Guico Bares P’sinan’s Feats

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—With his dignified demeanor, the governor of the first class mammoth province in Northern Luzon has what it takes to be one of the country’s most brilliant leaders and perhaps one of the best provincial chief executives Pangasinan has ever had.

Governor Ramon V. Guico III brilliance exuded in his recent interview on ANC’s Business Roadshow by ABS-CBN ace journalist, Mr. Stanley Palisada. In the interview, Gov. Guico predominantly discussed the provincial board’s approval of an unprecedented P7.1 billion budget for 2025.

“We focused on the other function of the local government unit. One, of course, is according to Republic Act 7160 Sections 15 to 21. The LGUs have political and bureaucratic functions as service providers and as tax-oriented political organizations, but equal to that is the corporate function, which is more empowering and is focused on community creation of wealth and creation of profits and incomes,” Gov. Guico further stated as he further said that this kind of premise is what his administration has charted to do since he assumed office in July 2022.

The governor shared that he didn’t do it alone and that the entire community was involved.

 “It takes the whole community or the whole organization to do it. You need the support of Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the local chief executives, and all of your department heads and employees of the provincial Capitol,” he said.

When asked about the challenges he met when he decided to shift the traditional way of running the provincial government into a business-oriented style, Gov. Guico emphasized that before he ran as the highest official of the province, he first assessed what to prioritize and do for Pangasinan.

During the campaign, Gov. Guico vowed to the more than 3 million Pangasinenses that his administration would bolster the province’s economy through various big-ticket projects such as the establishment of the Pangasinan Link Expressway (PLEX) and the provision of free college education for deserving youth. Likewise, he disclosed his other priority programs and projects, notably job creation, health care, social services, agriculture, and housing.

During the interview, the governor stated his desire to swiftly realize the PLEX project in due time. Thus, the provision of a standby loan and business proposal to some private corporations that are into tollways became an option for the province.

Then San Miguel Corporation (SMC) came in the nick of time, and without a single centavo investment for Pangasinan, the big-ticket project will be realized in due time.

 “There was a connection; it happened so fast, we signed a Memorandum of Agreement (pertaining to the province and the SMC) without a single centavo investment for Pangasinan,” Gov. Guico said.

As such, the groundbreaking of the P34 billion PLEX Phase 1 took place at Barangay Balligi, Laoac, on March 21, 2024, with no less than Gov. Guico and Mr. Ramon S. Ang, President and Chief Executive Officer of San Miguel Corporation. The historic gargantuan project will not only improve connectivity between the eastern and western parts of Pangasinan but will likewise enhance the road networks in Central and Northern Luzon.

Among the priority projects for the 2025 provincial budget is education.

With its class opening in August 2024, PPC offers various baccalaureate degrees to 700 initial scholars. Before this, the educational facility started offering technical-vocational courses through its Center for Lifelong Learning (CeLL) last April of the current year. “Soon we would like to expand it into three other campuses. That’s free education, but we reimbursed the cost and the tuition from the CHED Unifast,” Gov. Guico said.

On agriculture, the governor mentioned corporate farming as his administration’s signature project. “We are promoting corporate farming, so we are asking the farmers to consolidate their land holdings so they can have bigger areas of production,” he cited.

The Corporate Farming Program, which was launched in July 2023, aims to enhance food production. Said program is in line with the province’s strategic objective to uplift the socio-economic status and well-being of every Pangasinense.

“There should be a scientific approach to farming. With all those ingredients, as we have economies on scale, you get better discounts on your inputs,” he explained in the interview.

With the whopping P7.1 billion budget for Pangasinan in 2025, the governor is optimistic that more projects will be realized. “The national tax allocation is something that the national government gives you, but you have to do something with your local taxes and income,” he said.

“We passed some ordinances, we revised our revenue code, we amended quarry ordinances, and then we employed technology like apps so that we can monitor the operations of quarry in our rivers,” he stated, further revealing that the provincial government targeted a collection of P120 million for 2024 but has already exceeded its target by hitting P218,379,000.00 as of November (this year).

Based on records of the Provincial Treasurer’s Office (PTO), tax collections on quarry during the past administration (Espino administration) were from P12 million to P15 million only, a far cry from the present collections for quarry under Gov. Guico.

The governor attributed the remarkable feat in revenue collections to the “honest-to-goodness” thrust of his administration. (Ruby F. Rayat/Carlo dela CruzPIMRO)

Benchmarking Activity sa U.S ng Capitol, Produktibo!

 

NAGING produktibo ang isinagawang benchmarking activity ng delegasyon ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng Pangasinan sa Daly City at San Francisco California

.

Sa tulong ng United Pangasinanes of America Incorporated na siyang nagpadala ng imbitasyon, nagkaroon ng benchmarking activity sa Stanford Hospital, Urban Planning Council, San Francisco Police Department at sa water treatment facility ng Daly City.

Naging oprtunidad din ito para personal na makausap ng delegasyon sa pangunguna ni Provincial Administrator Melicio Patague II si Daly City, California Mayor Juslyn Manalo.

Si Mayor Manalo ay ang kauna-unahang Filipina American Mayor ng Daly City. Kilala siyang tagapagsulong ng programa kaugnay sa affordable housing, youth development, community development at kapakanan ng mga Filipino Word War 2 veterans.

Ang isinagawang benchmarking ay inaasahang magbubukas ng oportunidad para magkaroon ng international partnership sa pagitan ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng Pangasinan, Daly City at San Francisco para lalong mapabuti ang mga programa sa healthcare, disaster response and management, social services at iba pang aspeto ng pamamahala. (PIO)

EDSA Waves In Case Solons Jail Duterte

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA

WHY the Quad Committee of the House of Representatives could cite in contempt anyone and throw anybody at the august chamber’s dentention cell or to any jail in Metro Manila but could not do it with former President Rodrigo Duterte and incumbent Vice President Sara Duterte?

