Police leadership at its best

Up until last year, some towns and cities in the region referred to their police as “the finest” without fully understanding what it meant, if it meant anything at all. For some, reading the phrase painted on police cars only brought cynicism and sarcasm to their lips.

 Well, there’s a new corps of the finest, not just in the towns and cities but in the whole Region 1!

News of the series of accomplishments of the regional police, under the leadership of Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil, in its campaign versus illegal drugs, marijuana and jueteng come as a breath of fresh air at a time when the populace has become skeptical of the police’s capability to perform after years of   perceived helplessness to combat these pernicious vices.
Read more

Keeping up the fight for good governance

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

I have no doubt in my mind that Dagupan City Mayor Benjie Lim and his ilk already find his vice mayor to be pesky, troublesome, irritating, a total asshole and an ingrate.

But Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez should take heart because in the dictionary of decent loving citizens who admire an independent mind anchored on integrity, all these name-calling mean he’s honest, courageous and a conscientious public servant.

To Vice Mayor Alvin, don’t give up the fight! Do the Fernandez clan proud!

To the newfound members of the city council’s “conscience bloc”, namely Councilors Michael Fernandez, Farah Decano, Jose Netu Tamayo and Alex De Venecia, you have won our   people’s admiration knowing you stood your ground, turned your backs on what could have been an easy and lucrative exercise in legislation if you had agreed to do exactly what Mr. Mayor had attempted to dictate on you.
Read more

Two and three-wheeled hazards in open road

By Gerry Garcia

WITH the season of joy and goodwill barely over, we’re in no mood to grapple in this column with the complex and often confused issues relating to former President Erap’s long running detention (or vacation?) at  his sprawling rest-house in Tanay, Rizal.

In this province of Pangalatoks, discussions of such issues and similar others is limited to barber shops and to clusters of local politicians running for reelection in the coming May polls.

What has not escaped our concern at the moment, as private motorists plying the highways and open roads almost every day, is the proliferation of tricycles and motor bikes.

The 3-wheeled mini cabs, especially, have grown in number and, given access to highways illegally; have become frequent causes of mishaps and mayhem . . . usually during night-time.
Read more

Watch your public official

By Jun Velasco

THERE is a quiet outrage among Dagupeños who get their regular dose of graft and corruption reports about the conduct and behavior of officials they have elected to run the city affairs.

Since not many of them are lawyers and can hardly see through the facade of legalese and official gobbledygook brandished by Smart Alecks at City Hall and the Sanggunian Panlungsod, the public could only vow to reject in the coming polls, if it will be held at all in May, those who stole their goodies when they were minding other things.

You can tell the thieving Smart Alecks by how they face the hard issues. We must thank the local media, especially this punchy paper, for not reneging on its job.

It would be unthinkable for our public officials to wish the media ill amidst their obvious limits and mistakes because the media are precisely there to ensure the public interest and public good.
Read more