Archive for May, 2016
GREENFIELDS
A farmer harvests tobacco leaves in a farm in barangay Amamperez in Villasis, Pangasinan. WILLIE LOMIBAO
ORTIGOZA: Stingy reelectionist senator lost bid
When I, some media men, 29 village chiefs, and Sta. Barbara Mayor Carlito Zaplan waited last December for the arrival of reelectionist senator at the new swanky municipal hall of the first class Pangasinan town, I told the mayor that this solon was a tightwad.
I cited that the driver of the SUV loaned to him in Pangasinan complained that after several days he drove the senator, who was out in the Magic 12 for the senate at polls, for a husting in the various towns, the latter pressed tightly his hand and thank him for his service.
“Hinde man lang nag iwan ng pang beer!,” the driver told me.
When Mayor Zaplan heard this story he told me that the solon would not get the support of the village chiefs if he became cheapskate after the consultations.
After every barangay chairmen redressed their grievances and submitted their infrastructure projects request to the solon, he told them: O, salamat sa pagdating ninyo at panahon na para umuwi at uminom ng Emperador (a poor man’s liquor that is pegged at P75 per long neck bottle)”.
Before the dust settled from the convoys of the senator, some village chiefs asked their colleagues if the solon left some sum for the “Emperador”.
“Wala naman!,” one answered in disbelief.
“Pag ganoon, i-zero sa election. Kuripot pala,” a barangay kapitan shouted in a group.
At the May 12 tabulation of the Commission on Election the reelectionist senator was out in the Magic 12 where political clowns but generous candidates’ boxer Manny Pacquiao and comedian Tito Sotto dominated.
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Grace still lose even Roxas, Binay withdraw.
Two days before the acrimonious and divisive May 9, 2016 presidential election, President Benigno Aquino III analyzed as quoted by the Philippine Inquirer last May 7: “It behooves everybody to try and get together and ensure that instead of thinking about what shall we do if everything he says is exactly what he intends to do, why don’t we remove that problem or that threat or that insecurity by uniting the 70 and defeating the 30?”
Roxas echoed the president’s exhortation by calling Poe to discuss a possible alliance in order to avoid a victory from current frontrunner Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
Analyst Popoy De Vera opined at DZMM as quoted by Tempo newspaper:
Mayors face new ‘unfriendly’ dads
By Mortz C. Ortigoza
DAGUPAN CITY – The mayor of this city and of the neighboring town Mangaldan seem not to get rid of their political foes at the legislative body, most of whom won in the recent election.
Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez
In Mangaldan, reelectionist mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno won the May 9 polls while four councilors in the ticket of her defeated mayoralty rival Manny Casupang won, too.
With five councilors on her side, Parayno would be locking horns in the next three years against these four lawmakers.
Batas Pambansa Bilang 51 says that all municipalities in the Philippines, with the exception of Pateros in Metro Manila, have eight regular members or councilors elected at-large.
The city has regular 10 or more regular lawmakers.
But the inclusion of the ex oficio and president of the League of Barangay will comprise the town and city councils to nine and 11 members
Antagonistic Veem, Dads
In this city, Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, who ran unopposed, has to deal with four elected lawmakers whose antagonism to her administration reverberated during the campaign period.
Late last year, some of these councilors delayed the approval of the P760 million 2016 city budgets by procrastinating for several months that scared the wit out of the concerned citizens here because of the tens of millions of lost projects, thousands of employees and scholars who would lose their jobs and benefits.
In Mangaldan, Mayor Parayno have been shuttling back and forth since last year from her town to the Capitol in Lingayen, Pangasinan to lobby for the approval of her P40 million bank loan that her town will use for the construction of the Phase 2 of the public market.
The approval of the review by the provincial board hit a snag after Vice Mayor Casupang questioned the ordinance for the absence of the two third votes from the majority votes by the town councilors.
According to experts, loans and appropriation ordinances need two-third votes while regular ordinances need majority votes only.
But this city’s councilor Jigs Seen said there was a Supreme Court decision that even an appropriation ordinance needs only a majority vote.
Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno
A Supreme Court decision in Zamora v. Governor Caballero said there were 14 members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Compostela Valley, the Court clearly included the vice governor, as presiding officer, as part of the entire membership of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan which must be taken into account in computing the quorum.
Cayetano to accept cabinet post
By Mortz C. Ortigoza
DAGUPAN CITY – The vice presidential tandem of president-elect Rodrigo Duterte said he would accept any government position that would be offered to him under the Duterte’s Administration.
“Kung ano ang gusto ng Panginoon sa akin sa vice presidency o hinde at kung ano ang ibibigay na trabaho ni Mayor Duterte at ng ating kababayan tatangapin ko yan kahit walang position,” Senator Alan Peter Cayetano told this paper when asked if he would not win the vice presidency would he accept a post like the Department of Interior & Local Government after the one year appointment ban in case the Davao City mayor offers it to him.
Cayetano, a member of Duterte’s transition team, is one of the favorites to be the senate president and was offered by Duterte to head the Departments of Foreign Affairs or Justice.
For several years, Cayetano had been shuttling back and forth the country to help the marginalized sector through his Presyo-Trabaho-Kita (PTK) program.
In Pangasinan, he gave an average of P150,000 to every marginalized sector like transport group and fish vendors to alleviate their plight and prevent them borrowing from usurers who dangle a 5-6 or 20 percent interest a month money credit.
Cayetano not only give monies for free but adds another tranche if he sees the recipients have invested it wisely for their benefit.
“Alam mo naman meron akong proyekto na nakakatulong sa ating kababayan all over I won’t mind continuing,” he said.