The Quad comprises the committees on dangerous drugs, public order and safety, public accounts, and human rights that investigate alleged corruption of the Vice President on the hundreds of millions of confidential funds the government appropriated her on her first two years in office and the 30, 000 Filipino murdered by him on his gory Drug War that could shame the 4,000 persons Colombia’s Cartel King Pablo Escobar ordered assassinated by his sicarious and friends among the communist guerrillas.

Photo of President Rodrigo and the military is a photo grabbed from the Diplomat.

Yesterday’s hearing saw Office of the Vice President Chief of Staff and lawyer Zuleika Lopez sent into the slammer up to Nov. 25 after she wrote the Commission on Audit (CoA) advising its auditors to ignore the House on the basis that the COA’s probe is not yet complete. The solons were affronted by her actuation that was ordered by Vice President Duterte, she said, thus the citing in contempt.

 Incase there was preponderances of evidence that Sara ordered her, does the Quad members have the “balls” to order the VPs arrest and throw her in the detention cell, too?

When a smarting former Justice Secretary and ex-senator Leila de Lima unloaded her pent up emotions by refuting former President Duterte when the latter told the committee that he did not know De Lima from Adam, the public saw contemptible acts from the former president.

 Susmariosep! Did Duterte brainchild the sending of Delima to the brig because of those fabricated accusations steered up by the President’s classmate at the College of Law in San Beda and his then wig-sporting Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II by hailing those witnesses mostly from the national penintentiary to incriminate the former mistress of my kabaleyan chauffeur Ronnie Dayan of Urbiztondo, Pangasinan?

All those narcotics peddling cases against the beleaguered former Justice Secretary and solon were all dismissed by the courts because the main witnesses retracted on their raps.

De Lima was jailed at the national police headquarter in Quezon City for almost seven years. Damn! That’s heartbreaking for an innocent who was deprieved that long of her freedoms as provided in the Constitution.

“Di ho ba, nilapitan niya ako kinamayan niya pa ako so hindi niya ako kilala? Alam mo iyan,” La Leila tersely told the Quad members when Duterte shook her hand on the latter State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the House of Representatives in Quezon City when the former was still a senator.

When the Quad member asked the former president if he knew De Lima because the latter knew him like the palm of her hand, the fiery Duterte who has the propensity to utter expletives told all and sundry: “Akala ko wakwak ang itsura,” El Rodrigo quipped while his daughter Lady Sara was laughing in one of the seats there. Susme! I remembered again when she guffawed when her father told the crowd in Cebu that President Bongbong Marcos was bangág that got the ire of First Lady Liza Marcos.

 Wakwak is a Cebuano and Mindanao’s Ilonggo word for vampiric bird-like creature like yaya in Philippines’ mythology. It is said to snatch humans at night as prey.

Duterte even gestured to punch with his left hand De Lima – who sat besides him -- that caused many spectotors jaw to drop

Sanamagan! That’s hilarious but a slander. Why not the feisty Joseph Stephen Paduano – a former member of the communist hit squad Alex Boncayao -- , former police General Romeo Acop – a PMYer whom I interviewed about the Horizons 1 to 3 of the military during his stint as a congressman --,  Baptist Pastor Benny Abante, and former erotic flick’s actor  and Lagunan ex- Vice Governor Dan Fernandez did not strike the former president with their fires and brimstone contempt power on his De Lima’s faux pas and his threat to slap and attempt to throw the microphone to former Senator Sonny Trillanes. The former Navy official and PMYer told the Quad that Duterte should get rid of his bluff and immediately sign the bank waiver at the august body to expose the P2.4 billion narcotics money at the BPI his family deposited.

“Anong kapalit? Sampalin ko siya,” the former prexy said while Trillanes nodded his head smiling.

“Lulo’ mo!” Duterte told Trillanes.

I quipped upon posting this Duterte’s utterance “lulo’ at Facebook when I told everyone there that I grew up in Mindanao but the word was foreign to me.

“Ngayon ko lang nadinig itong word na lulo'. Kaparehas ba ito ng word na luto'?” I wrote.

Many lady friends in Davao City and Cotabato amusedly retort to me in the Visayan fashion: “Pag sure Sir, oie?!” It means they know that I knew what the word means. But because “lulo’” word is so sensitive I would not translate it in Tagalog or English here unlike the wakwak’s word the former president hurled at his pet peeve Delima.

I digress!

Why would the domineering Quad members – who could jail anybody by the dropped of a hat – could not throw to the slammer Vice President Sara and her dad Digong?

They couldn’t do it otherwise a big possibility that it could immediately unleash millions of Duterte’s supporters – who detest the comeback of narcotics peddling in the forsaken country -- that could flood the highways in the Philippines particularly EDSA and déjà vu the vicissitude that met then President Joseph Estrada (after the military led by my friend former President Fidel Ramos – whose alma mater was that military college near the Hudson River, New York) could happen to President Marcos.

To those who are still young to know this brouhaha, Estrada was forced to step down from office upon seeing that even his military's Chief of Staff General Angie Reyes withdrew his support from him.

Although the top brass of the military and the police could be professional and would remain loyal to President Marcos, we could not say those middle and lower level officials and the rank and files who were beneficiaries of the significant salary increase during the administration of President Duterte.

As a practicing reporter and editor of a provincial newspaper in Pangasinan, I met cops who were privates, corporals and sergeants who told me on conditioned of anonymity and with boldness that incase those congressmen jailed the former president they would even sacrifice their lives – Diyos ko antatapang naman! -- to save him from the brig in case the military and police rise up against the present government.

