Juday asks Iday about missing funds

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 

LINGAYEN – “Where did those funds go?” A lady councilor of this capital town posed where Mayor Iday Castaneda and her staff put the P1,400,160 appropriated for two years and seven months for the two positions that were not filled up since they were created in 2015

.

DISSENT. Lingayen Councilor Juday Vargas 
and SGLG Awardee Mayor Iday Castaneda. Vargas questions the Mayor on the whereabouts of the million peso funds.

 Councilor Judy “Juday” Vargas gave a copy of a document to this paper showing that positions of Mechanic III and Supply Officer II have a yearly budget of P165, 656.98 and P236,987.92, respectively, or a total of P1,040, 165.00  for two years and seven months. The amount was for salaries, allowances, and others.

Rivera confirmed as Dagupan City Health Officer

DAGUPAN CITY – The Sangguniang Panlungsod confirmed on Monday, July 24, the appointment of Dr. Ophelia T. Rivera as Dagupan’s City Health Officer.

 Mayor Belen T. Fernandez earlier appointed Dr. Rivera as new Dagupan City CHO, a position left vacant with the demise last year of Dr. Leonard Carbonell.

Rivera was appointed to the position after she substantially qualified with all the requirements of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code.

 As department head her appointment needed the concurrence of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, subject to Civil Service Law, rules and regulations.

 Rivera is a native of Dagupan City and studied at the Dagupan City National High School.

 Prior to her present position, Dr. Rivera served as Municipal Health Officer of the Municipality of Mangaldan for 15 years. (Joseph C. Bacani/CIO/July 25, 2017)

EDITORIAL : Tag-ulan, panahon na naman ng mga baha at bagyo

 Tag-ulan na naman. Pag dumarating ang panahon na ito, dala niya ang malalakas na bagyo na nagdudulot ng baha sa mga ibat-ibang lugar sa bansa.

 Ayon sa Philippine Atmospheric and Geophysical Services Administration (Pag-asa), may mga susunod pang mga bagyo pagkaalis ni Bagyong Gorio na magdudulot ng baha at kapinsalaan ng mga pananim, ari-arian at mga hayop.

 Bagamat taun-taon, na tayo ay binibisita ng mga bagyo at kaakibat na pinsala, ito ay pinagtutuonan ng pamahalaan sa pagpapaigting ng mga Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (DRRMC) ng mga lalawigan at mga bayan. Ito ay upang mabigyan ng kaukulang babala at tulong ang mga tao pagdating ng mga nasabing kalamidad.

 Pag-iingat ang mensahe ng mga DRRMC para sa mga tao. Ang pag-iingat ay kaakibat ng tuwirang paghahanda para walang buhay na mabuwis na dulot ng kalamidad. Sa Pangasinan, nakahanda na ang pang-lalawigang DRRMC kasama na ang mga bayan.

 Pinag-iingat tayo hindi lang sa mga sakuna na idudulot ng mga kalamidad kundi pati na rin ng pangkalusugan. Sa panahon ng tag-ulan, nandiyan din ang paglipana ng mga lamok na dala ang virus sa dengue, paglipana ng mga daga na may dalang “leptospirosis”.

 Bagamat ang pamahalaan ay handa na sa mga pangangailangan sa mga kalamidad, gaano naman kaya tayo kahanda sa mga ito?

 Magsisimula sa atin ang paghahanda. Patibayin natin ang ating mga kabahayan lalo na sa mga hindi  gumagamit ng mga matibay na materyales. Ayusin natin ang ating mga kapaligiran lalo na ang ating mga alulod at mga “drainage canals”. Sabi nga nila, ” an ounce of prevention is worth a a pound of cure”. Huwag lang tayo umasa sa pamahalaan. May mga dapat nating gawin upang hindi mapalala ang mga sakunang darating sa pagpasok ng kalamidad gaya ng bagyo at baha.

