Cojuangco pushes TPLEX’s redirection

PRESENT TPLEX DESIGN ‘DEFECTIVE

ROSALES– Claiming the present design of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway is “defective,”as it would traverse thickly populated areas and agricultural lands of Pozorrubio and Sison towns, former Fifth District Rep. Mark Cojuangco said he will push for highway’s redirection.

TPLEX. The Paniqui to Rosales section of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway(TPLEX), the portion of which in Pozorrubio and Sison needs to be rerouted, according to former fifth district Rep. Mark Cojuangco.CESAR RAMIREZ

“The plan is defective because the concerns of the local communities were not considered by the Department of Public Works and Highways, aside from other concerns such as traffic,” Cojuangco said.

He said he made the proposal six years ago when he was still a congressman, and wondered why Benguet  Representative Ronald Cosalan, who endorsed it, is now opposing it.  Baguio City Rep. Nicasio Aliping Jr., who opposed it, too, may not have read his proposal, he said.

Cojuango said there is a need to modify the TPLEX plan for it to pass through the boundary of Sison and San Fabian and would run towards Rosario, thereby avoiding the thickly populated areas and agricultural lands.

“Hati na nga ang Sison ng bundok at ilog at MacArthur Highway, ngayon hahatiin pa ng TPLEX,” he rued.

EDITORIAL: Pope Francis: Tie the corrupt to a rock

 

The 2015 Papal Visit to this country was so hyped up by the mainstream media that Pope Francis and his face can been seen everywhere.

 

Before January 2015, not everybody knew of Pope Francis. Now, many know of his beginnings in Argentina via mainstream media.

 

His visit is an apostolic mission. Its purpose is make people apostles.

 

The Pope is a messenger and the message is more important.

 

But mainstream media is focused on the messenger and not the message.

 

He is so popular now, that some call him a rock star. That is the power of media.

 

If media can popularize the name and the face of Pope Francis, shouldn’t the mainstream media once again put all their forces in popularizing his teachings?

 

In Malacañang, Pope Francis challenged the Filipinos to reject corruption.

 

Pope Francis once said that Christians who donated money to the church but stole from the state were leading a “double life” and were sinners who should be punished.

 

Flood control, road widening projects, end this year

DAGUPAN CITY – Several flood mitigating infrastructure projects including road elevation and widening are due for completion this year in the city.

Mayor Belen T. Fernandez together with District Engineer Rodolfo Dion of the 2^nd Pangasinan Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and City Engineer Virginia V. Rosario made an ocular inspection on January 9 along the river banks in Lasip Chico, Lasip Grande, Pogo Grande and Malued to see the progress of the on-going 1.2 kilometer long river bank protection dike.

Dion said the construction is now 99 percent complete.

“Very soon we will also start with the construction of another 1.5 kilometer over the area and similar infrastructure along the areas of Pantal and Sabangan of Bonuan Gueset of about 800 meters long each,” Dion said.

The project is the initiative of 4^th District Congresswoman Many Gina De Venecia in coordination with Mayor  Fernandez and this will be undertaken by the DPWH.

Also included is the road widening and elevation of the Caranglaan road and widening of the De Venecia highway all the way to the town of Calasiao.

Dion disclosed that P10 million pesos has been allocated  for the project which will be due this 2015. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO)

CORTEZ: TPLEx para sa lahat

Bago ang lahat narito po ang title ng isang article ng Rappler noong bumista ang Pope sa Malacanan, Pope to PH officials: Reject corruption.

At narito naman ang simula nung article…Pope Francis tells an audience of about 450 Palace guests, including the highest leaders of the land, to maintain their integrity and turn away from the evils of corruption.

Napanood niyo ba sa wide screen kung sino iyong mataas official na naka-focus nung sinabi ni Pope Francis na huwag maging corrupt? Mataas nga ba siya?

FRIENDS FOR TPLEx. Ang TPLEx ay dapat para sa lahat. Ang Tarlac ay hindi lang para sa taga-Tarlac.  Ang Pangasinan ay hindi lang para sa taga-Pangasinan. Ang La Union ay hindi lang para sa taga-La Union.

Hindi ito dapat pinag-aawayan ng mga congressman. Hindi dapat pag-awayan ang TPLEx. Dapat friends sila for TPLEx.