Now, who said that cult leader dooms day pastor, Son of God, and alleged rapist Apollo Quiboloy could marshall his 8 million followers (the police said his flocks are only 8,000 in and out of the Philippines) in EDSA (when he was surrounded by the determined cops with handcuffs at his residence in Davao City) and caused the downfall of the Marcos government?

The real McCoy of a cult in this country that could endanger the Quad members and Marcos – who could find themselves in the detention cell or elsewhere that only God knows -- are the followers of the charismatic former president --ang Tunay na Poon -- whose rabid loyalists proliferate the social media and vigorously bash with gusto the present dispensation.  

Konsehal Nanalo Dahil sa Give-Away niyang Tabo, Palanggana

Ni Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA

Ito ang salayasay ng isang determinadong kandidato para konsehales ng isang first class na bayan sa Northern Luzon.

BOTANTE  bitbit ang mga timba, tabo, at palanggana na ibinigay ng isang kandidato para konsehal sa Calasiao, Pangasinan noong Mayo 2016 eleksyon. Iyong ibang kandidato ang timba na pinamimigay nila ay may lamang isang kilong karneng baboy.

Ani Eddie (hindi tunay niyang pangalan) na tatlong beses na daw siyang tumatakbo para sa pagiging mambabatas ng Sangguniang Bayan magmula noong 2013, 2016 at 2019 eleksyon pero sa kasamaang palad tatlong beses din siyang natalo at ang masakit pa doon laging nasa ika siyam siya na puesto bumabagsak sa kabilang sa higit kumulang na 30 kandidato na lumalaban para makuha ang anuman sa walong upuang ipinag-uutos ng Local Government Code.

“Okay lang sana kung No. 22 o No. 30 ang nilalandingan ko. Ang masakit lagi sa No. 9 ako bumabagsak e walo ang kelangan na manalo sa pusisyon,” napapailing na sinabi ni Eddie, 50, ang mapapait na sinapit niya sa tatlong eleksyon na dumaan.

SUELDO NG MUNICIPAL COUNCILOR

Sumusweldo kada buwan ang isang Konsehales sa first class na bayan sa Pilipinas ng P85,000 kung saan meron pa siyang P20,000 month na Representation Allowance Transportation Allowance (RATA).

“P105,000 kada buwan ang natatanggap ko,” aniya.

Pinaliwanag niya sa writer na ito ang mga pagkakamali niya noong tatlong sunod-sunod na eleksyon kung paano siya natalo sa landlocked na bayan:

“Una, talaga hindi ako preparado. Kulang sa planning, lahat! Kulang sa resources”.

DATUNG ANG NO. 1 NA KAILANGAN NG KANDIDATO

Ang resources na sinasabi niya ay pera na ginagawa ng mga kandidato para pambayad sa sahod, pamasahe, gasolina, pagkain at iba pa ng mga tao niya sa panahon ng kampanya at ang pinaka mahalaga ang salapi na kailangan para pambili ng boto.

Sa kasalukuyan ang munisipyo ay may botante na 53,000 voters (2022) at may 74, 000 populasyon (2020 census).

Gumagastos ang mga karibal niya ng P100 kada botante na galing sa waras (salitang Ilokano ng pagbili ng boto).

“Iyong iba gumagastos rin ng around mga P4 to P5 million ang ginastos nila. Kasi nagbibigay sila ng tag P100 per voter”.

70% LANG ANG KAILANGAN BILHIN NG MULTI-MILYONG SALAPI

Ang pagtatasa ng mga kasama niya kung paano mamili ng boto ay nakabase sa traditional na 70% hanggang 80% ng bilang ng mga botante -- ang tantya na nakagisnan ng mga kandidato para manalo sa eleksyon.

Ibig sabihin kung merong 53,000 na botante, kailangan mo lang bigyan ng waras ang 37,100 o 70 porsiyento dahil ang 15, 900 o 30 porsiyento ay malamang na hindi bumoto. Ang boto ng 70 porsiyento sa pamamagitan ng pagbili sa kanila ng P100 o sa kabuunang halaga ay mahigit P3.7 milyon. Bagaman ito ay hindi pa katiyakan na ang kandidato ay mananalo pero ito ay bentahe na sa mga karibal na kulang ang campaign funds.

SALAMAT SA TABO, PALANGGANA

Dahil wala siyang ganoon kalaking halaga (P4 to P5 million) para sa pusisyon na nagpapasueldo lamang ng mahigit P4 milyon sa tatlong taong termino (P105, 000 multiply sa 39 months kasama na diyan ang 13^th month pay), nanalo pa rin si Eddie noong 2022 election kung saan siya ay nasa hulihang No. 8 -- salamat sa mga palangana at mga tabo na nagkakahalaga P30 kada botante na ipinamigay niya!

“Ako siyempre kung ano lang ang nakakayan ng resources ko nagbibigay lang ako ng mga small items”.

Aniya, sa 45 araw na campaign period, nagsimula siya mamigay ng mga plastic wares na binili niya sa Divisoria sa Manila sa ika -22 araw ng kampanya hanggang sa matapos niyang mabigyan ang mga botante sa 34 barangays na bayan.

Noong nanalo siya sa pusisyon na may titulong “Honorable” Councilor sa mga panlipunang tungkulin noong May 9, 2022 eleksyon, gumastos lamang si Eddie ng P800, 000 sa kabuunan.

P105, 000 NA SAHOD NG KONSEHAL KULANG SA MGA HUMIHINGI NG TULONG

Aniya, ang natatangap ng konsehales na sahod at RATA kada buwan ay hindi sapat dahil nababawasan ito sa mga nangangailangan sa kanyang nasasakupan.

