Political-Columnist-Wanna-Be; Recall VM Fernandez

Sunday Punch’s columnist Al Mendoza called Dagupan City Mayor Benjie S. Lim and City Councilor Brian clowns.

But hardcore dyed-in-the-wool political columnists and radio commentators felt Mendoza is a clown because of his ignorance about the nitty-gritty’s of politics in the city.

He has been clowning ever since he explores the world of political commentary. He doesn’t lived in Pangasinan thus his facts in his column have been obsolete every time he publishes it.

Is this over-the-hill sports' columnist been kicked out from the Philippine Daily Inquirer?

This political-columnist-wanna-be is a big joke every time he opines.

Some media men laughed at him whenever he writes a local issue. He doesn’t have the complete facts. That’s the difference between Al baby and a real local columnist like Ani Lagao, Servito, Alex Tulao, and Jaime Aquino (who is the pound-for-pound king of column writing, my idol). Al lived in Imperial Manila, while they lived in their shanties. They are hooked 24/7 at Bombo-Radyo, Aksyon-Radyo, and others, while Mendoza is hooked to whatever garbage he heard from the rumor- mill.

Looked at this, one of his colleagues at Sunday Punch told media friends that he’s the lousiest columnist there.

Hey Al my man,You wanna know the name of the culprit? Visit me at my hut at the river bank in Brgy. Pantal, and I’ll whisper to you his name.

But oh, please don’t forget to bring a bottle of GSM Blue. We imbibe as I teach you a lesson or two about political commentary ala Thomas L. Friedman.

Ain’t know the guy? He owns the Ache Linda’s Botcha Fried Chicken in front of Funeraria Quegue..

***

Recall VM Fernandez and the majority of the SP?

The snafu in the budget hearing in Dagupan City has spilled-over to include the “War of Words” of the use of “may” and “shall”.

The Local Government Code says in the first paragraph of Section 323 “In case the sanggunian concerned fails to pass the ordinance authorizing the annual appropriations at the beginning of the ensuing fiscal year, it shall continue to hold sessions, without additional remuneration for its members, until such ordinance is approved, and no other business may be taken up during such sessions.”

On the words; “and no other business may be taken up during such sessions”, former judge George Mejia and now legal adviser to Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez says the Sangunian Panlungsod can still deliberate other agenda within 90 days from January 1 despite the non-approval of the new budget for 2011.

He said that when the word “may” is used in law, ordinance, or statute, it means it is permissive and discretionary, and therefore the council has a choice or option on whether or not to tackle other business matters. He said the word “shall” is mandatory.

But former City Legal Officer Dindin Baniqued disagreed with Mejia. She said the operative word that hamper the taking up of other business until the budgetary ordinance is approved is not the word “may” but the word ”no” before the word “may”.

For a TESDA graduate like me, the arguments of Mejia were garbage. Congressmen who made that law were not as stupid as those people who advised the SP to include that “may no other business may be taken up ...” for everybody to violate it by inserting other agenda despite the prohibition.

E di sana hindi na ginawa iyang pagbabawal na iyan kung iba-violate lang ng mga Sanggunian members.

***

It seems the City Council of Dagupan runs under the tyranny of the majority who continue to stall the P568 million budgets for this year.

With the city operating under the P490 2010 re-enacted budget every Jose and Josefa in the city would be in a bind.

I heard that collection of the garbage will be suspended again for an indefinite period because the hauler trucks that ferry them have bogged down.

The city could not repair them because the appropriation that comes from the re-enacted budget has been depleted.

So the best thing to avoid this “cataclysm” is for somebody to ask the mayor to ask his barangay captains and kagawads (councilmen) to initiate a petition of recall against Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez and the majority of the Sangunian Panlungsod who continue to give us pain in the ass.

It’s so simple: After the ban for recall of one year ends in June 30 this year, it takes only a majority of the village chiefs and the kagawads to sign a preparatory recall assembly to call for an election for the post of the perceptibly “stalling” vice mayor and the allegedly tyrannical majority in the council to be held this August this year.

This practice provided by the Local Government Code will be good for everyone.

First, voters would be celebrating again. Imagine, candidate would be ingratiating to the voters through dole-outs and pakurong (a scintillating Pangasinan word that means a candidate for public office gives money or goodies to voters in the eve of a poll).

Second, appropriations for the essential programs like budget for the repair of garbage trucks, dredging machine (to avoid floods by dredging the accumulated silts near my house at the river bank in Brgy. Pantal), and foods for the thousands of malnourish public school pupils would be implemented in the soonest possible time.

All of these would happen because the tyranny of the majority at the council would no longer be around in August to inflict unbearable pain to us Dagupenos.