STA. BARBARA–Three persons believed to be members of a gang responsible for a series of robbery-holdups along the highways in Pangasinan during the past months have been arrested.

Supt. Mateo Casupang, chief of police of Sta. Barbara, said the suspects were arrested after they held up three persons in the early morning of Friday in barangay Tuliao, Sta. Barbara while waiting to board a bus bound for Manila.

 The suspects, all members of the so-called “Bonnet Gang” were riding in tandem on a motorcycle that was later verified from the Land  Transportation Office in Dagupan City to have been stolen and registered in the name of a couple.

A subsequent operation conducted by the Sta. Barbara police and from San Carlos City and Basista later that day led to the arrest of Crispin Payopay, 32; and Reynante Peralta, 24, both of San Carlos City.

The two named their companion as Orlando Malicdem, 36, who was subsequently arrested by the police at their safehouse in Ambrosio St., Poblacion, Urdaneta City.
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BAD habits are simply hard to break.

The Sangguniang Panlungsod last Monday again failed to convene when only six councilors showed up for the regular session.

The SP already failed to meet two weeks ago for lack of quorum.

Recorded present last week were Acting Vice Mayor Michael Fernandez, Councilors Farah Decano, Danilo Torio, Jose Netu Tamayo, Alex de Venecia and Charise Perez.

 Absent were Councilors Librada Reyna, Teofilo Guadiz III, Luis Samson Jr., Vlad Mata, Nicanor Aquino and Eric Muñoz.  Decano, the presiding officer, banged the gable adjourning the session after the secretary reported the lack of quorum.

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The Office of the Mayor rebuffed one of its closest allies and presented a document for the planned retrenchment of city employees entitled the “2006 Revised Organizational Structure Staffing Pattern of the Dagupan City Government” to the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

Councilor Teofilo Guadiz III, chair of the committee on Good Government in the SP, turned red in the face when the document was presented, indicating that the administration of Mayor Benjamin Lim is, indeed, bent on retrenching workers and persuading the old-timers to opt for early retirement.

This belied Guadiz’  earlier assurance made to the city hall employees that the planned reorganization in the city government will not lead to any retrenchment  but only a realignment of positions based on workers  qualifications.

Guadiz was taken aback by the new staffing pattern presented by the Mayor’s office which he said is contrary to SP Resolution No. 3815 that adopted the management evaluation and reorganization study of the city government prepared by the University of the Philippines.
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