Aniya, sa araw-araw na ginawa ng Diyos ay may pumupunta sa tahanan at opisina niya para sa kanilang mga problema gaya ng pambili ng gamot, pagkain, pambayad ng kuryente, at iba.

KAILANGAN NIYA MANGUTANG SA SUSUNOD NA ELEKSYON

“Uutang pa ako dahil hindi naman ako mayaman,” sambit niya habang siya ay naghahandang tumakbo sa kanyang reeleksyon sa ika-12 ng Mayo sa 2025.

Dagdag pa niya na ang sekreto na nananalo siya sa ika-apat niyang pagtatangka noong 2022 eleksyon dahil nakilala siya sa tatlong beses niyang bigong manalo sa loob ng siyam na taon.

Nagtapos ng political science si Eddie sa kolehiyo at dalawang taon sa kursong abugasiya kaya marami siyang alam sa masalimuot na mundo ng paghubog ng batas para sa isang ordinansa.

BENTAHE NG NAKAUPONG OPISYAL VS SA BAGITONG KANDIDATO

Paliwanag niya na may bentahe ang isang konsehales na tatlong taon nang nagseserbisyo laban sa mga bagitong gustong maging konsehal.

“In the past three years na nanunungkulan ako ayon nagamit ko na --ibig sabihin tatlong taon na akong parang nangangampanya. Ibang iba iyong nakaupo ka malaking bagay meron ka ng puhunan sa exposure kaya meron ka nang 20% kalamangan kaagad”.

Mga Tao ni Bona Iniligtas ang 2 Binahahang Pamilya

 MANGALDAN, Pangasinan - Nagsagawa ng post-typhoon monitoring at rescue operation noong Lunes ang Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Office (DRRMO) at Bureau of Fire and Protection ( BFP) dito para ilikas ang dalawang binahang pamilya sa Purok 6, Barangay Landas.

Ito ay dahil sa dulot ng pagbuhos ng ulan dala ng hagupit ng Super Bagyong Pepito.

Pinangunahan nina Rodolfo Corla , Ernie Cuison ng Mangaldan DRRMO at ni FINSP Armando Ramos, Fire Marshal ng Mangaldan BFP ang pagligtas sa pamilya katuwang ang Landas Barangay Council na silang nakipag-ugnayan sa Lokal na Pamahalaan ng Mangaldan para ilikas ang pitong residente na may kasama pa umanong sanggol sa bahay.

Ayon sa mga diver ng Angalacan River Task Force , lagpas tao ang baha sa daanan patungo sa dalawang bahay na malapit lamang sa Angalacan River. Samantala, lagpas tuhod naman ang lalim ng tubig sa mismong kinaroroonan ng mga ito.

Nakahanda sanang ipagamit ni Punong Barangay Bernardo Salayog Jr. ang evacuation center ng barangay kasama na ang pamimigay ng suplay ng pagkain at tubig sa mga apektadong pamilya ngunit tumangging lumikas ang mga ito na umano ay caretaker ng lupang kinatatatayuan ng kanilang mga bahay.

Nakatutok naman ang barangay at magkakatuwang na sangay para magsagawa ng force evacuation sa mga nasabing pamilya upang matiyak ang kaligtasan.

Paalala naman ng Mangaldan DRRMO lalo na sa gantong sitwasyon na mas maiging lumikas sa mas ligtas na lugar o sa mga itinalagang evacuation center para maisaprayuridad ang kaligtasan ng bawat miyembro ng pamilya. (𝙈𝒂𝙣𝒈𝙖𝒍𝙙𝒂𝙣 𝙋𝑰𝙊)

Guico Admin., 30 P’sinan LGUs Win 2024 SGLG

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY -  The provincial government of Pangasinan and 30 of its local government units (LGUs) just won this year’s Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) – the gold standard of all awards among local LGUs in the Philippines -- by meeting all if not most of the criteria given by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) when they were evaluated early this year.

WINNERS. 2024 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) awardees: From left top photo and clockwise: Pangasinan Governor Ramon V. Guico III, Basista Mayor Jolly R. Resuello, San Fabian Mayor Marlyn Agbayani, Santa Barbara Mayor Carlito Zaplan, and Manaoag Mayor Jeremy Agerico Rosario.

In a list released today by the DILG, Pangasinan is among the winning 41 provinces out of the 82 provinces in the country.

The cities of Alaminos and San Carlos City are among the winners out of the 149 cities in the Philippines. The cities of the polarized Dagupan and the embattled Urdaneta in Pangasinan did not make this year’s highest plaudit.

The towns of Alcala, Anda, Asingan, Balungao, Bani, Basista, Bayambang, Bolinao, Bugallon, Infanta, Labrador, Lingayen, Malasiqui, Manaoag, Mangatarem, Mapandan, Pozorrubio, Rosales, San Fabian, San Manuel, San Nicolas, San Quintin, Santa Barbara, Santo Tomas, Sison, Tayug, Urbiztondo, and Villasis are among the winning 28 towns out of the 1,493 municipalities in the country.

This esteemed award honors the LGUs that exhibit excellence in governance through their performance across multiple governance areas under the SGLG’s “All-in” principle. This principle mandates that they must excel in each of the seven governance areas to qualify.

 The areas are the Financial Administration, Disaster Preparedness, Social Protection, Peace and Order, Business Friendliness and Competitiveness, Environmental Protection, and Tourism, Culture and the Arts.

All LGU awardees will receive an SGLG marker and incentive fund.

The fund given last year to the winners was P4 million for each of the provinces, P2.3 million for each of the cities, and P1.8 million for each of the municipalities. Report received by the Northern Watch Newspaper that the incentive fund for this year has been hiked by the DILG.

Governor Guico was elated after hearing that the provincial government garnered this year’s SGLG.

