Pangasinan officials want police chief changed

Police Colonel Chan

By Arian Bermas

DAGUPAN CITY --- Most elective officials of Pangasinan have called for an immediate change of leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in this northern Luzon province. The call was made in a petition signed by the vice governor, 13 provincial board members and 30 municipal mayors. Among the complaints heaped on the provincial police chief were: failure to solve major crimes, unilateral shuffling of police officers in the province and open display of political leanings. Responding to the clamor for the relief of Police Supt. Marlowe Chan, Governor Espino sent a letter to Commission on Election Chairman Sixto S. Brillantes, Jr seeking Chan's relief. In their call for Chan’s removal from heading the PNP here, the government officials said at least 23 more shooting incidents happened (based on police records when the petition was made) in the province since the election gun ban was imposed last January, but most of these shooting incidents remained unsolved by Chan and his men. The incidence of shooting has increased to 71 as of April 12, 2013. They likewise complained that Chan unilaterally relieved or replaced 28 municipal chiefs of police without consulting the town mayors and the governor, as required by law. “I believe the mayors and the governor deserve the basic courtesy of being informed of the movements in the PNP organization, they being concurrent chairs of their respective peace and order councils, charged with the command responsibility for the overall peace and order situation in their respective jurisdictions,” pointed out Espino in his letter to Brillantes. Before he retired from the PNP, Espino served as a decorated Provincial Commander of Pangasinan and later, as a bemadelled regional police director. In their call for Chan’s relief as Pangasinan PNP OIC Director, the officials said in their petition, “P/Supt. Chan does not have the decency to conceal his political biases, even as he openly flaunts his political leanings.” They further said that his rash and inappropriate behavior has demoralized the ranks and adversely affect the peace and order campaign in Pangasinan. .

Why Abono Party List will get three seats in Congress

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

ROSALES, Pangasinan  – By merging forces with well-entrenched political families, the Abono Party-list group expects to get three seats in congress in the May 13 polls. Engineer Rosendo So, Abono Party-List’s chair, said since Pangasinan and La Union produced two congressmen in the 2010 election in Representatives Robert Raymund Estrella and Francisco Ortega III, the group’s third nominee would be a shoo-in in congress after the party joined forces with the formidable political families of the Dys in Isabela province. 
So opined that with the alliance the party entered with the Dys and buttressed by its pro-farmers advocacies in the past years victory, for the three nominees looms. 
”Iyong mga efforts natin sa anti-smuggling, iyong sa hog raisers, poultry raisers malaking tulong sa livelihood nila. Maraming manga-ngampanya sa atin sa other areas,” he said.
He explained the provinces of Tarlac and Nueva Ecija will go for Abono after the party fought to stop the smuggling of rice, pork, chicken, onions that undermined the local agricultural industry. He said the onions growers in Nueva Ecija promised their support to the party after he fought against the smuggling of onions in the country.
 He said the voters nationwide know that after Abono Party List fought “tooth and nail” recently against the unabated smuggling of cheap rice from Vietnam, India, and China the gate price of palay returns to P17 from P14 a kilo. “Itong rice (smuggled) from Visayas and Mindanao hindi na dumadating sa Luzon. Nahinto natin. So malaking bagay iyang price dati ng palay na hindi bumagsak ng katorse at ma-maintain din sa P17,” he said.
He said the party also forays in the villages in Metro Manila by talking with political leaders there so they can help sway more vote for Abono. “The mayors and barangay leaders there promised to deliver votes for us. Each barangay there has 75 thousand to 80 thousand population. So iyon ang tinitingnan natin,” he said. So was in the media limelight lately when he exposed the patent P32 billion a year smuggling of farm products under the noses of Bureau of Custom’s commissioner Rozzano Rufino Biazon whom he asked to resign. So expose’ shook the BOC after Ramon S. Ang, chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Petron Corporation, unmasked that P30 billion petroleum products illegally entered the country that deprived the nation coffer with much needed revenues.

The partylist system, a form of proportional representation in which voters choose among parties rather than among candidates, was introduced by the 1987 Constitution ostensibly to create a healthy democracy by increasing representation of so-called “marginalized and under-represented” sectors.

