DAGUPAN  CITY  - The  PNP  Maritime  Command  will finally relocate its provincial  headquarters  on A.B.Fernandez Avenue West to Tondaligan Park here.

The move was made after Senior Supt. Wendy Rosario, newly designated regional director of PMC, met with City Mayor Benjamin Lim last week when he made his courtesy call.

The provincial  office  of the PMC will occupy a  space  inside   a  building  owned  by  the  City  government  near  the  Amphitheatre  at Tondaligan  Park, near  the  seashore  of  Bonuan Gueset. Read more

MANGALDAN—The man is not just sitting on a hot seat but on a burning seat.

This is how lawyer Raul Lambino, a native of Dilan, Pozorrubio town, and the spokesman of Sigaw ng Bayan Movement, describes himself now that he is a leading figure in the “burning issue” People’s Initiative seeking to amend the 1987 Constitution.

 “It’s a huge challenge I’ve never imagined in my entire life,” he replied when asked about his impressions on the ongoing controversy.

 Lambino, who calls himself a “probinsiyano” (from the province), said he thought it was just an ordinary academic activity because as a professor of political law and constitutional law, he has been espousing changes in the 1987 Constitution more particularly electoral and judicial reforms”. Read more

The Catholic Church may be pleased by President Gloria Arroyo’s recent pronouncement commuting death sentences of all death row convicts to life imprisonment, but  Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said he remains “not happy” with the Chief Executive.

 An unimpressed Cruz, a vocal critic of the President, said there are still so many unanswered questions, scandals, jueteng money that ran the 2004 elections, fertilizer scam, use of Marcos wealth, among others hounding Mrs. Arroyo’s presidency.

 He strongly suspects that the unexpected announcement was “another gimmick for transactional politics.”

 The prelate, a former president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, said the President’s move regarding the commutation of death sentence is “ both right and wrong”. Read more

CALASIAO—The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) district office here achieved a “record breaking collection history” by exceeding its target goal by about P143.9 million!

 Joseph Catapia, revenue district officer, said that his district which covers two cities and 14 towns in the province, has been a consistent goal achiever for the entire 2005 but the latest collection was unprecedented.

 In 2005, his office’s P895.9 million collection exceeded the  P751.9 million or 19% increase.  In 2004, their total collections were P673,329,511.83.

 In the first quarter of 2006, the P78 million January target was topped P86 million; the P58 million February target was covered by a P62.9 million collection; while P65.4 million was collected past the P64.3 million target in March.

 Catapia thanked the cooperation of the taxpayers under his district, the media for their help in tax information campaign and the industry of his employees.–EVA

HALE BAND — Members of the popular Manila’s Hale band pose during a brief pause from their musical performance.