“I want to give my highest praise to God Almighty for this recognition—the 2024 Seal of Good Governance for the Province of Pangasinan. My gratitude also goes to my fellow Pangasinenses, including the hardworking Capitol employees under their respective chiefs of hospitals and department heads with the Provincial Administrator, Mr. Melicio Patague II, and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan under the outstanding leadership of Vice Governor Mark Ronald Lambino. We all did this together. Indeed, competence in professional work and commitment to public service enrich the defining character of our Team Pangasinan! And with your unfailing support, our journey continues, improving lives and transforming communities in the whole province. Again, thank you very much, and God bless you all."

READ:

Tumibay si Belen dahil sa “Suspension” ng 3 Kalaban

Capitol Collaborates with Standford Hospital

 

The health reform program for Pangasinan visualized by Governor Ramon “Monmon” Guico is expected to be bolstered with international collaborations.

This after Pangasinan contingents composed of various department officials and medical experts of the provincial government led by Provincial Administrator (P.A) Melicio F. Patague II conferred with officers and administrators of the Stanford Hospital during a two-day official visit that started on November 7 in California, USA.

“We are dreaming of international collaboration for the improvement of the healthcare system in the province,” PA Patague said.

The meeting, organized by the United Pangasinanes in America, is part of the province’s benchmarking activities, which included educational discussions with the Urban Planning Council of Daly City, California.

Under Gov. Guico’s stewardship, the province’s health program was improved not just in terms of hospital facilities and equipment but with the technical know-how of the province’s healthcare providers.

Recently, the provincial government launched the GUICOnsulta project with an initial fund of P300 million.

Governor Guico is committed to fulfilling his goal of enrolling the whole Pangasinan population and make the province a haven for the healthiest populace.

As an added assistance, the provincial government has started granting cash incentives to residents who will avail of the program.

“Wala ng dahilan para hindi tayo magpa-check up for the preventive health care program of the province dahil dalhin niyo lang po sila sa mga ospital natin at sa mga barangay health station o mga RHU ng mga munisipyo at siyudad, bibigyan po namin sila ng pangkain at ng kanilang pamasahe. Hindi na po dahilan na hindi kami pwedeng magpa-check up dahil wala akong pamasahe at wala kaming pangkain,” Gov. Guico said. (Ruby F. Rayat/PIMRO)

 

Duterte Dominates Intellectually the Quadcom Members

 

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Vice President Sara Duterte was seen talking with members of the Quad Committee at 9 pm as the hearing of her father involving mass killings - 30,000 Filipinos who died, susmariosep!, on the Drug War -- continued.

It started at 10:30 Am today.

When Congressman Dan Fernandez - a former actor and a governor - told President Rodrigo Duterte that he could excuse himself so he could rest, the old man looked at his watch and told the solons that they could question him up to one o'clock in the morning or till kingdom come.

Was the former prexy been joking? Nope.

A two-star police general told me that when he was a one-star general once a month they - generals- went to Malacanang and huddled with the president who discussed with them anything under the sun that started at one o'clock in the afternoon and would last at one o'clock in the wee hour.

***

Tough words from Baptist Pastor and Quadcom Cong. Benny Abante against Duterte during the Quadcom hearing last Wednesday. He warned the former president to not cuss otherwise he would cite him with the consequences. Anti-Duterte Cong. Stephen Paduano told the former president that if he would not behave he would be cited with contempt.

 Paduano later chided Duterte and warned him again that he would not hesitate to cite him in contempt.

This after the former President told Cong. Abante that he attended the Quadcom hearing because Paduano planned to cite him in contempt.

“Believed you me Mr. President I will cite Section 160 (?) of the rules of the House!” he hissed to Duterte if he would continue his actuation that irked him.

Paduano denied he threatened the president with contempt.

"Takot kasi ako sa iyo," Duterte said.

"Hindi ka dapat matakot pag sinunod mo ang rules dito," the fiery solon firmly retorted.

He said that Duterte should know the rules because he was once a member of the August Body.

"Matagal na iyon nakalimutan ko na ang rules," insisted by the fiesty ex-president who is accused to be responsible in the mass murder of 30,000 Filipinos because of his War on Drugs that shamed those 4,000 killed ordered by Colombia Narco Kingpin Pablo Escobar –world No. 7 richest man (richer than U.S General Motors, sanamagan!) in the 1980’s and early 1990’s until his death at the hands of the U.S assisted soldiers of the Search Bloc of the Latin American country – and almost at par to the 34, 000 Mexican dead ordered by Drug Lord El Chapo (Joaquin Guzman) when he reigned in the 1990’s and 2010’s in Mexico.

The irreverent Paduano is a former member of the communist assassination brigade’s Alex Boncayao. My posers while watching the investigation: “Would congressmen cite for contempt Duterte and detains him? Would it not incite Duterte loyalists in the police and the military to rise up against the government in case they saw him in a congressional jail?”  

Tumibay si Belen dahil sa “Suspension” ng 3 Kalaban

By Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA 

Naging isang bangungot ang 60-araw na preventive suspension na iginawad ng Office of the President sa tatlong mambabatas sa Dagupan City na kasama sa mayoryang-oposisyong Magic-7 na kalabang “mortal” ng nakaupong babaeng alkalde.

Ang mapait na kapalaran ng Magic 7 ay maging aral sa ibang kasapi ng mga sanggunian (lawmaking body) ng mga bayan, siyudad, at probinsiya sa buong Pilipinas na nakikipagbuno sa kapangyarihan sa nakaupong alkalde at kanyang mga kaalyansang mambabatas.

MAYOR Belen T. Fernandez browsing on an infrastructure project probably part of the P1.6 billion 2025 appropriation budget of Dagupan City (top photo and clockwise); the three councilors who were meted a preventive suspension by the Office of the President; and the five solons and Vice Mayor Brian Kua allied with the mayor who were crowing the P1.6 billion annual appropriation budget of the second class city for 2025 that they just approved after they became a majority a week ago.

