Bursar laments budget snafu in Dagupan

By Mortz C. Ortigoza SAN CARLOS CITY – The stalemate between the warring executive and legislative bodies in Dagupan City on 2012 budget did not escape the prying eyes of a veteran bursar here. Arturo Mandapat, who used to be the treasurer of this city and Urbiztondo town, deplored the delay in the approval of the 2012 proposed budget of P581 million for Dagupan, which should have been approved as provided by law in the second semester of last year. “As I saw on TV the budget hearing of Dagupan, I sensed that it was only City Administrator Vladimir Mata who was prepared to argue with the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. I felt sorry for the department heads who were sometimes at a loss or were groping in the dark when they were grilled by the SP (members),” he said. Mandapat said the passage of the budget starts when heads of departments or offices submit a budget proposal for his department or office of the mayor on or before the 15th of July of each year,” Mandapat said. “Upon receipt of the statements of income and expenditures from the treasurer, the budget proposals of the head of departments and offices, and estimates of income and budgetary ceilings from the local finance committee, the mayor shall prepare the executive budget for the ensuing fiscal year in accordance with the provisions of this on the Local Government Code “Mandapat quoted Section 318 of the Code. Mandapat said that in case the SP of Dagupan fails to enact the proposed budget within 90 days from the start of the official working day in January 2012, the ordinance authorizing the appropriations of the previous 2011 fiscal year shall be reenacted and shall remain in force and effect until the ordinance authorizing the proposed appropriations is passed by the SP. He explained that the budget has three components namely, personal services, material operating expenditures, and capital outlay. He said development projects like roads and buildings are included in the capital outlay. But because there is no approved 2012 budget, development projects like these could not be implemented unless proposed and approved in 2012. “However, only the annual appropriations for salaries and wages of existing positions, statutory and contractual obligations, and essential operating expenses authorized in the annual and supplemental budgets in 2011 shall be reenacted and disbursement of funds shall be in accordance there,” Mandapat explained

Elected officials should go to the villages – Bobom

By Mortz C. Ortigoza URDANETA CITY – The mayor of this richest city in Region- 1 in fiscal appropriation said mayors and members of legislative of bodies should go to the villages so that they can feel the real pulse of their constituents. Mayor Amadeo Gregorio “Bobom” E. Perez IV said being a son of a former mayor does not mean he could be complacent in his leadership. “The bottom-line for government officials is performance and not lineage,” he quipped. He said he is hands- on in his style of governance by seeing to it he saw the problems personally either in the city proper or in the villages. Perez, who is the son of the long-time mayor here Amadito who is now an “ambassador” to Taiwan, helps steer this city with his father what she is today. He brought this city as the “richest” city and by winning the “Cleanest & Greenest City” all in Region-1. His administration earned raves and waves lately when he said that this city runs Urdaneta City University earned a yearly net windfall of P170 million revenues that all go to the city coffer. This amount buttressed the reputation of this city to be the number one city in Region -1 in terms of the approved fiscal appropriation of P641 million – an amount lower by P30 million if compared to the preceding year budget of P671 million due to the reduction of this city’s share in the internal revenue allotment for the League of Cities of the Philippines. The city of Laoag has an appropriation of P600 million in 2011 according to the Ilocos Sentinel, while the city of Dagupan has a proposed but uncertain budget of P581 million due to her “warring” executive and legislative bodies. When the young Perez won his mayoral post in 2010, he immediately asked the Sangguniang Panglungsod to implement an ordinance that many people in and outside of city thought was “unpopular” for a leader who will seek reelection in 2013. Perez said the Ordinance was the no-nonsense “Anti-Littering Law” that apprehend and fine by P500 as first offense anybody who are caught throwing rubbish like cigarette butt, candy wrapper, to name a few in public places here. Those who were fined by city enforcers without qualms were army and police officials and media men who are not from here. “Even you go to the far-flung villages in Urdaneta, you can not see any decals posted on the walls of public schools, and even private houses. Any one can be fined committing the illegal posting,” a resident who asked anonymity said. Because of this endeavor of Mayor Perez this city won the “Cleanest & Greenest Award” in the region. “Because of this effort, everybody supported the Anti-Littering Law. Everybody was proud of Urdaneta,” a resident said. Likewise, the mayor, according to the same source, won the hearts and minds of his constituents for his being low profile and down -to-earth. “He is seen reporting to office before 8 am and leaves it even beyond 5pm. After that he is seen doing ocular inspection at some nook and cranny of the public market, helping traffic enforcers in a busy city street, or doing some marketing for his family” When asked about doing for an errand for his family, Perez said he did not find it awkward to buy food for his family as he wanted to see what he buys are all fresh like fish. Meanwhile, Mayor Perez said that if his schedules permit him, he plans to join the members of the League of Cities of the Philippines for their trip in Hawaii on February 27 to attend the sisterhood agreement between Hawaii City and the 138 strong members of the LCP.

