – shop policy”.

He kept mum when inquired about the number of the village chiefs of the thirty- two barangays who support him as he locked horn with former Mayor Castaneda.

“Noon siyam lang. I don’t want to claim that all of them support me because that’s not the truth”.

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