Dad nixes Exec Logic “Only 4-Storey Bldg in Growth Area”

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – A councilor disagreed to the declaration of an executive of the local government here that only four-storey building is allowed in the new growth center.

Councilor Netu Tamayo said that the four-storey edifices are only allowed in the western side of the Lucao-Pantal Road.

A photo grabbed of a modern city. Photo Credit: 2Modern

“It’s only in the western side for the four-storey. Aside from it and far from the western side skyscrapers are allowed,” Tamayo, one of the few outspoken lawmakers at the Sangguniang Panglungsod, cited.

Earlier, Director Nicanor Melecio of the Public Alert and Response and Monitoring Center disputed the photo of PNAN News, one of the biggest online sites in Pangasinan, about the photo- grab that complement the news article’s “Dagupan Mayor Crows World-Class Features of New City”.

Q&A: BIR Director on Shooting, Tax Target, and Economy in the Region

Northern Watch Political Columnist Mortz C. Ortigoza sat recently with the new regional director of the Bureau of Internal Revenue in the four provinces’ Region-1 at her swanky office in Calasiao, Pangasinan. He posed various queries to Director Teresita M. Dizon, who assumed her post February this year, on issues like the shooting of the service vehicle of the chief of a tax district, her tax target of P14.3 billion for this year, the economy of Region 1, the Growth Center in Dagupan City, and the kind of taxes BIR would be collecting after the Center was put under the auspices of the Philippines Economic Zone Authority (PEZA). Excerpts:

DIRECTOR DIZON. Region-1 BIR Director Teresita M. Dizon (2^nd from Left) poses with Revenue District Office (RDO)-6 Chief CPA-Lawyer Maria Isabel Utit (3^rd from Left) and Assistant RDO-6 Chief Charmaine C.dela Torre (4^th from Left) for the District Office’s “rampaging” in surpassing its monthly collection target since January this year.

MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA: What is the update on the shooting of the service car of Revenue District Office Chief-5 Thelma D. Mangio (of the BIR Western Pangasinan)?

DIRECTOR TERESITA M. DIZON: Tinatakot lang si RDO Thelma. Actually we went to Congressman Boying Celeste, we also went to (Pangasinan) Governor Amado Espino III and also to Alaminos City Mayor Arthur Celeste to help us in determining who was behind the incident.

Sabi ng source ko naniningil daw siya ng rates sa taxpayers ng New Zonal Valuation kahit di pa implemented.

No, hindi totoo. May mga various activities she did sabay sabay mga malalaking (commercial) establishments sa Alaminos City and Bolinao.

Nang ha-hashiao sila ng income tax nila kaya may surveillances ang BIR?

Based on our data hindi sila ganoon ka compliant.
How much is the goal of your four provinces’ regional office for this year?
P14.3 billion for the whole year. P11.9 billion last year. More than 20 percent ang tinaas (from January) hangang August.

I saw BIR Eastern Pangasinan in Urdaneta City kept receiving awards every month for exceeding her collection.

Kami rin (in the region). Hopefully because of the plans and programs namin dito especially mga surveillance activities namin. Also filing of RATE (Run After Tax Evader) cases.  Sa Dagupan City nag file kami ng tatlong kaso for failure to issue receipts. Some of them were restaurants.

Kung naku-collect niyo your goal, it means the economy in the region is bullish?

Oo naman it’s growing even doon sa regional GDP (Gross Domestic Product) natin growing naman talaga ang Pangasinan. But siguro we have to classify the (inaudible) taxpayers to pay their taxes based on their incomes.

  Iyong Dagupan City ka a-aproved lang ng PEZA (Philippines Economics Zone Authority) her growth area in the Lucao-Pantal Road to host IT-BPO (Information Technology – Business Process Outsourcing) and other commercial establishments. Diyan sa IT-BPO maliit lang ang tax na binabayaran?

Witholding Tax lang iyan pag PEZA kasi 5% lang siya ng gross.

So ano ang ibang benefit ni BIR diyan, maam?

Sa withholding tax sa suweldo.

Dagupan Mayor is expecting 5000 jobs for the next three years.

Ya, kasi for the employment for taxation kasi, taxable 5% ang gross income, 3% kami, 2% sa local. Hati pa kami at the same time sa withholding tax and compensation.

Diyan sa Income Tax ang direct jobs 5000 workers and the indirect jobs naman generate say mga limang libo malaki na ang benefit ng BIR?

Possibly, depende na rin sa exception ng tao magkano ang allowance niya sa (tax) brackets. The higher the salary the higher the tax rate pag medyo mababa ka hindi masyado.

Before I closed the interview, what are other major accomplishments

your office had done?

So far Pangasinan is doing good. Actually tatlo (Revenue District Offices) ang naka goal, tatlo ang hindi.

B*llshit, Basketball Shorts of Kian could not hold a 2 kg Handgun

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Policemen were already summarily executing habitual delinquents and other notorious criminals even during the time of President Benigno Aquino III. One of the police officials told me that when he was a major his superior a Superintendent (Lieutenant Colonel in the military) asked some of his men – where the major was not part – to target a narcotics peddler.

 A Catholic student, Kian delos Santos, 17, one of the youngest
victims of President Duterte's war-on-drugs. Text and Photo by
thesummitexpress.com

 “They found him going to the basketball court when they pumped bullets that killed him,” my source said.

But he was not impressed with the operation; the situation of the corpse was the same as that murdered sensational teenager Kian delos Santos.