Iligal na sugal talamak pa rin sa buong bansa, ’di naman tumigil mula noong umupo si P-Noy

TALAMAK pa rin sa buong bansa ang jueteng lalo na sa Pangasinan kung saan napaka-takaw ng kamag-anak ni buwayang Lolong na si Col. Ricaforte! Hindi na siya iniintindi kahit anong kalabit natin kina DILG Sec. Robredo at PNP Chief Bartolome. May mga ilang probinsyang STL ang gamit pero 10% lang ang para sa kubransa, pero dito sa jueteng 90%! Ibig sabihin, front lang ang STL para kunwari legal! Sa Pangasinan nga nag-iisyu pa ang mga mayors ng gambling permit! Puwede ba ’yon? Kaya nga plano ko nang dalhin sa Ombudsman ang mga mayors na ito! Ginagawa na natin ngayon ang mga kaukulang dokumento para maisampa ang kaso. Dalawang testigo lang naman bawa’t bayan ang kailangan buhay na ang kaso! Ilang buwan ko rin kasing tinutukan ang isyung ito at maging ang ating suking readers ay makapag-papatunay nito. Kamakailan lang nasulat sa Philippine Daily Inquirer ang pa-anunsyo na may jueteng pa rin daw at nakahanda sila umano ang PNP na ipatupad ang kanilang polisiya sakaling may ma-involve na kanilang kapulisan! Pero bakit ganun? Tila hanggang d’yaryo lang po yata ang assurance ng DILG at PNP? Bakit hindi yata nila nababasa ang ating mga isinulat noon at magpahanggang ngayon? Alam kaya ni P-Noy ito? Tila zig-zag ang daan ng DILG at PNP? Saan ba ang tuwid na daan? Nag-papa-pogi na lang yata ang dalawang ito! ’Di kaya namamantikaan din ang nguso ng dalawang ito kaya hindi na lang iniintindi ang isyu? Bagay sa dalawang ito sa Clowns Comedy Bar sa Timog, kasi lagi silang nagpapatawa hindi naman kalbo! Niloloko tayo, ang mga taong-bayan maging si P-Noy! Kung alam ni P-Noy ang tungkol dito, siguradong napaimbestigahan na ito dahil alam naman natin na sensitibo ang ating Pangulo pagdating sa ganitong mga isyu! **** Matapos ang halos walong taon at kung anu-anong legal tactics, hindi rin nakaiwas sa hustisya ang mga operators ng tinaguriang “Mega Shabu Lab” sa Mandaue City. Ito’y matapos nagbaba ng guilty verdict ang Mandaue Regional Trial Court Branch 28 sa siyam na Chinese nationals at dalawang Pinoy na mga akusado kaugnay ng isa sa pinakamalaking shabu manufacturing operations na nadiskubre sa ating bansa. Reclusion perpetua o habangbuhay na pagkakabilanggo ang parusang iginawad ng hukuman kina convicted drug financier Calvin Tan at sa 10 miyembro ng kanyang sindikato. Abswelto naman si Hung Chin Chung, ang assistant ni Tan na nagsilbing state witness laban sa kanyang mga kasamahan. Marahil humaba nang husto ang kaso dahil kayang-kaya nila Tan bilhin ang pinakamahuhusay na legal defense. Ngunit dahil sa mabibigat na ebidensya na nakalap ng mga awtoridad laban sa kanila, sa guilty verdict pa rin nahantong ang desisyon ng korte. Hindi rin kayo nakatakas sa mahabang kamay ng batas!! Saludo tayo kay Judge Marylin Lagura-Yap, ang presiding judge sa nasabing kaso. Masasabi ko na well deserved ni Judge Yap ang kanyang appointment bilang associate judge ng Court of Appeals kamakailan. Congratulations Judge Yap! Sana magtagal pa ang inyong serbisyo bilang isang instrumento ng hustisya! **** Congratulations din kay Judge Danilo P. Camacho! Siya po ang presiding judge ng Branch 62 Regional Trial Court sa La Trinidad, Benguet na humatol ng pagkakakulong na habang-buhay kina Basilio B. Tulabis at Satur L. Tayao ng Kibungan, Benguet. Pinagbabayad din sila