 Tag-ulan na naman. May magandang naidudulot din ito lalo na sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda. Sa mga magsasaka, ang mga pananim ay lalago at maiiwasan ang pagkatuyot ng mga ito. Sa mga mangingisda, ang tubig sa mga palaisdaan ay malilinis upang maging malusog ang mga isdang inaalagaan dito.

 Sa likod ng mga paghahanda, kailangan natin ang taos pusong paghingi ng tulong sa Maykapal para ilihis tayo sa mga sakunang dulot ng mga bagyo at baha.

MAGANES: Duterte’s SONA

Last July 24, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivered his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) before the joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives at the Batasang Pambansa. His prepared speech, which was expected to be delivered for about 50 minutes lasted for about two hours. The President’s ad-libs made the SONA long, a far cry from the previous SONAs of past presidents in the country.

 Unconventional as he is, President Duterte’s ad-libs elicited laughter from those inside the Batasang Pambansa. His customary cuss words were prevalent but then those were used to stress points on his message to the Filipino people.

 In his SONA, Duterte stressed four points to keep his promised ” change” to work. These were the war against illegal drugs, the continuous war against the ISIS-inspired Maute group in Marawi City, warning against the stakeholders of the mining industry, and the end of corruption in all levels of the government.

 On the war against illegal drugs, President Duterte said it will continue until his term ends in 2022. He wants to see that the last drug lord will be put to jail.

 The war against illegal drugs started last July 2016 when Oplan Double Barrel was implemented by the Philippine National Police (PNP) under Police Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. Under Oplan Double Barrel, two sub-activities were enforced: Operation “Tokhang” and Operation HVTs (high value targets). Operation “Tokhang” was able to surrender more than one million drug pushers and users, and about 3,000 of them were killed in legitimate police operations. Operation HVT has not yet produced tangible results. It seemed that the thick list of narco-politicians were not pursued seriously by the PNP and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

 The war in Marawi City is still far from over. Martial Law has been extended in Mindanao until December 31, this year. Lately, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said that only three villages are to be cleared in Marawi City. After this, the rebuilding of the rubble caused by war will start. How long will it take to rehabilitate the war-torn city? How about the psychological rehabilitation of the people there who had lost their properties and loved ones?

Sinag: Smuggling of agri-products continues

By Virgilio Sar. Maganes

 ROSALES- A year after the passage of Republic Act No. 10845 or the Anti Smuggling of Agricultural Commodities Law, the smuggling of agricultural products continue to flourish and remains unabated.

The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) said those who have been benefited and those who allowed smuggling to prosper have never been punished despite the enactment of new laws to combat the smuggling of agricultural products.

 Sinag observed the same modus operandi and the same personalities involved in smuggling, undervaluation, misdeclaration, and technical smuggling in the trade/importation of pork, rice chicken, onion and garlic.

 Five years ago, Sinag in its research revealed that close to P200 billion worth of agricultural products were smuggled into the country.

 Last year, Sinag has been “pushing to let the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to review importers applying for accreditation, since the agency has the updated data of sales and equity of the importer that is operating for at least two years.”

 Taking garlic as an example, Sinag noticed the disparity in the reported volume of imported garlic into the country in 2016.

 According to Sinag, trade partners in the country reported some 62.7 million kilos, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reported that 58.7 million kilos of garlic were imported, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported 72.5 million kilos, some 10 million kilos over the United Nations (UN) record.

 The disparity, Sinag said, is due to technical smuggling such that what was declared as garlic was something like onions.

 Sinag has claimed that the unscrupulous traders  and smugglers are in cahoots with erring officials of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) for the series of garlic price spikes since 2014.

 Local garlic producers are still struggling from the 25-year policy of wanton garlic importation and smuggling in lieu of domestic production.

 On this, Sinag said that with only 7.5% of the country’s garlic requirements produced locally, importers/smugglers and traders forming the garlic cartel continue to dictate prices since there is no significant local production to counter the “steep price of imported/smuggled garlic.”