Share ko po sa inyo ang part ng State of the Nation Address ni Presidente Aquino noong July 28, 2014, “Batid rin natin: Para magpatuloy ang pag-angat ng ekonomiya at pagbukas ng pagkakataon, kailangan ng imprastruktura. Ito ang aakit sa mga negosyante, magpapabilis sa daloy ng produkto at serbisyo, at sisigurong kaya nating makipagsabayan sa iba pang merkado sa daigdig.”

“Tingnan naman natin ang TPLEX. Dahil sa kalsadang ito, maginhawa na ang biyaheng Tarlac hanggang Rosales sa Pangasinan. Ayon sa kanila, ang bahagi hanggang Urdaneta, makukumpleto na bago matapos ang 2014. Sa susunod na taon, aabot na raw ang daang ito hanggang sa La Union.”

Naging isyu ang TPLEx dahil kumontra ang congressman ng Baguio at ng Benguet na padaanin ito sa San Fabian, Pangasinan bago tumuloy sa kanila.

Eto po ang sabi ni Baguio Rep. Aliping, “The Department of Public Works and Highways has also to take into consideration the request of former congressman Mark Cojuangco. In dealing with that there has to be a reason or basis for the granting or disapproval.”

ORTIGOZA: Why Drug Pushers Leave

 

I’ll not be surprised if a son of a prominent family in Pangasinan would be found dead with a bullet hole on his head or stab wounds in different parts of his body.

A police official, my source told me, was after the scalp of this big time illegal drug pusher whose illegal trade extended to the neighboring town.

In my socialization with several police brass who resort to extra judicial killings (“salvage” in the vernacular) of habitual delinquents,  they said if possible they avoid gunning down the victim.

Instead they want the malefactor stabbed so the killing would not be part of the number of victims slain in a shooting incident. Shooting has a discriminatory effect to a COP’s tour of duty.

As the media feasted on the dead body or bodies sprawled on the ground, the usual police explanation: “Sila po ay namatay dahil sila po ay nag ka onsehan sa bentahan ng illegal na druga!”.

***

The recent bill filed in Congress by Representative Mercedes Alvarez of Negros Occidental on the equality of the criminal liabilities of a husband and a wife on sexual infidelity was laudable.

The lady solon however has a shallow understanding why a woman who committed adultery has to be penalized by more years in prison than an errant husband who committed concubinage.

She said under Article 333 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), adultery may only be committed by a married woman and by the man who shall have sexual intercourse with her.

She cited under Article 334 of the same Code, concubinage may be committed by a husband only under certain conditions, which are difficult to prove.

***

Let’s dissect why Congresswoman Alvarez did not see the logic why a sexually deviant wife should spend more years in jail than her husband.

Adultery is punished by prision correctional in its medium and maximum periods (4 years 2 months and 1 day to 6 years) according to Section 333 in the Code while Concubinage is penalized by prision correctional in its minimum and medium periods (2 years, 4 months and one day to 4 years and one day) in Section 334 of the RPC.

The logic why the discrepancy between the jail terms of a woman to a man had been unequivocally explained by the late Senator Arturo Tolentino – a constitutionalist and author of law books.

Tolentino said a married woman who committed sexual deviance could bring serious repercussion to the household as his child from her paramour would be growing up and be seen every day by the poor cuckold husband. Worse, the child would be using the surname of the cheated husband.

Lingayen Baywalk to extend towards Binmaley

LINGAYEN – The Lingayen Baywalk project that has become a popular promenade in the Lingayen Beach will soon be extended towards the coastline of San Isidro Norte in Binmaley town to attract more tourists in the province.

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) passed a resolution expressing full support to the extension of the Lingayen Baywalk project and endorsing the same to the Department of Tourism for additional funding.

SP Member Nestor Reyes, author of the resolution, said the project, initially funded and accomplished through Second District Rep.Leopoldo Bataoil, was highly appreciated by people since its completion.

“It is the clamor of the people to extend the baywalk to Binmaley town,” said Reyes stressing that fund for the extension of the project is already available.

The baywalk, which was envisioned as an additional tourist attraction to the historic and tourist-oriented Lingayen Beach, will funded with P114 million for its expansion. (PIA-1, Pangasinan)

 

 

Comelec prepares for special SK polls set on Feb. 21

DAGUPAN CITY -The Commission on Election (Comelec started its preparation for the Special Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Elections on February 21.

Lawyer Michael Francis Sarmiento, election officer of the Comelec in San Carlos City, said the 45-day election period for the SK polls will start on January 22 and will end on March 2.

