AS the campaign period heats up, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has had to clarify for the nth time that there was no over-spending in the construction of the Dawel-Pantal-Lucao road.

The clarification was made by Yolanda Tangco, the project engineer assigned by the DPWH to supervise the construction, in light of renewed accusations that the road project is anomalous.

The project, funded solely by the Priority Development Assistance Fund of House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., is being raised as a political issue by the camp of Dagupan Mayor Benjamin Lim who is running against De Venecia for the 4th district congressional seat.

Tangco said, had there been an anomaly, the Commission on Audit would have stopped the project by now or at least called the attention of the DPWH.
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“Choose the best and reject the worst.”

This was the appeal of Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz during his homily in the Mass for peace and covenant signing among local bets for the May 14 elections.

“If we choose the best ones, we will all be benefited (but) everyone will suffer if you choose the candidates with many vices, thieves, liars, and with crooked way of life,” said Cruz, who presided over the Palm Sunday Mass for the candidates at the St. John The Evangelist ParishChurch in Dagupan City.

Cruz also warned against cheating in the election and warned the nation will never accept a tainted result.

“Our country should not suffer because of dirty, chaotic elections similar to what happened three years ago,” he said, referring to the presidential election in 2004 which put Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in power.
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CAMP BRIG. GENERAL OSCAR FLORENDO, La Union–Apart from Dagupan City, 44 other towns and cities in the Ilocos region have so far held a special mass and covenant signing for the conduct of peaceful and honest election in May.

Police Regional Director Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil, who initiated the twin activities, thanked all the bishops for their support in 29 towns and two cities of Ilocos Sur, two cities and five towns in Pangasinan and eight towns in La Union.

Similar activities have yet to be conducted in Ilocos Norte, according to the police.

The mass and covenant signing were simultaneously held on Palm Sunday in San Fabian, San Jacinto, Mapandan Villasis, SanCarlos and Dagupan in Pangasinan; and in Bangar, Bagulin, Sto. Tomas, Santol, Sudipen, Bacnotan, Balaoan and Naguilian in La Union.
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The Biskeg na Pangasinan (Strength of Pangasinan), newly accredited by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as a provincial political party, is proving itself to be a formidable force in the province by fielding a total of 286 local candidates for different positions.

Undersecretary for Local Governance Antonio Villar Jr., Biskeg founder, said it has not exactly been smooth sailing for them, but they are learning to deal with the challenges.

“Like any organization, we also experience the so-called birth pains but we believe we will overcome these,” he told The PUNCH.

Biskeg can nominate the same candidates already nominated by national political parties for local positions, according to Lawyer Reddy Balarbar, provincial election supervisor.
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THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) have issued an advisory warning the public to refrain from eating, harvesting, transporting and marketing shellfish from the coastal waters of Wawa, Bani, Pangasinan.

The advisory was contained in a bulletin released on April 4 by the two agencies following tests showing that the area in Wawa, Bani is positive for red tide toxin.

Results of red tide monitoring activities conducted by BFAR and DA showed that red tide toxins were found in shellfish samples collected from the said coastal area and are thus unsafe for human consumption.
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LINGAYEN–Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez has clarified that there is nothing unusual in the leave of absence of the chief of police of Dagupan, saying the officer personally requested for it and his sick leave is good for only five days.

Nerez said speculations insinuating that House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. may have had a hand in the removal of Superintendent Edgar Basbas are unfounded.

Speaker De Venecia’s campaign headquarters issued a rejoinder saying that the relief or leave of police officers is an internal matter of the Philippine National Police.

Since Basbas’ leave on Friday, Superintendent Mateo Casupang, deputy chief of police, took over as officer-in-charge to ensure continuity of police operations.
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Recognizing the power of religious block votes, Lawyer Gonzalo Duque, president of Lyceum Northwestern University and first vice president of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities, has called on leaders of religious groups to announce their endorsements early.

Duque said two weeks should be enough time for religious leaders to assess and select their “chosen ones”.

He said he understands that those eyeing their support have to go through serious scrutiny and evaluation from their top leaders who decide on endorsement matters, nonetheless, Duque said, “two weeks may be enough to do that task.”

March 29 was the deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy for local positions and the 45-day campaign period is entering its second week.
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BUGALLON–Candidates beware! Campaigning can be hazardous to your health.

The scorching summer heat plus the rigors of the campaign took its toll on a candidate for municipal councilor here who died from a heart attack during a campaign sortie in Poblacion.

The fatality was identified as Wilfredo Santos, 51, who belonged to the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino ticket of re-electionist Mayor Ric Orduña.

Santos was a barangay captain when he joined the ticket of Orduña as a candidate for councilor.
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THE Powerhouse Team Unity in Dagupan City led by former Immigration Commissioner Al Fernandez and former Councilor Belen Fernandez brought their campaign to the grassroots again on Tuesday when they wooed the voters in the Malimgas Public Market, the Centro Mart Market and the Magsaysay Fishmarket.

Former Councilor Fernandez said this was part of their series of sorties to study the problems of the common working men, such as market vendors, butchers, baggage carriers and others.

The two Fernandezes were accompanied by reelectionist Councilors Chito Samson, Michel Fernandez, Farah Decano, Dada Reyna, Danilo Torio, Jose Netu Tamayo and Alex de Venecia and newcomers Dr. Jesus Canto, Atty. Alfie Fernandez and Fred Quinto.
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THE call of former Customs Deputy Commissioner Gallant Soriano, one of the congressional bets in the 3rd district, for the signing of a peace covenant to ensure a smooth election in their area remains to be ignored by his opponents.

“I appeal to all candidates to enter into a covenant to observe honest, orderly, peaceful elections. We are all peace- loving citizens. But up to now they have not responded to that,” he said.

He addressed his appeal to the other congressional wannabes including Rachel Arenas, Bayambang Mayor Leocadio de Vera Jr. and Jun-Jun Tulagan.

Soriano had hoped to be the official Lakas candidate but he left his party nomination blank when he filed his certificate of candidacy. It was Arenas who filed as a Lakas candidate.
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