Ronaldo Castanaga
16 June 2007

 

 

We’ve been very unfortunate not being able to elect the right president who can lead and care for this country suffering from joblessness, poverty, exploding population and unabated corruption.

For a JdV or GMA resurgence as premier in a federal state, no way Jose. They should retire already and enjoy their remaining days with their grandkids and let the others who are more innovative, dedicated and high achievers continue the charge to transform this nation into a preeminent economic power in Asia.

From the time of Quezon, we’ve not changed much, still the sick man, the beggar in swaddling clothes in Asia today. We’re still borrowing money from the World Bank and these monies are intended for the poorest nations on earth to get out from grinding poverty. Look at Taiwan, Singapore, S. Korea and Japan, enjoying their surplus income.

Over 2,000 Filipinos fly out of the country to seek the golden grail in foreign countries to feed their families. There are no jobs in the Phil, like in a recession.

We need to elect a president in the likes of Lee Kwan Yew of Singapore and Park Chung Hee of S. Korea. These two leaders are not extra ordinary, neither USA-educated, they’re like you and me. They happened to be hardworking, honest, dedicated, innovative and incorruptible.

A sneak peek at JdV style of running Congress is not to be desired. To get a quorum in the House, he offers questionable luxurious accommodations to the lazy bums and old fashioned trouble makers.

JdV still has to clear his name, being the protégée and remnant of the corrupt regime of Marcos (the most corrupt president we ever had) regarding his behest loan of $160 million dollars guaranteed by the Phil gov’t. Is he paying for its amortization?

At the helm, the largest amount of pork barrel allocation was approved and this is pocketed by all corrupt legislators without the benefit of an audit. Presidential or parliamentary doesn’t matter if the same old-fashioned corrupt legislators are elected. GMA is a weakling and can’t even deter corruption. Her ownership of a string of properties in LA is highly questionable.

At this time, we should have been enjoying an 8-lane superhighway in the countryside, not the old 2-lane McArthur highway full of bottlenecks. What we need is a strong, incorruptible and responsible leader who can deliver to a question: “nasaan ang saluyot” or adinno ti pangalaan ti saluyot?

Jeremias Andrade Carrera
16 June 2007

 

 

The Fishkill in Pangasinan and the actions of “oorong-orong Oscar Orbos” and the “Do-nothing Civil Engineer Agbayani”:

I am glad that the people of Pangasinan decided to try another person as the new governor. Hopefully, this time we will not be disappointed.

When Agbayani was newly elected, I thought the people of Pangasinan elected the right person as a governor because I thought as a civil engineer he is much better than “oorong-orong ORBOS” and understood the environment or ecology, and the annual fishkill will be stopped by banning the use of the rivers as fishpens to the detriment of LEGITIMATE FISHPOND OWNERS AND PROVIDE MORE FISH FOR THE COMMON CITIZENS TO CATCH.

How wrong I was, the “Do-nothing civil engineer” really sat on his fat ass during his entire term and still wants his wife to be the next governor.

It is sad to see that the most productive fishponds (especially those adjacent to river banks like the one in Dawel) are being converted into housing subdivisions.

There are suggestions to dredge the rivers which are not the solution to the root of the problem. The mayor of Binmaley was able to solve the problem and he is not an engineer but I think he is not “CORRUPT”.

In short, no one can bribe him to install fishpens along the rivers. I posted several years ago that when a certain fishpen owner (with a heavenly family name) from Binmaley whose fishpens were removed in Dagupan, he immediately put up or relocated his fishpens in Bugallon because the mayor of Bugallon (also with a very christian family name) at that time was originally from Binmaley.

So the problem really is the GREED by these fishpen owners and the CORRUPTION of government officials that is COMPOUNDED by the attitude of COMPLACENCY or ACCEPTANCE that “COMPLAINING DOES NO GOOD”.

My dear readers and citizens of Pangasinan, let us not wait for a time when a disgruntled citizen will poison the entire river system in retaliation against the utter disregard of the rights of each and every citizen-a clean and productive environment.

If some people keep on complaining and nobody listens, then the common kasabihan: PAREHO-PAREHO TAYONG LAHAT NA HINDI MAKIKINABANG” may happen “DAHIL NAPUNO NA ANG BAYONG”. Is that what we are waiting for?

Think about it. How can I invite my friends (whom I told that we have the tastiest BANGUS, SHRIMPS, and OYSTERS in the world) to visit and they do not serve OYSTERS (even the cooked ones, on-half shells is better with calamansi juice) at the so-called WORLD CLASS hotel and resort?

With the news about fishkills, who would want to eat bangus or seafood in Hundred Islands?

TYCOON IN TOWN—Taipan Lucio Tan (center), owner and chairman of the board of Philippine Air Lines, Philippine National Bank and Fortune Tobacco Corporation, and Tanduay among others, is flanked by Dagupan City Vice Mayor-elect Belen Fernandez (right) and Carol Fernandez of the CSI Group of Companies, after a tour of CSI the City Mall. Tan was in Dagupan last Friday to look into business prospects in the region.

RACHEL TAKES OATH—Dagupan City Municipal Trial Court Judge Edgardo Caldona (left) officiates in the oath-taking of Congresswoman-elect Rachel Arenas, during the celebration of the 109th Philippine Independence Day in Malasiqui. The ceremony was witnessed by her mother Rosemary “Baby” Arenas, Malasiqui Mayor Alfonso Soriano, Vice Governor Oscar Lambino and Vice Mayor Osmundo Lambino. (Punchphoto by CSR)

AGUEDO STATUE—The entire Agbayani family, headed by matriarch Teresita and son Governor Victor Agbayani, are joined by House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. during the unveiling of the bronze statue of the late Governor Aguedo Agbayani in the middle of a park named after him in the capital town of Lingayen. (Photo by Ray Zambrano)

FIL-AM HERO LAID TO REST—Honor guards of the United States Army carry the casket bearing the remains of Sgt. Richard Correa of the elite U.S. Rangers to his burial site in Lingayen last Friday. (Punchphoto by Ray Zambrano)