Eduardo Pontaoe
28 June 2007

 

 

Mr. Jevie “Jebong” de Guzman:

I heard you loud and clear. Understood your sentiments like any Malasiquinian would do.

We do have a public plaza, too, in Santa Barbara where they hold homecomings for balikbayans, dances during town fiestas, hold political mumbo jumbos and during those periods in the old days, where we used to spread raw rice grains to dry. It was that “historical”.

Your claim that plazas of any given town falls under Republic Act 7586, I absolutely disagree. Plazas are not a part of what this Act describes and enforced.

Assuming that it was so is a great disservice on your part to readers of the Forum and all those who understand the implications on what you’re trying to justify. Let me put this way, Mr. de Guzman . . . you can’t make a mountain out of a molehill.

You and Ms. Josie Tamondong questioned the Malasiqui Police Station as a lawless integral part of the plaza. We do have that in Santa Barbara.

The reason why the police built inside the plaza land because where would they go? As part of municipal set-up including the municipio and the church, that station should be accessible in the town proper.

In Santa Barbara, the plaza is a showcase; a place to behold . . . it became a ploy, an act, a curtain to hide the rotten deals. It was a show fitting the Wallendas, a high wire act of corruption. If it can happen in Santa Barbara, it can happen anywhere.

Jeremias Andrade Carrera
28 June 2007

 

 

Honoring Ermin Garcia Sr.:

Indeed the suggestion of honoring the late Ermin Garcia Sr. is one the greatest and best posting I have read in this forum and the various suggestions are excellent. I salute the posters behind this idea and suggestions.

Indeed it can be easily implemented with so many streets or highways under construction especially if the Honorable Speaker Jose De Venecia will be in sync with our thoughts.

The on-going Dawel to Pantal-Lucao Bypass Road can be named the ERMIN GARCIA SR. HIGHWAY.

PANGASINANSE can do it better than Quezon City in honoring a hero-a highway instead of just a street. That will be the true sign of statesmanship if the Honorable Speaker of the House of Representative of the Philippines will accept this noble idea of the greatest and best posters of the GREATEST and BEST NEWSPAPER-the SUNDAY PUNCH to honor the TRUE JOURNALIST, THE HERO AND A CRUSADER AGAINST GRAFT AND CORRUPTION.

I will not miss that dedication ceremony of the highway to meet all of the true Pangasinanse. How about it Honorable Speaker De Venecia?

Eduardo Pontaoe
28 June 2007

 

 

Gentlemen:

Being absent from the Forum for a few days, I missed the action.

With these proposals left and right, it’s better for us to sit down and look at what is the most feasible to do, whether a street for Ermin Garcia, Sr. or a statue for him. I totally agree on proposals to honor a journalist who died on what he believed in.

To have or not to have, I rather have a statue for him. We would have to have it, where it all started . . . Dagupan. This statue should be enshrined in the plaza with the likes of Rizal and all those who fought of what was right. It could be in bronze or stone, whatever it takes.

And for a street. . . a street is a street with just a sign . . . unmindful to passersby. . . and what we get is not enough bang for the buck.

“Hello Bedi”

By +Oscar V. Cruz D. D.

The ghost of the “Hello Garci” tapes simply refuses to go away, to be laid to rest. The scandalous phenomenon brought forth such one big evil spirit that this continues to haunt the election process in the country—especially the now sitting national leadership. Truth to say, elections in the Philippines were never really that peaceful, orderly and credible. But the national electoral process became worse in honesty and integrity with the ominous advent of the “I am sorry” confession with much doubted sincerity.

Three long years have passed. Another national election took place. It was held 14 May last. More than a month has already passed. Yet, all those who really won or lost are not yet known, much less proclaimed. One of the over-riding causes can be traced to the existing of a close kin of “Hello Garci” in the form of some kind of an “Hello Bedi” event.
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