Matapos mapansin ni Councilor Red Erfe-Mejia noong Oktubre 10, 2023 sesyun na may isang lalaking naka t-shirt na may bumubukol sa loob na baril sa gallery ng sangguniang panlungsod (SP) siya’y ay pumalag at sumigaw sa mga tauhan ng SP na isarado ang pintuan para walang taong makalabas.

Napagkamalan nya ang pulis na allegedly bodyguard ni Vice Mayor Brian Kua – kalaban niya sa konseho na taga minority.

“Copies of the video that reached social media showed Erfe-Mejia trying to wrestle control of the session by snatching microphones away from other officials, then delivering a tirade against others present in the session as well as demanding to lock the room to prevent anyone inside from leaving,” ayon sa isang bahagi ng utos ng preventive suspension na pinirmahan ni Office of the President’s Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs Atty. Anna Liza Logan.

Nagsimula ang “suspension” noong Oktubre 30 hanggang Disyembre 29, 2024 dahil sa kasong Abuse of Authority, Oppression at Grave Misconduct dahil sa kanilang naging asal sa naganap na sesyon.

Nakikinita kong madi-dismiss lang ng Malacanang ang kaso sa final suspension dahil “human nature” ang matakot at mataranta dahil sa sitwasyong inilarawan ko kanina.

Dinig ko pati korte kung saan inihain ng mga minority councilors ang mahinang criminal case (Alarm and Scandal? Unjust Vexation?) ay ibinasura na ang ginawa ng tatlo.

Gayunpaman, nakakasira pa rin sa mayorya ang dalawang buwang preventive suspension dahil nalagasan sila at naging mahinang minority, susmariosep!, habang  naging makapangyarihang majority naman ang mga dating binabara nilang taga oposisyon.

Hindi lang diyan nagtapos. Ang daan-daang milyong pisong pinipigilan nila sa nakalipas na mahigit dalawang taon na gastusin ni Mayor Belen ay parang isang bagong bukas na talon na bumulwak ng grasya para lalong magpaganda o magpaguapo at magpalakas sa huli sa mata ng karamihan ng mga nasasakupan niyang 174,302 populasyon (2020 census) o 138,721 botante (2022 census).

Ang SP ay may miyembro na labíng-tatló (13) kasama ang Bise Mayor Kua. Kailangan lang nila ng pito (7) para magka korum kasama na diyan si Kua at apat na boto sa mga ordinaryong batas gaya ng mga health at regulatory ordinances na hindi na kasama sa bilanggan ng numero ang bise alkalde. Pero kailangan nilang sundin ang sinasabi ng jurisprudence na Qualified Majority na pitong (7) boto sa 12 na opisyal na miyembro kung kailangan nilang ipasa ang supplemental at annual budget para sa pagbabayad sa kontraktor, mangutang sa banko at iba pa. Ito ay nakasaad sa Section 53 (a) ng Local Government Code: “A majority of all members of the sanggunian who have been elected and qualified shall constitute a quorum to transact official business. Should a question of quorum be raised during a session, the presiding officer shall immediately proceed to call the roll of the members and thereafter announce the results”

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Dahil sa 60-day suspension ng tatlo ay naging agresibo ang pangangasiwa ni Mayor Belen T. Fernandez at isang araw  lang ang nakalipas matapos mag walked out ang apat na oposisyon sa sesyun, inaprubahan ng mga kaalyado niya ang tumataginting na P550 million na supplemental budget.

Ang dambuhalang halaga na naipon ng mahigit dalawang taong “polarization” o “schism” o sigawan at murahan sa konseho na naging circus sa mata ng mga taga Pangasinan at ibang bayan, lungsod at lalawigan sa Pinas.

 Ang nasabing salapi ay gagamitin sa pagbili ng mga heavy equipment, trucks para sa Waste Management Office, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) at iba pa.

Iyang P550 million supplemental budget ay nagpamangha sa mga alkalde at mga konsehales sa Pangasinan kung saan ang mga first class towns dito ay nagba- budget lamang ng mahigit o kumulang na P300 million kada taon at ang third class town gaya ng Basista ay P180 milyon lang kada taon.

Sinabi rin ng mga bagong mayoryang konsehales sa isang press conference noong Miyerkules na dalawang beses na sila mag si-sesyun mula sa regular na sesyun kada Martes kada linggo.  Approval galore ng mga projects at programa, anak ng bakang dalaga!, ang mangyayari dito, hahaha!

Noong Nobyembre 12 sa regular sesyun nila, inaprobahan ng sanggunian -- isang lingo makalipas ang brouhaha – ang P1.6 bilyon budget sa 2025.

Hindi ako magugulat na sa buwan na ito ipa fast tract ng Belen Fernandez Administration ang intensyon ng pag-utang ng P1 billion to P2 billion sa banko para maituloy na ang nabinbin niyang pangarap na modernong munisipyo na ilagay sa lupain ng pamilya niya doon sa kalagitnaan ng mga fishpond sa Barangay Pantal sa pamamagitan ng donasyon. Nabasag ang pangarap niyang ito dahil sa mga kill joy niyang mga kaaway sa City Council.

Kaya pa bang ipawalang bisa ng Magic 7 ang pagdaloy ng halos walang katapusang pagbulwak ng tubig sa talon gaya ng paghain ng injunction sa korte?

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Himayin at suriin natin dito sa pamamagitan ng tatlong jurisprudence ng Korte Suprema kung naaayon sa batas ang pag apruba ng limang mambabatas na kaalayado ni Mayora.