Twenty percent of the total number of seats in the House of Representatives are reserved for party-list groups.

In April 2009, the Supreme Court introduced the Carpio formula for the computation of the winners for party-list seats in the House.

Under the formula, groups receiving 2 percent of the votes cast to party-list groups will receive seats in proportion to the votes they receive, up to a maximum of three.

In the next round of seat allocation, the percentage of votes is multiplied by the number of remaining seats, determining the additional slots to be awarded.

Finally, the parties next in rank are given one seat each until all the slots are filled.

Based on the survey results, 33 party-list groups could fill the remaining seats, getting one seat each.

Tagumpay ni Brian Lim, Tagumpay Nating Lahat

Vice Mayoralty bet Brian Lim

BY RUEL CAMBA

 DAGUPAN CITY – It’s self-explanatory title is “Tagumpay ni Brian Lim, Tagumpay Nating Lahat.” A short video presentation on the hustle-and-bustle vivacities of vice mayoralty hopeful Brian Lim is going viral on the Dagupan Dream Facebook. Barely six hours after it was posted on facebook, the touching video that lasts for only one minute and forty-six seconds has already chalked up more than 1,919 views.
 Now, it is drawing raves and waves from old and young alike Dagupenos.
 The vivid pictures and video footage of the youthful and charismatic Brian fill each frame of the screen as the exalting tune and lyrics of the song roll on.
As patriotic as it should be, the song is a soulful rendition of Brian’s passionate dreams for his city and people.
World-renowned Filipina balladeer Leah Salonga could not have sang it better…this all-time inspirational melody aptly titled “Tagumpay Nating Lahat.” The video production starts with faces of two expectant toddlers lining up for gift packs being distributed by the untiring Brian and his team of volunteer workers in some homey place.
It then segues to a succession of snapshots of kaleidoscopic and animated activities that heighten with Brian bantering, hobnobbing, and chattering with men, women, children, elder-lies and all.
Then, as the song reaches its crescendo the vividness and sincerity of Brian’s smile and gestures hold one in quite awe.
“I’m proud of your sir…God Bless,” commented Jacqueline Dela Cruz Onza. “This is Lim Legacy…Good Luck,” quips Ruben Rosario. “Mabuhay ka Sir Brian, sika so manepeg ed siyudad tayon Dagupan..saludo ak ed sika,” says Rhumel Ladreramos.
 Says Rachel Agustin, “I’m proud to say solid BB Lim po ako…good luck po sa inyo Mayor Benjie and Vice Mayor Bryan.”
 The video production concludes with the now ubiquitous poster of the BB tandem. A viral video in the making, “Mayor BSL, Ang Mayor Natin” starts with a half-body shot of Mayor Lim standing sideways before a podium exuding a purposeful mien as he speaks out his thoughts.