Alcala joins 2nd nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill

By Virgilio Sar. Maganes

 ALCALA- The municipal government here headed by Mayor Jojo B. Callejo conducted an earthquake drill through its Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) in support to the second quarter nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill.

 More than 150 officials and employees joined the drill last June 29 at 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon, at the town’s Auditorium and municipal hall.

 Mayor Callejo said the conduct of the earthquake drill is to raise awareness and develop a culture of preparedness among the people when earthquake hit.

 ” We must be prepared and self-reliant against disasters. We have to possess the right knowledge and to be involved. Disasters like earthquake, flooding and typhoons are inevitable. We must all be involved as one family,” Callejo said.

 Callejo is also the chair of the town’s MDRRMC.

ORTIGOZA: Guamanians following blunder of Filipinos

Many elected officials committed these boo-boos. They look stupid because they open their mouth without enough understanding of a legal question or topic or did not ask an advice from a lawyer or those who understand the law.

Here’s a city councilor who lambast the mayor who wants to build a government building in a lot donated by a resident of the city.

The lawmaker harangued the mayor in the media and the public meetings because there was no road going from the main highway to the edifice.

Son of a gun, did the councilor not hear about Eminent Domain, Expropriation, and Easement?

These three words are defined by laws where one can get a right way in going to the building.

EMINENT DOMAIN means the right of a government or its agent to expropriate private property for public use, with payment of compensation.

EXPROPRIATION means the action by the state or an authority of taking property from its owner for public use or benefit.

EASEMENT means a right to cross or otherwise use someone else’s land for a specified purpose.

 ***

When I bumped into Dagupan City Mayor Belen T. Fernandez after her recent State of the City Address (SOCA) at the Stadia and told her about this pronouncement of the councilor and quoted by a national daily, she told me the District Congressman Toff de Venecia has appropriation of P75 million for the highway going to the proposed new city hall.

“There is a road leading from the national highway to the city hall, how can there be none?” she told me.

 ***

I remembered the Philippine History Book authored by

Teodoro A. Agoncillo I taught in college in the 1990s when I read on the online news that people in Guam wanted to break away from the United States’ tutelage.

 Philippine Islands, Guam, and Puerto Rico were sold or ceded by a weakened Spain because of war in 1898 to the growing global power United States, making the three colonies of the United States.

 Philippines under Commonwealth Government (OJT government) of President Manuel Quezon who wanted to leave the U.S. A with a political cry: “I’d rather live in a country runs like hell by Filipinos than a country runs like heaven by the Americans!”.

Quezon, whose ambition to be president of an independent country was palpable, wished was granted by the U.S after World War II in the middle of the ashes left by the belligerents.

 Filipinos lived since that time in Hell. What with the U.S cutting all the free tariffs of Philippines exports to the U.S and people in Sugar Land Negros, who crowed about unlimited wealth during the protectionism era, can attest to that

City hall donor can deduct gift from gross income – BIR

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 DAGUPAN CITY – The donor of the property for the planned city hall can deduct his donation from his taxable gross income, according to a high official of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

CPA-Lawyer Maria Isabel B. Utit, chief of the BIR in Eastern Pangasinan, said the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) provides that contribution to the government political subdivision is deductible in full.

“Contributions or gifts actually paid or made within the taxable year to, or for the use of the government of the Philippines or any of its agencies or any political subdivision thereof exclusively for public purposes,” she quoted parts of  Paragraph H Section 34 of the Nantional Internal Revenue Code (NIRC).

This means that the property price can be deducted from gross income of donors like Kerwin Fernandez.

 This law, according to Utit, was hammered by Congress to encourage citizens to donate to the government.

Nurses hold medical mission as part of alumni homecoming

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 DAGUPAN CITY – Members of the Nursing Batch 1992 of  the Lyceum Northwestern University conducted a medical mission at the barangay hall of Tapuac here as part of their 25th Alumni Homecoming.