Itong tatlong jurisprudence ay ang Jose Avelino v. Mariano J. Cuenco (G.R. No. L-2821, March 4, 1949), Manuel Zamora vs Governor Jose R. Caballero (G.R. No. 147767 January 14, 2004), at Municipality of Corella, Represented by Mayor Jose Nicanor D. Tocmo, Petitioner, Vs. Philkonstrak Development Corp. and Vito Rapa, Respondents (G.R. No. 218663, February 28, 2022).

 Sinabi sa Zamora na: “Lastly, for a resolution authorizing the governor to enter into a construction contract to be valid, the vote of the majority of all members of the Sanggunian, and not only of those present during the session, is required in accordance with Section 468 of the LGC (Local Government Code) in relation to Article 107 of its Implementing Rules. Even including the vote of Board Member Osorio, who was then the Acting Presiding Officer, Resolution No. 07 is still invalid. Applying Section 468 of the LGC and Article 107 of its Implementing Rules, there being fourteen members in the Sanggunian, the approval of eight members is required to authorize the governor to enter into the Contract with the Allado Company since it involves the creation of liability for payment on the part of the local government unit”.

Iligal ani ng Korte Supreme ang pag aproba ng pitong (7) na mga kaalyado ng gobernador ng Compostella Valley ang pagpapaayos ng provincial capitol sa isang kontrata sa Allado Company dahil lang kinapos ng isang boto ang kontrata. Paano iyan kung gumastos na ng milyon-milyong piso o daang milyong piso si Allado? Ihagulgol na lang niya ang kanyang madilim pa sa aspalto o alkitran na kapalaran dahil di siya babayaran ng Kapitolyo.

Ang pag aprobang supplemental at annual appropriation budget, bayad utang gaya sa mga kontrator at banko ay nasa ilalim ng Section 306 (payment of goods and services from local government funds).

Kung nasa Pilipinas lang ang miyembro na ayaw sumali sa sesyun, ang presiding officer ay maykapangyarihan na utusan ang kapulisan na hulihin ang nasabing miyembro para makasali sa pagboto. Ito ay ayon sa Section 53 (b) ng Local Government Code.

“…the presiding officer may declare a recess until such time as a quorum is constituted, or a majority of the members present may adjourn from day to day and may compel the immediate attendance of any member absent without justifiable cause by designating a member of the Sanggunian, to be assisted by a member or members of the police force assigned in the territorial jurisdiction of the local government unit concerned, to arrest the absent member and present him at the session (Section 53 (b)) LGC”.

Sa kaso ng tatlong konsehales na binabaan ng preventive suspension ng 60-araw, hindi sila makasali sa bilangan dahil “beyond the coercive power of the law” ang Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Dagupan magmula Oktubre 30 hanggang Disyembre 29  base sa Avelino vs Cuenco na himukin silang dumalo.

Nakasaad doon na: “The issue in said case was whether there was a quorum in a meeting attended by only 12 of 24 senators, one having been in the hospital while another was out of the country. This Court held that although the total membership of the Senate was 24, the presence of 12 members already constituted a quorum since the 24th member was outside the country and beyond the coercive power of the Senate”.

Naipaliwanag ko na kanina dito kung ilan ang simple majority at qualified majority na kailangan sa sesyun sa sanggunian sa Dagupan City

Noong pumunta ang tatlong konsehales ng Magic -7 sa Estado Unidos noong nakaraang taon, naisahan sila ng limang minority noong makitang apat sa kasama nila ang pumasok sa sesyun noong Oktubre 2023. Dahil doon inaprobahan ng minority na naging mayorya ang P1.3 billion budget para sa 2023 na matagal ng binibinbin ng Magic 7. Kung kinasuhan man sila sa korte, siguradong ginamit nila ang jurisprudence sa Avelino vs. Cuenco na walang coercive power si Vice Mayor Kua na pauwiin ang tatlo kaagad para maipasa ang budget.

Inuulit ko ang una kong sinabi dito sa blog ko: Dahil lang sa preventive suspension na hindi naman conviction at pwede namang ma-dismiss maya-maya, ito’y naging “costly” sa pakipagbuno ng mayorya o Magic-7 na pigilan na maging makapangyarihan ang alkalde na kalaban nilang mortal.

Kaya ang leksyon dito sa mga miyembro ng sanggunian sa buong Pinas: Mag ingat sa mga aksyon sa loob ng sesyun baka ito’y maging dahilan ng inyong preventive suspension at magka-leche leche ang political strategy ninyo kontra sa mga kalaban ninyo.

(Note: Hindi ko na isinali sa opinyon ko dito ang kawalan ng two-third votes noong baguhin ng mga kaalyado ni Mayor Belen ang internal rules ng sanggunian noong Nobyembre 4, dahil kung may paglabag man doon mababa lang ang multa or parusa kontra sa bagong mayorya. Ang paglabag doon ay hindi rin maging void ab initio ang proseso na ginawa ng mga kaalyado ni Mayora. Ang importante ay nasuri natin dito ang mga batas sa Local Government Code at mga jurisprudence)

Top 9 ang Basista sa “Most Resilient” sa Pinas

Ni Mortz C. Ortigoza

CANDON CITY – Nasungkit na naman ng Bayan ng Basista sa Pangasinan ang Top 10 sa buong Pilipinas bilang No. 9 sa pagiging mapagkumpitensya sa pamamagitan ng “resiliency” o katatagan sa pagnenegosyo.

Sa isang parangal na pinamumunuan ng Department of Trade and Industry na ginanap dito, hindi lang nabigyan ng pagiging Top 9 sa 3^rd-4^th Class Municipalities ang bayan na ito sa ilalim ng mabisang pumumuno ni Mayor Jolly R. Resuello ngunit ito ay No. 3 sa buong Rehiyon Uno sa pagiging “Resilient” sa ilalim ng 2024 Cities and Municipalities Index (CMMI) survey.