Villar: Tulungan ang Pinoy Voters sa Ibang Bansa

Former Congresswoman Cynthia Villar

NANAWAGAN si Nacionalista Party-Team PNoy senatorial candidate Cynthia Villar sa Philippine embassy at consulate personnel sa ibang bansa na ibigay ang lahat ng tulong na maaaring maipagkaloob sa Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) sa pagdaraos ng Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) simula sa Sabado, Abril 13.
 “Nakikiusap kami sa lahat ng opisyales at tauhan ng Philippine embassies at consulate offices na tulungan ang may 900,000 Pinoy na nasa iba’t-ibang panig ng mundo at kuwalipikadong bumoto sa ilalim ng absentee voting law,” ani Villar.
Sinabi ni Villar na matagal na nilang isinusulong ng kanyang asawang si Sen. Manny Villar ang pagkakaloob sa ating mga kababayan sa ibang bansa na makaboto sa ating national elections.
 “Batid namin na noong mga nakaraang halalan, marami sa ating mga manggagawa ss ibang bansa ang hindi nakaboto bagamat’t kuwalipikado dahil sa mga problema sa kanilang kinaroroonang lugar,” ani Villar na naging kongresista ng Las Pinas sa loob ng siyam na taon.
 Ayon kay Villar, na kilala sa bansag na “Misis Hanep Buhay,” umaasa sila na mas marami nating kababayan na nasa ibang bansa ang makaboboto upang hirangin ang magiging lider ng kanilang bansa.
 “Ang pagbibigay ng karapatan sa OFWs na makaboto sa halalan ay isang paraan ng pagkilala sa kanilang kontribusyon sa bansa,” sabi pa ni Villar. “Sila ang ating makabagong bayani at sa pamamagitan ng kanilang ipinadadalang pera, napananatili nating malakas ang ating ekonomiya,” dagdag pa niya. Kasabay nito, binigyan diin ni Villar na kailangang tiyakin ng Comelec at Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) personnel na ang magiging matapat, malinis at mapayapa ang pagdaraos ng ating halalan upang mapanatili ang integridad ng prosesong ito.
Ipinahayag din ni Villar na lubos siyang nagagalak sa paghahanda at information drive na ginagawa ng Comelec at DFA.
Pero aniya, hindi siya masosopresa sa pagsulpot ng ‘last-minute problems” sa mga polling precints sa ibang bansa. Sa ilalim ng OAV Act, inaatasan ang Filipino officials sa embassies at consulate offices na ibigay ang lahat ng tulong para himukin ang ating OFWs na bumoto. Sinabi ni Comelec Commissioner Lucenito Tagle na may 900,000 Filipinos sa ibang bansa ang nakatakdang bumoto simula Sabado.
Ayon  pa kay Tagle, chairman ng Comelec Committee on Overseas Absentee Voting (COAV), ang mga Pilipino sa Hongkong ang kauna-unahang boboto sa abroad gamit ang automated machines. Sila ay susundan ng mga kababayan natin sa Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at pagkatapos ay yaong nasa United Arab Emirates. Ang OAV ay isasagawa sa Linggo sa Bayanihan Center sa Victoria Road, Kennedy Town at sa Philippine embassy sa D3 Collector Road C Diplomatic, Riyadh.
 Ang mga Pilipino sa UAE ay boboto naman sa Philippine embassy sa Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi.
Pinili ng Comelec na isagawa ang automated polls sa mga lugar kung saan maraming botatanteng Pilipino. Ito ay ang mga sumusunod: Hong Kong , 83,118 botante; Singapore; 50,063; Abu Dahbi, 55,842; Jeddah, 30,328; Kuwait, 30,468; Riyadh, 53,396 at Abu Dhabi, 21,645.

Expect ‘unli ads’ with SC ruling

MANILA, Philippines – If there's “unli text” and “unli calls,” then this time expect “unli ads” on the airwaves. This is how some senatorial candidates viewed the Supreme Court decision stopping the Commission on Elections from implementing airtime limits on political ads on TV networks and radio stations. The Supreme Court issued on Tuesday, April 16, a status quo ante order that stopped the implementation of Comelec resolutions imposing a 120-minute limit on political ads in all TV networks and 180-minute limit in all radio stations for national candidates. Bayan Muna Rep Teddy Casiño posted on his Twitter account, “With its [order], the Supreme Court has allowed unli ads. Parang (It’s like) unli text, unli call but too costly. It puts candidates like me at a great disadvantage.” In another tweet, the independent candidate quipped, “Sana magsawa ang mga botante sa sobrang dami ng ads nila.” (I hope voters will have enough of their many ads.)