“The continuing registration of voters and validation of voters’ record for the May 9, 2016 synchronized national and local elections will be temporarily suspended on February to give way for the youth polls,” said Sarmiento during the “Pantongtongan Tayo” radio program of PIA-Pangasinan aired over DZMQ Radyo ng Bayan on Tuesday.

He said effective January 22 to February 21, issuance of appointments and promotions; creation of new positions or giving of salary increases in government offices will be prohibited.

Calasiao publishes Top 10 taxpayers

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO – Other municipalities in Pangasinan can take a lesson from this first class town on how to  raise revenues and maintain economic progress:  Publishe the top 10 paying tax payers and companies.

Mayor Mark Roy Macanlalay said aside from lauding those who faithfully pay taxes, the people would know which companies  pay correct taxes as they are included in the top 10 taxpayers.

“Makita rin ng taong bayan kung sino ang mga malalaking company,” he said.

This robust town is host to the Top 500 Corporations in the Philippines like Robinsons, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Susuki Laus Group of Companies, KIA, Haima, Amianan Motors, Jollibee, SEA Oil, Caltex, Petron, and other small player gas stations.

“Sunod sunod na ang mga nagpapatayo ng structures diyan.  Nagkaroon ng mga karagdagang restaurants sa tabi ng Dagupena (restaurant)”.

He said Barangay San Miguel that hosts all of these businesses is the display windows of this town to people who pass the MacArthur Highway going to and from Manila. He said people who have not been to this area for three years would have a jolt of their life because of the edifices that sprouted like mushrooms.

This town has a budget of more than P180 million this year.

Macanlalay said he discusses with his department heads the mechanics how the evaluation to award the biggest top 10 taxpayers would be done.

“It is high time talagang bigyan natin ng pansin iyang kapatiran natin sa progreso. Hindi naman natin sila pahihirapan pero siyempre ang gusto lang namin iyong tama lang,” he said.

He said the taxes this town’s chalked up are being used for the health and education of the people and his administration’s campaign to mitigate the growing traffic problem.

One of the approaches he implemented to solve  the traffic snarl is the cre

Mangaldan Mayor and Kap still trade charges

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANGALDAN – The filing and counter filing of criminal cases between the mayor of this first class town and a village chief here remain unabated.

BEHIND BARS. Mangaldan Poblacion Barangay Chairman Jojo Quinto, a dentist, tearfully tells media men last December 3 how he and Councilwoman Tonette Morillo were arbitrary arrested by the police and thrown to jail after they violated the 60-day preventive suspension imposed on them by Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno. (Contributed photo)

Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno has filed lately another usurpation of official function case against

Poblacion Barangay Chairman Joselito G. Quinto who sued her and the town chief of police.

Mayor Parayno argued on her complaint-affidavit filed at the provincial prosecution office in Dagupan City that Quinto usurped the function of a village chief despite being meted by the mayor of 60- day preventive suspension.

Calasiao puto a hit among vacationers last December

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO – A vendor of the renowned puto  (steamed rice cake) Calasiao said the daily sales of all stall owners spiked exponentially in December 24 last year to January 4 this year.

“We were  earning P10, 000 to P15, 000 gross sale a day,” Lud Lamiste, a saleslady of Honoring Stall, said.

But during  ordinary days,  sale of the famed sweet, moist and chewy bite-sized rice cake is sluggish.

“We could sell only more than a thousand of pesos a day,” she said.

Mayor Mark Roy Macanlalay said many patrons of the rice cake who were vacationers that came from the North particularly Baguio City made a side trip here.

“Many of them before going home to Manila passed in our town after they brought the famous Bonuan Bangus in nearby Dagupan City,” he said.

He brushed off observations that with the opening of Tarlac-Pangasinan Express Way (TPLEX) motorists bound to the North would shun some routes like in Camiling, Tarlac.

The four lanes Private Infra Development Corporation’s owned TPLEX in Urdaneta City was opened to the public for free from December 20 last year to January 20 this year.

While the TPLEX bodes well to puto vendors here, some restaurant owners in Barangay Carmen, Rosales mull to close shop.

A restaurant habitué named Herma told Northern Watch that the opening of TPLEX made business there lethargic.

“Some of the restaurants there used to have a gross income of P20,000 a day,” she said.

But with the opening of the express way daily revenue becomes nil, motorists no longer pass  along the highway in Rosales.

“From Panique (Tarlac province) going to Pangasinan there are no respectable eateries motorists could drop by, thus the restaurants in Carmen become a draw. But with TPLEX reaching Urdaneta City travellers no longer pass the town,” she said.