Ayon sa plaka ng pagpapahalaga na ibinigay ng DTI Region-1: “In recognition of their exemplary performances in the conduct of the 2024 Cities and Municipalities and Competitiveness Index Survey. Given this 6^th day of November 2024 at the Fiesta Hiraya Rimat ti Amianan – Rambak ti Laing ken Talugading ti Rehiyon Uno, Candon City, Ilocos Sur”.

Ito ay nilagdaan ni DTI Region -1 Director Atty. Raymond G. Panhon.

 Noong isang taon, sinabi ni Mayor Resuello sa Northern Watch Newspaper na ang bayan niya ay humakot na ng sampung national at regional awards sa “exemplary performances in governance”.

Binanggit niya ang national awards na Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) – binansagan na gold standard sa lahat ng parangal sa buong bansa – na galing sa Department of Interior & Local Government, Seal of Child Friendly Local Governance (SCFLG), 2022 Regional Anti - Drug-Abuse Council (ADAC) galing sa DILG, Performance Awards Gawad Kalasag galing sa National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), No. 8 in Region-1 for the Subaybayani 2022, Peace & Order Council (POC) na galing sa DILG, No.3 nationally on the 2022 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) ng DTI, at ng Seal of Good Financial Housekeeping (SGFH).

Lumakas ba si Belen Matapos Masuspende ang 3 Solon?

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Bakit sa Office of the President nag file ng preventive suspension ang kampo ni Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez kontra sa tatlong City Councilors sa kanilang “disruptive behavior” sa loob ng sesyun hall noong Pebrero 2024.

SUSPENDIDO: Ang tatlong mambatatas sa Dagupan City na binabaan ng Office of the President ng preventive suspension ng 60-araw. Magmula sa kaliwa: Councilors Alipio “Alf” Serafin Fernandez, Red Erfe-Mejia at Victoria Lim-Acosta. 

“Copies of the video that reached social media showed (Councilor Red) Erfe-Mejia trying to wrestle control of the session by snatching microphones away from other officials, then delivering a tirade against others present in the session as well as demanding to lock the room to prevent anyone inside from leaving,” ayon sa isang bahagi ng utos na pinirmahan ni Office of the President’s Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs Atty. Anna Liza Logan.

Inilagay ng O.P si Mejia at Councilors Alipio “Alf” Serafin Fernandez at Victoria Lim-Acosta sa 60 – araw na suspension na nagsimula noong ika-30 ng Oktubre.

Bakit hindi sa Ombudsman na pinamumunuan ni former Supreme Court Justice Samuel Martires ng administrative case?

Ayon sa mga abogadong ayaw magpasambit ng mga pangalan, ayaw nila sa Ombudsman dahil si Martires ay appointed sa Ombudsman ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.

E ano ngayong kung appointed ni Digong si Martires, ano ang kuneksyon ng tatlong Magic 7 councilors na sina Fernandez,  Lim, at Mejia dito sa pag iwas kuno ng mga nagrereklamo sa Ombudsman?

Ang sagot: Malapit si dating Mayor Brian Lim – kaalyansa at kapatid ng mga nasuspende – kay Vice President Sara Duterte. Si Lim ay Manager sa Northern Luzon ng Office of the Vice President. Tatay ni Sara si dating President Duterte.

Meanwhile, abangan ang blog ko kung ano ang epekto sa Magic 7 na naging Minority 4 na lang at ang 5 minority councilors ni Mayor Fernandez na biglang naging majority solon hanggang Enero.

Kaya na ba nila magpasa ng P1.6 billion 2025 appropriation budget na ipinasa ni Mayor Belen sa Sanggunian Panlungsod noong isang buwan? Kaya ba nila e fast tract na mag loan ng bilyon o mahigit pa sa bangko para mailipat na ung bagong munisipyo sa lupain sa Brgy. Pantal na edo- donate nila sa city government?

Possible ba na mangyari ito? Ano ang implikasyon pag mangyari ito sa labang Celia Lim vs Belen sa mayoralty sa Mayo 2025?

Abangan ang mahabang blog ko o podcast dito.

Pag-uusapan natin kung ano ang papel ng simple majority at qualified majority ayon sa batas at sa Korte Suprema sa equation sa Sanggunian kung saan magbabangaan ang lima kontra apat.

Magbabangaan ba?

E paano kung di papasok ang apat ng Magic 7 kada sesyun, kaya ba nila esabotahe ang mga legislative plan ng mga kalaban?

Abangan!

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Whither Democrat?

Newly elected U.S President Donald Trump says Republicans even dominated the Senate. With the House of Representatives under his party, too, almost all the president's political and economic programs could be feasible.

Ukraine billion dollars military aid from the U.S versus Russia surely stop.

Would Israel bomb now the nuclear facility of Iran that Trump is already elected? Trump ordered the assassination of an Iranian general when he was travelling to the airport in Iraq.

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Quad Committee congressmen like Stephen Paduano browbeats former Duterte officials and mediamen Paul Gutierrez and Benny Antiporda after they have been fingered by narcotics peddling accused detainee Jimmy Guban and retired Colonel Ed Acierda for protecting narco importers like Polong Duterte, Mans Carpio, and others.

Paduano even chided and shouted at Benny for the narration he got from Acierto that the latter never said.

Damn! Relish this live congressional hearing.

I met over bottle of beers Antiporda when he was still a president of the National Press Club when he visited the huge numbers of media practitioners in Pangasinan. Some of the practitioners are voters until now for the officers of the NPC.

What made the saga of Guban and Acierto gruesome? Three of of their colleagues were murdered during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte because they were accused to abet drugs and as a potential witness against Polong and his brother in law Mans and others.