The police “planted” a hand gun beside the cadaver that was clad with a basketball shorts.

Basketball shorts, for everybody’s knowledge, is made of polyester with garter that holds it to the waist line.

"How can, salamabit, the short carry a tucked .38 revolver that weight from 1.59 kilogram to 2.26 kg with bullets without the handgun falling to the ground for everybody to see?” he told me with with incredulity.

HesusMariaHusep, after I saw the police in Caloocan City declared to the media of Kian wearing a shorts (some called it as boxer shorts)

I shook my head with disbelief.

“How can a .45 caliber weapon carried by a garter tightened shorts without the 2 kilogram handgun not falling?” I posed to myself.

Kian was murdered when he was knelling apt for that term “Death Knell” or he was just herded in a corner and treacherously killed when he was looking to the ground.

Experts said the bullet trajectories were pumped by the .45 hand gun, created for its lethality because of the Moro Insurrection in the U.S –Filipino War, of a cop who was standing behind him while the third bullet that pierced his left ear was the coup’ d’grace (means a final blow or shot given to kill a wounded person for the understanding of those who are trike drivers, plumbers, others who read this column).

I didn’t have issue with recidivists and notorious criminals like drug pushers being waylaid to death by cops in some dark alleys as they were effective deterrence to criminality, but for Christsakes, they should practice prudence in snapping on their prey.

Colorum PUV Owners Beware: Dagupan Gov't After Your Scalp

The Public Order and Safety Office personnel has netted nearly 70 units of colorum and without decal tricycles in its bid to rid the entire city of these illegal vehicles that impede traffic along the main thoroughfare of the city.

POSO Chief Carlito Ocampo created an operational plan dubbed as ‘Oplan Zero Colorum’ to apprehend all tricycles operating within the city without franchise / decal stickers.
“During our ‘Oplan Zero Colorum’ our personnel has netted nearly 70 units of tricycle and subsequently impounded at the City Plaza” Ocampo added.
Ocampo said the POSO intends to continue its anti-colorum and out-of-line operations without let up anduntil such time that not a single illegal vehicle is plying along City main thoroughfare.
“We are determined not only to minimize, but to put a stop to the traffic problems caused by these colorum vehicles, which if left unattended will further cause more headaches to the general public and the authorities,” Ocampo said.

Colorum operation carries a fine of P1, 000 for 1st offense, P3, 000 for 2nd offense and 5000 for 3rd offense with a P400/day impounding fee.
Ocampo also encourage all stake-holders and commuting public to patronize tricycles with franchise decal stickers and to report traffic violators to POSO hotline (075 5291632) or via our POSO Dagupan FB page. (DCH)

Neglected, abandoned real properties considered nuisance, hazardous

DAGUPAN CITY – The city is now considering to declare neglected and abandoned real properties as nuisance and hazardous with attached penalties to the owners.

An ordinance is now being drafted at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on this matter, side by side with the creation of the Dagupan City Properties, Protection and Security Board (DCPPSB) with Mayor Belen T. Fernandez as chairman and the City Administrator as vice-chairman.

Proposed to be members of the DCPPSB are the heads of the Bureau of Fire Protection, Dagupan City Police Station, Public Order and Safety Office, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, One-Stop Business Center, Philippine Medical Society and the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers.

The DCPPSB will issue notice to possessors and owners identified as being potentially hazardous real properties by the City Engineering Office in consultation with the City Health Office and City Assessor’s Office that their neglected or abandoned real properties have been identified as such; and shall be responsible for deciding the appeal filed by the owner or possessor who disagrees with the findings within ten days from receipt of the notice.

Bayambang to Hold Work Values, Ethics Forum on Thursday

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BAYAMBANG – Business tycoon and this town Mayor Cezar Quiambao is not only known  as the one who bankrolled the P5,294, 240.00 8,150 barbecue grills for the 8.16 kilometers of this town’s bid in the Guinness World Record.

He is also hailed as a philanthropist who spent tens of millions of pesos for various socio-economic projects here.

VISIONARY LEADER: Bayambayang Mayor
 Cezar Quiambao and First Lady Nina Jose-Quiambao

FPJ's 78th BIRTHDAY REMEMBERED

Sen. Grace Poe and mother Susan Roces led the gathering of family members, friends and long-time supporters on Sunday, Aug. 20, to commemorate the 78th birthday of the late "King of Philippine Movies" Fernando Poe, Jr.

The Poe family expressed appreciation and gratitude especially to "die-hard" supporters who came from many places around the country for the unwavering support from the time FPJ was still the iconic movie star looked up to by many up to the present.

 Sen. Grace Poe offers prayers at the tomb of the late Filipino action king Fernando Poe, Jr. in Manila North Cemetery on Sunday in commemoration
 of his 78th birth anniversary.

"Sa mga sitwasyon, ang importante ay hindi tayo mawalan ng direksyon kung ano ba talaga ang tama at nararapat at ipagdasal natin na we remain courageous and compassionate. Yun ang dalawang bagay—na hindi tayo maging duwag at hindi tayo mawalan ng awa at pagmamahal dahil pag meron tayo nun kahit na napakahirap ng hamon ay tatayo at tatayo tayo at ipaglalaban natin ang nararapat at tutulong tayo lalung lalo na sa mga mahihirap at walang boses," Poe said at the Manila North Cemetery.

Poe's husband Neil and son Brian also attended the gathering.