Marquez-Pacquiao 2

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

UNTIL now, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao’s second convincing triumph against his bitter-adversary, Mexican boxing idol Marco Antonio Barrera, is still the talk of the town. And the fresh question is who will be the next opponent   of the Filipino boxing icon and when and where it would  be held.

There are three stars lined up for Pacquiao to fight in the super featherweight division (130-lb). One is the flambouyant and undefeated World Boxing Association (WBA) champ Edwin Valero, a Venezuelan. The other two are Mexican knockout artists, namely World Boxing Organization (WBO) titlist Joan Guzman and World Boxing Council (WBC) king Juan Manuel Marquez.

Marquez is the only Mexican boxer who Pacquiao was not able to defeat as held on to a draw during their first and only encounter in 2004.
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Christmas in October

By Marifi Jara

We Pinoys pride ourselves in claiming that we have the longest Christmas celebration in the world.

As soon as September, the first ‘ber’month, sets in, radio stations and malls already start playing Christmas carols. And the countdown to December 25 starts.

Perhaps that’s the reason why our congressmen, governors and mayors were not disconcerted when one sunny day in the midst of October, after meeting with the President in Malacañang, gift bags containing wads of money were distributed to them.

An early Christmas gift! Why not? It’s the ‘ber’ months already, right?
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DUE TO CLAIMS OF ARCHDIOCESE

AS things stand today, the Dagupan City government appears not only to have already lost ownership of the 30-hectare land in Barangay Awai in San Jacinto but also cannot even claim full ownership of the MC Adore hotel property.

Consequently, the MC Adore property bought by the past Lim administration for P50 million will likely continue to be an eyesore as a white elephant, said a city official.

City Planning and Development Coordinator Romeo Rosario, breaking his silence over the issue, said the city government can neither improve, rehabilitate nor dispose of the property unless the encumbrances written at the back of the land titles are removed.

Rosario said unless it is covered by clean titles, devoid of encumbrances, no buyer would be foolish enough to buy the MC Adore property from the city.

Nonetheless, City Legal Officer George Mejia said he will seek to transfer the property in the name of the city despite possibly being made to assume the encumbrances reflected in the old titles.
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This is not true!

This was the quick retort from House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. in reaction to a media report that he has sought the relief of several key cabinet members including fellow-Pangasinenses as he noted how the level of political intrigues thrown his way have intensified.

While seemingly beleaguered, he dared his detractors among his former allies to follow through with their threat to oust him.

“It’s up to them. If they fight me, I can fight them all,” said De Venecia.
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THE supposedly settled issues surrounding the once mysterious arrangements for the illegal towing services carried out in Dagupan as early as 2005 until early 2007 raised even more questions.

Based on a report of the One Stop Business Center, a copy of which was obtained by The PUNCH, the city government collected P444,776 for clamping/towing fees and impoundments fees from January 2006 to April 2007 from JLD Motorworks and General Services and other apprehended “violators”.

In her letter to the Acting City Administrator dated October 17, 2007, Digna Liwanag, officer-in-charge office manager of OSBS, stated that clamping and towing fees remitted amounted to P299.076 and the impoundment fee, P145,700.
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LINGAYEN- Convene the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) as the way out for the embattled Arroyo administration.

This was the advice of former President Fidel V. Ramos to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her embattled administration, noting the crisis that has hit the ranks of coalition leaders.

        Ramos told newsmen after his speech during a program marking the ‘First 100 Days’ of the administration of Governor Amado Espino Jr. that the disunity could have been avoided had Mrs. Arroyo called a meeting of the LEDAC more often.
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LINGAYEN–Governor Amado Espino Jr. appears to have been on a fact-finding mission in his first 100 days in office and now he vows to spend the rest of his term resolving the ails he discovered.

Espino, who delivered his first 100 days report Monday at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center, said he discovered major problems when he assumed office and that these need to be immediately addressed.

Among the problems he listed were the poor tourism industry with Pangasinan having the third lowest tourist arrivals in the region, a bloated workforce, an inherited P650 million loan secured by the past administration, alleged irregularities in financial and fiscal management of provincial funds, lack of economic initiatives, unsolved high profile killings, and poor delivery of health services.
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LINGAYEN–Barangay Nibaliw Vidal in San Fabian town and barangay Carriedo in Tayug town are among the towns recommended by Senior Superintendent Isagani Nerez, provincial director of Pangasinan, as “areas of immediate concern” during the Oct. 29 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

Eighty two other barangays have been identified by Nerez, mostly in the western and eastern parts merely as areas of concern which are reportedly under threat by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.

Nerez said the concerns over the two barangays have risen owing directly to presence of heated partisan politics and he has recommended to the Commission on Election that the two be closely watched.
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SOME 937 candidates for barangay election and another 539 candidates for Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls attended a mass for peace and signed a peace covenant at the Dagupan City Cathedral on Friday before they started their campaign spree.

The twin activities coincided with the start of the campaign period for the Barangay and SK elections last Friday.

The mass started at 7:30 a.m. and the signing of covenant took place immediately thereafter in the presence of City Election Officer Remarque Ravanzo, Supt. Dionicio Borromeo, city police chief; representatives of Archbishop Oscar Cruz, members of the Parish Pastoral Council for Pastoral Voting and local media.
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WHAT the past city administration failed to do over a six-year period, the Fernandez administration hopes to accomplish in just a few months.

The city agriculture announced it is sending its third and final notice to owners of illegal fish pens before the end of the month to voluntarily demolish their structures or the city government will undertake the demolition.

City Agriculturist Emma Molina said she already sent two notices to owners of these structures but have ignored these both and were noted to have even increased the number of their pens in the rivers.
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