Enter a captionMEDICAL MISSION. Filipino-American nurses man the medicines given to the marginalized residents of Barangay Tapuac in Dagupan City. The medical mission held last Thursday was part of the two-day 25th alumni homecoming programs of the graduates of Bachelor of Science in Nursing of Lyceum Northwestern University. Second from left is Chief Nurse Buenafe Viray- Redoble, Dialysis Technician Nolito Soriano, Dialysis   Performance Improvement Nurse Jose Saguibal, Robotic Surgery Coordinator Marites Aquino- De Guzman and Specialist Teacher Evelina Pasca. MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

According to Jose Saguibal, the medical mission participated by local physicians catered to the marginalized residents of the village who live at the back of Lyceum Northwestern University.

“Our mission was to give back to our community. We did not want a reunion just to have fun. It is a cause with a mission serving back the our community where we all came from,” said Christine delos Reyes – Batalla,  a case manager at Kaiser Permanente in San Jose, California..

The event was held in the morning of July 21, according to the Saguibal who is a nurse at a veteran hospital in Bronx, New York.

 He said the alumni homecoming would be celebrated up to July 22 where other programs like dinner party await them at the Stadia.

According to Marites Aquino-de Guzman, a robotic surgery coordinator in Charlotte, South Carolina, there were 60 alumnus and alumnae where some came from different countries who attended the get-together

CORTEZ: Correct. Tama ka diyan, 100 percent

 

GOVERNMENT FAILED THE GARLIC INDUSTRY. Palpak ang gobyerno sa pangangalaga nito sa garlic industry.

 

Dapat na magresign na lahat ng nasa gobyerno na involved sa industry… lahat, as in mula sa mga director hanggang security guard at janitor dapat magresign na.

 

Ayon sa pag-aaral ng SINAG, ten years ago ay 30 percent locally produced ang garlic sa palengke at 70 percent ang imported.

 

Ten years ago, may mga importer ng garlic na malaki ang kinikita dahil sila ang nagsusuplay ng mas malaking bulto ng garlic.

 

At dahil sila ang may hawak ng mas malaking bulto ng garlic ay kaya nilang idikta ang presyo ng garlic.

 

Kahit presyong langit ang presyo ng garlic dahil kayang nilang idikta ang presyo nito.

 

Dahil presyong langit ang garlic, hanggang langit din ang dambuhalang kita ng mga importers.

 

Nagkaroon ng senate investigation. May mga natukoy na responsible sa garlic cartel. Nagdemanda ang NBI… ayun wala nang nangyari!

 

Ngayon naman, makalipas ng 10 years, ay bumagsak ang local production ng garlic.

 

 Ayon kay Boss Rosendo ng SINAG ay 7.5 percent na lang ang local production ng garlic at 92.5 percent naman ang imported na garlic.

 

Siyempre, mas nadagdagan na naman ang imported garlic na hawak ng importers.

 

At ang lumang importers ay siya pa ring importers ngayon.

 

Dapat tutukan ang kaso laban sa mga importers ng garlic.

 

PEACE PROCESS. STOP OR GO? Nagsabi na si Mayor Rody na hinto ang Peace Talks. Stop na rin ang CPP.

 

Stop na rin ang NDFP. Wala pang statement ang OPPAP. Wala pang statement ang third party negotiator ng Norway.

 

“Winning the peace for the people is harder than ending the war that victimizes people”-Nani Braganza, Member GRP Peace Panel

 

Sa tinagal-tagal na ni Bok Nani sa Peace Talks sa CPP-NPA ay hindi pa rin siya nawawalan ng pag-asa na magkakaroon ng kapayapaan.

 

Hindi ito simpleng usapin lang ng ceasefire…unilateral ceasefire man o bilateral ceasefire man.

 

May mga kapwa Pilipino na magsusundalo o kaya ay magpupulis.

