Eduardo Pontaoe
25 Oct 2006

 
Mr. Raymund Rayos:

In a nutshell, your take in a Philippines as third country can be absolved of anything undesirable is an affront to the people of Dagupan. It’s an admission of corruption and gross incompetence that permeates the economic and political structure of the city under the Benjie which was proven time and again him and the City Clowncil are to blame.

Shopping malls you aggrandize in wild abandon do not make a city. These things exist and multiply like flies on garbage because of demographic expediency. It’s the law of supply and demand, Mr. Rayos… the first lecture of economic discipline. It comes naturally in any civilized society… the conduit for the flow of commerce… the marketplace. The managerial leadership in running a government is important in the involvement of the cash flow coming from the taxes these intangible assets generate. You’re presuming that progress that you’d seen from 12 years of absence is mighty deceiving. Turning a blind eye on what’s happening around you is not only unacceptable but asinine.

Malimgas market is bankrupt. Nepo mall of the Benjie is being abandoned like rats jumping ship. The dredger at $1.5M is dead in the water at Pantal. The landfill boondoggle in San Jacinto is just a memory… a grandiose plan that went deadly wrong and left the people of Dagupan holding an empty bag. The ineptitude of the Benjie and the City Clowncil will make Marcos giggle in his grave. Collective guilt you say, Mr. Rayos? Are you blaming the people of Dagupan what’s happening in the city? Are you you trying to rebuke… reproach… upbraid… slander the Dagupenos they are at fault? They cast their nets for the Benjie expecting a plentiful catch. What they got was raw deal… putting Dagupan in the hands of the most notorious political thieves unimaginable.

And for you Sir, visit the city more often to teach yourself a lesson in reality. Other than that… please grow up.

 

Jeremias Andrade Carrera
25 Oct 2006

To Mr. Eduardo Pontaoe:

Some of these so-called affluent people in the Philippine society think that they can bully anyone anywhere and that they can intimidate by mentioning some impertinent laws like ECA and words like “my lawyers”. I believe since the start of his “PLAYING WITH FIRE” with you indicating that he will avail himself of the new ECA law that it was purely “hot air”, not even a smoke. Can you imagine a so-called smart lawyer to some people making pronouncements of using some irrelevant law?

In U. S. courts, the judge will ask the “DREAM TEAM” lawyers who are stupid enough to file the case to go back to school and stop wasting the court’s time because the authority (ECA law) that they cited in filing the case is irrelevant. I have personally seen this scenario in actual court case. That is why in my previous posting I indicated that filing a suit can be done easily by anyone, making sure that the suit will prosper in court is another matter.

In short “PLAYING WITH FIRE” in the US court do not come easily, maybe in the PHILIPPINES. Anyone who watched and still remember the televised legal proceedings against Estrada would notice that even the present SECRETARY OF JUSTICE GONZALES DID NOT EVEN UNDERSTANDS-”QUALIFY YOURSELF” which prompted Chief Justice DAVIDE to explain what was being asked of him. In that proceeding, you can see the difference between good and bad lawyers. Hindi bumibili ng pisong gas at may apoy na. What a way to bully people just to look good.

As I have always pleaded to some so-called columnists before, “If we have limited mental capacity, let us not display it here where people really UNDERSTAND the issues”. Let us keep it to ourselves.

jgzapanta
25 Oct 2006

 
To Mangaldan Police Chief Insp. Loyd Milan,

Traffic problem in Mangaldan is easy to solve if only you have the political will to do it. In my own observation, here are some of my suggestions: first, you remove the railings at the center of the highway and do not allow parking along the road in front of the public market; second, do not allow tricycles and padyak along the main road, only allow them to cross, they should only use the secondary road; third, no stopping/loading and unloading from the public market to the intersection going to San Jacinto.

I think if these three suggestions will be implemented, traffic will no longer be a problem. If ever you cannot implement these three suggestions, the most important to implement is to remove the barrier in the middle of the road. The barrier doesn’t help ease the traffic, it even worsens the traffic situation because vehicles in front moving at almost zero speed will also delay vehicles at the back, so you have to wait until the vehicle in front reaches the church area.

This situation in Mangaldan was done also in Bauang , La Union, the traffic was always heavy because of the barrier, but now that it was removed there is no longer heavy traffic even during busy hour.

Edener Benitez Fabella
25 Oct. 2006

Among the many problems scratching the unforgiving surface of a mini world, we call the Philippines, is our tendency of being truant in safeguarding our goals with corresponding warranties.

Take the case of People’s Initiative led by administration’s stalwarts heralding it as tenets to end the country’s woes once and for all. It looks and sounds more like a dogma of someone wanting to stay in power forever if you ask me. Our very own manong Joe De Venecia has been the numero uno saleman for the power usurper. It is sad he allowed himself to get mixed up with this bunch that has no decency or rectitude.

Many will agree our 1987 constitution needs some re-doing. However, to relegate it 6ft below ground without anyone in particular providing assurance (warranty if you will) a new one in a parliament populated by kissamyass slaves is going to deliver our people from it’s precipitous and dismal situation, is an egregious lie Filipinos should not take sitting down.

There’s enough injustice, shenanigans and scams brazenly perpetrated by today’s shameless corrupt officials, Filipinos had better start using their heads and not allow themselves to be used ever again.

Jess Delfin
25 Oct. 2006

To Mr. Pontaoe,

I admire your fiery enthusiasm. I could imagine Mr. Duque is squirming as he read your post. One thing that these “big” people in Philippines should wake up to is that some people are smart and probably are smarter than them. These people, especially the politicians like Mr. Duque had gotten used to spouting their mouths and not expecting anyone to fire back. Wrong!

Way to go, Mr. Pontaoe!

Jess Delfin
25 Oct. 2006

Mr. Rayos,

I beg to differ with you on how you view progress in Dagupan. The city officials, particularly the mayor, can do a lot of good things for the city. Well, how could you expect that to happen if the mayor himself is beyond accountability? The whole city government is run by nincompoops and incompetents who are the best on posturing and advancing their own affairs. Never mind public service, there’s no such animal like that anymore.

For you to say to expect the markets to be dirty because the Philippines is a third word country is like saying it is okay. Should we not expect a cleaner one or at least clean it up a bit? Making excuses and not holding public servants accountable is baloney. Three malls in Dagupan and you call it leaps and bounds? So why not build 10 more of them, never mind the supporting infrastructure like roads, parking, sewage, and yes, trash collection.

I do agree with you that the city is the DNA of a civilization. In Dagupan’s case (like most of places in the Philippines) it’s not going anywhere, thanks to the incompetent leaders. Of course, the public has their share of the blame too. Why don’t you at least expect that these city officials be accountable like they do in Australia?