PTK was a “passionate” program of Cayetano after he won the 2013 senatorial election where he could personally address the daily problems of the Filipinos in dealing with inflation, unemployment, and low income.
PTK, he said, is also his advocacy to fight against any and all forms of inefficiency, graft and corruption.
DILG urges newly-elected LGU officials to submit SOCE
DAGUPAN CITY – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has issued a memorandum advising newly-elected and reelected Local Government Units officials to submit their poll contributions and expenses to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) by June 9.
DILG City Director Rhoderick M. Dawis said the memorandum was addressed to all newly-elected and reelected local officials in the city from the city mayor, vice-mayor and down to members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod requiring each one to submit their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) to the COMELEC before they will be allowed to assume office.
“Newly-elected and reelected local officials must comply with what the law mandates and submit a certification thereof to the DILG showing that they have complied with their obligation by June 17 before they will be allowed to take their oath of office,” said Dawis.
Republic Act (RA) No. 7166, otherwise known as “Synchronized National and Local Elections and for Electoral Reforms Act” provides that “No person elected to any public office shall enter or assume the duties of his office until he has filed his or her SOCE.”
The law further states that “Every candidate and treasurer of the political party shall, within 30 days after the day of the election, file in duplicate with the offices of the Comelec the full, true and itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures in connection with the election.
Dawis further states that winning candidates must also present a Certification from Comelec that he or she has satisfactorily complied with his or her obligation under Section 14 of RA No. 7166 by filing his or her SOCE with the Comelec.
“In the absence of this certification, winning candidates cannot execute his or her duties as elected official pursuant to the provision of the law,” he said.
For the newly-elected local government officials who will be filing their SOCE for the first time, the DILG office will be more than willing to assist them, Dawis disclosed. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO)
DILG joins ‘One Million Lapis’ campaign
DAGUPAN CITY – In upholding children’s rights to education, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is collecting new and old pencils for the ‘One Million Lapis’ project of the Council for Welfare of Children (CWC) in celebration of the National Children’s Month in November.
“Lapis” is a symbolic representation of the child’s needs to express one’s ideas and feelings.
DILG City Director Rhoderick M. Dawis disclosed that the project aims to collect a million of pencils for the underprivileged students in elementary schools in the country who lack the opportunity to pursue schooling and necessary materials for writing.
A documentary report in 2012 reveals that in far-flung villages, some elementary students divide one pencil into three to be able to write and learn.
“This is why the DILG under Secretary Mel Senen S. Sarmiento being one of the lead agencies in building a ‘Child-Sensitive and Child-Friendly Society’ through a mandatory audit system called the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA), puts premium in promoting children’s rights to education especially for children whose socio-economic situations have impeded their chances to go to school,” said Dawis.
The campaign is also being envisioned to enter the Guinness World Record this year for the longest line of pencils.
DENR to plant 1 million seedlings in Pangasinan forests
DAGUPAN CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is set to plant one million seedlings of forest and fruit trees on 1,184 hectares of forestland in Pangasinan to replace the trees that burned due to high temperature this year.
Celso Salazar, community environment and natural resources officer in Dagupan City, said the seedlings, set to be planted in forest areas of Labrador, Aguilar, Mangatarem and Bugallon towns, will cover the forest areas in the province affected by fire from the month of January to the first two weeks of May.
Salazar said DENR will plant seedlings of forest trees, fruit-bearing trees and fast growing trees such as narra, mahogany, molave, bakawan, mango, acasia and ilang-ilang.
He encouraged the public to join the DENR in forestry planting from June to August and help replace the trees burned and reduce the effects of climate change.
“I-develop natin sa sarili natin yong pagmamahal natin sa kalikasan, gawin nating seryoso ang pagtatanim dahil ngayon, tayo ay nasa kalagayan ng climate change at isa lang ang solusyon dyan — plant trees,” Salazar said during the “Pantongtongan Tayo” radio program of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-Pangasinan aired on Tuesday.
Likewise, Salazar urged the public and local community to report any sightings of illegal activities and irresponsible acts to help in protecting and preserving the environment.
He cited among others the illegal cutting of forest trees as well as bakawan in riverside, irresponsible garbage disposal and kaingin farming.(VHS/EMBS/PIA-1, Pangasinan)
Dong Perez reelected as 6th district’s board member
By Virgilio Sar. Maganes
SAN MANUEL- For the second time, Dr. Salvador S. Perez Jr. of Nationalist Peoples’ Coalition (NPC) won one of the seats for board members of 6th District, The other winner is former Prosecutor Noel Bince, brother of outgoing 6th District Board Member Alfonso C. Bince Jr.
Perez, at the start of the campaign, showed optimism that he will win owing to the outpouring of support from various sectors in the towns of the district.
” I thanked all those who supported me in this election and this is now the time for us to work together
for the progress of the district,” Perez said, even as he congratulationed his political opponents who did not make it at the polls.
In 2013 election, Perez ran for the same position but lost after a three year stint as ex-officio board member when he was the president of the Philippine Councilors’ League,
Pangasinan Chapter from 2011 to 2013. (more…)
THE SON
THE SON. Congressman-elect Christopher “Toff’ de Venecia (3rd from left) of Pangasinan’s fourth district is proclaimed by Lawyer Joel Gines(2nd from left), chairman of the provincial board of canvassers(PBOC), last May 10 at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall in Lingayen. Also in photo are(from left) outgoing Rep.Gina de Venecia, mother of Toff. Dr. Maria Celia Fernandez, PBOC member and secretary; Prosecutor Abraham Ramos, PBOC vice-chairman; and former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.(father of Toff).CESAR RAMIREZ
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