  SC stops Comelec's airtime limits 

 BAGUIO CITY, Philippines - The Supreme Court stopped the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday, April 16, from implementing its airtime limits on political ads. Voting 9-6, the SC issued a status quo ante order that stopped the implementation of Comelec Resolution No. 9615 and its amendment, Resolution No. 9631. The order comes barely a month before the May 13 elections, during the home stretch of which, senatorial candidates scramble for paid airtime to maximize their name recall. The Comelec under chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr has set the following airtime cap for political ads, being faithful to the intent of the Fair Elections Act: For all national candidates, an aggregate of 120 minutes in all TV networks and 180 minutes in all radio stations. For all local candidates, an aggregate of 60 minutes in all TV networks and 90 minutes in all radio stations. Broadcast networks GMA-7, TV5, and the Kapisanan ng Brodkaster ng Pilipinas sought a temporary restraining order on the Comelec rule in February, saying the limit is too "restrictive" and violates the people's right to information. In previous elections, the Comelec under chair Benjamin Abalos imposed a more liberal interpretation of the law - 120 minutes per TV station, and 180 minutes per radio station. The Comelec under Abalos previously computed the airtime limit on a per-station basis. This was in 2004, when President Gloria Arroyo, who appointed him, was running for president. This interpretation of the airtime limits pushed election spending to stratospheric heights. Reaping the windfall were the media outfits, particularly TV and radio. In 2010 when the presidential and local polls were conducted, the top two TV giants — ABS-CBN and GMA 7 — reported record incomes. ABS-CBN said it earned P420 million from political ads in the first quarter of that year. GMA 7 said it reaped more than P2 billion in political ads during the course of the 2010 national polls. Under Brillantes, the Comelec made an aggregate computation to "stick to the spirit" of the Fair Elections Act and set equal airtime for all candidates. The Comelec adopted the original airtime limits, as applied in the 2001 elections. (Read: Why revert to old airtime cap for candidates) The Comelec’s “new” rule caught TV and radio stations by surprise, prompting some of them to go to the High Court, thus the status quo ante order. The order gives the justices time to hear the arguments of both sides. The nine who concurred were Justices Antonio Carpio, Martin Villarama, Jose Mendoza,Lucas Bersamin, Justices Teresita Leonardo de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Marvic Leonen, Presbitero Velasco, and Jose Perez. Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Justices Arturo Brion, Bienvenido Reyes, Mariano del Castillo, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, and Roberto Abad dissented. Welcomed Sen Alan Peter Cayetano, the lone senatorial candidate who filed a petition hailed the decision as "a victory for democracy and for voters in poor rural areas with limited or no access to national television" in a statement. "Information about candidates should reach every Filipino family, not only those with access to national TV," Cayetano said. "This decision is a victory for voters, especially the poor in remote rural areas who now have the opportunity to hear more about the advocacy of various candidates." GMA-7, one of the petitioners, also welcomed the SC order. In a statement, Butch Raquel, consultant to the station's chaiman and CEO for corporate communications, said: "We maintain that the cheapest and most effective way of informing the public about the qualifications of the candidates, and issues involving them during elections, is through the medium of radio and television." He cited a newspaper column by former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban that said, “a 30-second ad placed on Channel 7’s 'Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho' could on the average reach 9,509,573 people. This calculation is derived from reports of Nielsen Philippines, the TV-radio rating firm used by most advertisers. Using the usual single ad rate of P419,265, the average cost per person would only be four centavos. Other programs are cheaper but reach fewer people.” - with reports from Purple Romero and Aries Rufo/Rappler.com

Mindanaons should not vote P-Noys' Senatorial Ticket

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

With three of its senatorial bets struggle to maintain three lead in the Magic 12 of the senate race, political party United Nationalist Alliance’s spin masters are not worth their salt.
 They should be exploiting at the helm how the Aquino administration wreck the power supply in Mindanao when the people there suffer up to eight hours daily brownout, susmariosep, that cost P100 million a month alone in the SocSarGen Area (South Cotabato, Sarangani, General Santos City).
 A town mate, businessman Rey Billena, told recently Business Mirror newspaper that he loses P500 thousand a month in his ice cream business as a result of the outage.
 Economists said that since two years ago President Benigno Aquino III has already knew the looming power problem but did not lift a finger to solve it.
 Senior economist Gerardo Sicat blames the factors behind the crisis.
 He cited that Mindanao electricity-distribution grid was not connected to the Luzon and Visayas grid; the base load of power generation for the region was not increased sufficiently; the decision to undertake approvals was snail-paced; and the privatization of government power plants through the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) was not undertaken.
 Professor Cielito Habito of Ateneo de Manila said foreign investors are still largely concerned with “inferior infrastructure, high power costs, ownership restrictions and other issues that await definitive resolution .
Mindanao has a deficit of 294- megawatt (MW) with demand at 1,157 MW against an actual supply of only 863 MW.
 The people there suffer but the propaganda folks of UNA seem to lack the resolve to exploit it so it gets Mindanoans favor at the expense of President Aquino’s senatorial tickets in the Liberal Party.
(Send Comment to totomortz@yahoo.com)

Biazon should resign or commit seppuku

Seppuko means harakiri: ritual suicide
 by self-disembowelment on a sword;
practiced by samurai in the traditional
Japanese society.