 

May mga kapwa Pilipino na magiging NPA.

 

Magpapatayan ang sundalo at NPA.

 

Magpapatayan ang pulis at NPA.

 

Ang Pilipino ang biktima ng giyera ng gobyerno at ng NPA.

 

“Spoilers are as passionate as the peacemakers!!!” sabi Government Peace Panel Member Hernani Braganza.

 

Ang mga nasa magkabilang panig ng Peace Talks ay nanalig na magkakasundo sa mga isyung inilatag sa peace process.

  

Pero may mga kapwa Pilipino na nasa gobyerno ang gumagawa ng paraan para hindi magkaroon ng peace agreement.

 

Pero mayroon din  mga kapwa Pilipino na nasa NPA ang gumagawa ng paraan para hindi magkaroon ng peace agreement.

 

Nakipag-usap si Mayor Rody Duterte sa mga opisyal ng mga nagsusulong ng National Democracy sa Malakanyang bago ang State of the Nation Address.

 

Kakaiba daw po ang feeling sa pag-uusap na nasabi ayon kay Nato Reyes ng Makabayan Bloc.

 

“Kaiba sa mga nagdaang pag-uusap, mabigat at seryoso ang pakiramdam ng mga lumahok. Naganap ang pulong na ito sa gitna ng tangkang palawigin ang Martial Law sa Mindanao at sa panahong nasa alanganin ang katayuan ng peace talks,” sabi ni Nato.

 

Ibig sabihin ay hindi sila nagkasundo sa isyu ng Martial Law.

 

Malinaw sa naging usapan na itutuloy ni Mayor Rody ang Martial Law.

Malinaw din na itutuloy ng Makabayan Bloc ang pagtutol sa Martial Law.

 

Ang positive na pinag-usapan ay hindi haharangan ni Mayor Rod yang protest rally ng Makabayan Bloc.

 

Napag-usapan din positively ang end to contractualization of workers, free tuition in state colleges and universities at land reform.

 

SAGOT NI MAYOR RODY SA CPP. Sinagot ni Mayor Rody yang paratang na nambu-bully daw si Mayor sa NDFP.

 

Share ko muna sa inyo itong sinabi ng Communist Party of the Philippines sa isang pahayag nito noong July 20, “It is a strongman’s act of bad faith aimed at bullying the NDFP to bow to his terms of surrender.”

 

Share ko naman sa inyo ang sagot ni Mayor Rody, “Correct. Tama ka dyan, 100 percent. I bully people who try to topple government. That is my job to bully you and to kill you because there is war going on between us and you. When the time comes, maybe I will kill you if I have the chance.”

 

Ituloy na lang daw ang giyera! Kahit na 50 years na bakbakan!

 

“Let us renew the fighting for another 50 years, it’s what you want,” sabi ni Mayor Rody.

 

“Who are you threatening? You want to destroy this country? We will join you. Bully? I am a bully,” sabi ni Mayor Rody.

 

EXTENDED MARTIAL LAW. Parang pelikula ano po? Extended run ang Martial Law sa Mindanao.

 

Dahil legal ang imposition ng Martial Law ay siguradong marami ang bumota sa extension nito.

 

Legal ang imposition ng Martial Law ayon sa Korte Suprema.

 

“The result of the voting in Congress show that 261 in the affirmative and 18 in the negative. The motion to extend proclamation of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of writ of habeas corpus is hereby approved by the Congress,” sabi ni Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez sa joint session ng Congress.

 

Ang joint Session po ay magkasama ang Senado at House of Representatives na nag usap at nagbotohan.

 

Sa total na benteng senador ay 16 ang present na bumoto para sa extension. Sa total na 259 na members ng House ay 245 ang present na bumoto sa extension.

 

Kahit na 59 ang district congressmen sa Minadano at seven na congressmen mula sa party-list ay tatlong Mindanao congressmen lang ang bumoto ng NO sa extension ng martial law.