ng multang tig-P3 milyon bawa’t isa. Mabilis din nakamit ang hustisya rito sapagkat bago sumapit ang ikatlong taon ng kaso sa Marso 27, ang dalawang akusado ay nahatulan na. Sila po ay naaresto ng Kapangan, Benguet Municipal Police habang dala ang 57 bricks at 13 tubes ng tuyong dahon ng Marijuana na may bigat na 126.89 kilos! Hindi n’yo naitatanong, ang Kibungan at Kapangan ay katuwang sa alternative program ng Dangerous Drugs Board. Inumpisahan natin diyan ang “sericulture” project na inasahang magiging pamalit sa pagtatanim ng Marijuana ng mga magsasaka para pang-kabuhayan. Mabuhay ka Judge Camacho! Ang mga katulad niyo ang kailangan natin sa ating gobyerno! **** It’s all in the family! Arestado ng mga operatiba ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) ang isang 42 anyos na tiya at dalawa niyang pamangkin na nagbebenta umano ng shabu mula sa kanilang apartment sa Rosario, Pasig City. Mukhang sinusunod nila ang kasabihang “A family that sells together, stays together!” Kakasuhan ng paglabag sa Republic Act 9165 o Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 sina Carol Flores, Bhong Flores (25 anyos) at Bong Mikhail Flores (18 anyos). Nasabat mula sa kanilang tirahan ang 12 plastic sachets ng metamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu), mga drug paraphernalia at isang Honda motorcycle na posibleng ginagamit pang-deliver ng droga. Kung tutuusin, small players lamang sa industriya ng iligal na droga ang mga mag-tiya. Subalit sila’y isang malungkot na larawan ng unti-unting pagkaka-agnas ng pinaka-pundasyon ng ating lipunan -- ang pamilya. Maraming nagtataka kung bakit napakaraming krimen, kahalayan at iba’t ibang mga imoralidad na nagaganap sa ating bansa ngayon. Hindi na sila kailangan pang magtaka kung ibabatay natin sa pamilya Flores. It’s complicated, ika nga ng mga mahihilig mag Facebook! Sadyang komplikado ang problemang kinakaharap ng ating lipunan sa makabagong panahon. Ayon sa mga socioligists, ang pagkakabulok ng ating moral fabric ay sanhi ng pagkakawatak-watak ng maraming pamilya dahil sa kung anu-anong dahilan. Sabi naman ng mga psychologists, ito’y sanhi ng desperasyon dahil sa kahirapan ng buhay. Hindi po ako eksperto sa mga isyung iyan. Isa lamang bagay ang malinaw sa akin batay sa aking nasasaksihan araw-araw bilang pinuno ng Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB). Sa bawat hinagpis na sinasapit ng ating mga kababayan -- madalas involved ang DROGA! Ang ipinagbabawal na gamot ang uod na unti-unting lumulusaw sa pamilyang Pilipino. Ang droga ang sumpa ng Demonyo sa ating sosyedad!! Magtulungan po tayo para lipulin ang lahat ng drug syndicates na kumikilos sa ating bansa. Amyendahan natin ang R.A. 9165 para bigyan ng karagdagang ngipin ang mga awtoridad sa pagsugpo ng iligal na droga. Baguhin din natin ang mga probisyon ng Juvenile Protection Act para hindi makunsinti ang mga menor de edad na involved sa drugs. Puntiryahin natin ang mga foreign nationals na sangkot sa drug trafficking. Dagdagan natin at suportahan ang mga drug rehabilitation centers sa Pilipinas. Talagang “it’s complicated” dahil napakalawak ng problema. Ngunit obligasyon natin iyan sa ikaliligtas ng pamilyang Pilipino. (Para sa inyong impormasyon, suhestiyon, o reklamo, mag-text lamang po kayo dito sa number ko: 09159509746 o di kaya ay mag-email sa wagkukurap_101@yahoo.com.ph)