Biazon (Extreme Left) with the author (white shirt) who
moderated the former's press conference with
the media  in the 2010 Senatorial Election in Dagupan
City.

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

I could not fathom why some sectors wanted take-no-prisoners former PNP chief and exiting Senator Ping Lacson to head as oil-czar of the Bureau of Custom.
Why not appoint him instead to the BOC’s top post so we can get rid of the lousiest Custom Commissioner Ruffy Biazon who brought his office to the dogs?
 Biazon, for the sake of delicadeza, should have resigned or committed seppuko ( a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment or cutting the stomach with a samurai) after he plunged his office with a P60 billion deficit from a tax goal of P347 billion last year.
 With Ramon Ang of Petron and Rosendo So of Abono Party-List and Swine Development Council exposed to the public that the government loses P30 billion and P32 billion in petroleum and farm products ( pork, poultry, rice), respectively, Biazon should be scampering already by packing his things and leave his office in Intramuros.
Biazon, a Medical Technology graduate, have the gall to go to the TV and lashed out at his critics whom he accused to bad mouth him because they have agenda.
 ***
 I started to believe in the rumors that Malacanang needs him at the custom office so he can raise tens if not hundred of millions of pesos to fund the campaign of the Liberal Party all over the country. If illegal number games jueteng proliferate nationwide because powers that be sanctioned it for tens of millions of payola a month, it is possible that spate of smuggling at the expense of our farmers and poultry raiser ensue because of the millions of pesos protection money people upstairs receive. Anong “Tuwid na Daan (Straight Path)?”, geez man, we live in a hypocritical society.
 ***
 Has the Ombudsman dilly-dallied with its resolution in the plunder case filled by Bugallon Mayor Ric Orduna against Pangasinan Governor Amado T. Espino? Does it knows that the accusation has not been backed up by documents but sheer hearsays thus it lacks probable cause for an information for the Sandiganbayan to issue a warrant of arrest against Espino? In December 14, 2012, Orduna filled a Complaint –Affidavit (CA) against Espino at the office of the Ombudsman a string of Anti-Graft & Corrupt Practices Act where one of them is the non-bailalble plunder case in Manila. According to the adjudication period of the Ombudsman Act as prescribed by the Rules of Court the most that the investigating officer can resolve the complaint against the governor of Pangasinan would be 60 days.
***
This how the procedure works: After 10 days the investigating officer shall either dismiss it if he finds no ground to continue with the investigation, or issue a subpoena to the respondent (Espino) attaching to it a copy of Orduna’s complaint and its supporting affidavits and documents. Within 10 days from receipt of the subpoena with the complaint and supporting affidavits and documents, Espino shall submit His Counter-Affidavit and that of his witnesses and other supporting documents relied upon for his defense with copies thereof furnished by him to the complainant. Espino shall not be allowed to file a motion to dismiss in lieu of a counter-affidavit. If Espino can not be subpoenaed, or if subpoenaed, does not submit counter-affidavits within the ten (10) day period, the investigating office shall resolve the complaint based on the evidence presented by the complainant. The investigating officer has set a hearing if there are facts and issues to be clarified (they call it Clarificatory Investigation) from a party or a witness. The parties can be present at the hearing but without the right to examine or cross-examine. They have, however, would submit to the investigating officer which questions have to be asked the party or witness concerned. The hearing shall be held within ten (10) days from submission of the Counter-Affidavits and other documents or from the expiration of the period for their submission. It shall be terminated within five (5) days. Within ten (10) days after the investigation, the investigating officer shall determine whether or not there is sufficient ground to hold the respondent for trial.
***
 Complainant like Orduna who received the Counter-Affidavit files a Reply-Affidavit and respondent like Espino files a Comment on the Reply-Affidavit that takes another 20 days to resolve by the investigating officer appointed by the Ombudsman. From December 14 where Orduna rode shotgun to Manila and filed the case, the adjudication period of 60 days should have ended in February 14, 2013 with a resolution. But look mama, it is already more than 120 days but there is no such thing as a Resolution that dismisses or upholds the complaint against Espino. What’s cooking, Ombudsman? (You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com).