Maceda: JDV for congress, Gina for either mayor or governor

Former Senator Ernesto Maceda (3rd from left) answers question to mediamen

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Former Senator Ernesto Maceda, who was with former House Speaker Joe and Rep. Gina de Venecia recently, told the crowd who witnessed the mass wedding in San Jacinto, Pangasinan that because Speaker Joe will seek a congressional seat next year, his spouse congresswoman Gina (Maceda’s sister-in-law) can either run as governor, mayor (Dagupan City) or seek another congressional seat in another district.

Camacho focuses on infra despite lower budget

By Mortz C. Ortigoza BAYAMBANG – Despite a reduced proposed budget of P147 million, the mayor implemented high impact social projects this year to better serve his constituents. Dr. Romulo Velasquez, this first class town administrator, said the administration of Mayor Ricardo Camacho while the town was not been spared by the reduction of the Internal Revenue Allotment by the Department of Budget & Management, projects have been in the pipeline after the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) and the mayor approved and signed into law the P147 million appropriations for the year. He said the projects to be funded by the proposed appropriations are needed infrastructures like the drainage systems, delivery of basic services and support to education, agriculture, health, and other programs. Arturo Mandapat, treasurer of San Carlos City and the town of Urbiztondo, explained that the reduction of the IRA like what happened in this town hinges on the event that the national government incurs an unmanageable public sector deficit, the president of the Philippines is authorized, upon the recommendation of Secretary of Finance, Secretary of Interior and Local Government and Secretary of Budget and Management, to reduce IRA of towns. “This is subject to consultation with the presiding officers of both houses of Congress and the presidents of the Liga to make the necessary adjustments in the IRA of local government units but in no case shall the allotment be less than thirty percent (30%) of the collection of national internal revenue taxes of the third fiscal year preceding the current fiscal year,” Mandapat explained. Meanwhile, Velasquez said he was not privy on how much loan this town has contracted with lending institutions. He said it was the Local Finance Committee which can divulge the amount of the loan. He said nevertheless the SB has approved a loan before for the Camacho administration to use for a certain project.

Manay Gina bares projects in San Jacinto

Gen. Danny Lim on the Porsche’s Brouhaha and NBI’s post

With Gen. Danny Lim: From left Mortz, Lim, retired Col. Wilmher Panabang, Alaminos City Mayor Nani Braganza, and an official of Guardian.

BY MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

“Your clerk is already famous. His story was already picked up by the Agence France Press for global consumption,” I told retired army general Danilo Lim in reference to Bureau of Custom’s lowly employee who shot the car of a college student when the latter bumped and damaged his muti-million of pesos German made Porshe.
 I met Lim when I joined him and Alaminos City mayor Nani Braganza over a sumptuous lunch of lechon kawali , adobong squid, and stewed shrimps with tamarind at the Island Tropic Hotel & Restaurant that overlooks the scenic Hundred Islands. Lim, a West Pointer who was imprisoned by the now jailed former President Gloria “no longer the Excelsis” Arroyo, told me that Paulino Elevado, a P10 thousand a month worker, denied he owned the multi-million of pesos German made $118, 000 Porsche.
 Elevado explained that he was asked by the owner to sell the gas guzzling luxury fast, snazzy, and zippy German car.