DAGUPAN CITY – The Pangasinan provincial police has put 12 towns and three cities under Comelec watch list during the May 2010 elections because of intense political rivalry and election-related incidents in the areas in the past two elections.
Sr. Supt. Percival Barba, Pangasinan provincial director, said under watch list are the cities of San Carlos, Dagupan and Alaminos, and the towns of San Manuel,Tayug, Malasiqui, San Nicolas, Basista, Binalonan, Natividad, Pozorrubio,
Rosales, Sual, San Quintin and Bolinao.
Barba said the police have also identified six private armed groups in different towns of the province – four of them in the watch list and two in other towns which he did not identify.
“If we will include the presence of PAG as basis, there will be 17 local government units that should be under election watch list,” he told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.
Barba refused to identify the towns with PAG, saying “manghuli na lang kami (we will just
apprehend).”
He said some town mayors agreed with having their towns under Comelec control citing Rosales Mayor Ricardo Revita whom he quoted as saying “it was good because the town will be getting special attention.”
San Manuel Mayor Salvador Perez said he had no problem with his town being under Comelec control, saying there was nothing to hide during the election. His aide Nicanor Laroya Jr. was shot to dead in Binalonan last January 25, but “the case was not election-related because it happened in another town.”
But Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza said he will ask the Comelec the basis for inclusion of the city under watch list.
“It is unfair. On what grounds are they putting us under watch list? Do they (police) know something we do not know? Are there reports of armed groups?” he said.
He added that he had been in public service in the last 20 years and had been voting in the city ever since he started to vote and “It is only now that (the city) will be called a hot spot.”
Braganza added that some walls in the city painted with the message “ Mabuhay ang CPP-NPA-NDF” as if there was a scenario being created to put the city under Comelec control.
The municipal trial court has excluded at least 57 names from the list of voters in seven villages of the city.
In several orders, MTC Presiding Judge Borromeo Bustamante said since the 57 persons could not be found in their supposed addresses by the court’s sheriff, the petition to remove them from the list was granted.
Bustamante directed the election registration board to exclude the 57 names in the lists of the voters who are supposedly from the villages of Palamis, San Jose , Cayucay, Magsaysay, Lucap , Victoria and Telbang.

LINGAYEN – The historic
Maramba Boulevard fronting the
Capitol building here is turning
brown, not green.
This observation by town
residents and visitors in the area
was echoed by former governor
and second district Rep. Victor
Agbayani who undertook the
development of the almost onekilometer
boulevard sometime
in 2006 to pay homage to one of
Pangasinan’s greatest sons, Don Daniel Maramba of Sta. Barbara.
Maramba, who served as
governor of the province, was
among the local leaders who
fought against the Spanish
regime.
He was one among three
Pangasinan heroes who fought
in the Battle of Dagupan in July
1898.
Maramba led the liberation
of the town of Sta. Barbara on
March 7, 1898. Hearing that Sta.
Barbara fell into rebel hands,
the Spanish forces in Dagupan
attempted to retake the town,
but were repulsed by Maramba’s
forces. Thus, after the setback, the
Spaniards decided to concentrate
their forces in Lingayen to protect
the provincial capital. This enabled
Maramba to expand his operations
to Malasiqui, Urdaneta and
Mapandan, taking them one after
the other. He took one more town,
Mangaldan, before proceeding to
Dagupan to lay siege on the last
Spanish garrison.
Consequently, the Battle of
Dagupan led to the liberation of
Pangasinan from the Spanish
forces.
Agbayani said that aside
from improving the Maramba
Boulevard, he also enlisted the
support of the family and relatives
of Don Daniel to have his statue
erected at the entrance of the
boulevard.
“We immediately undertook
the development of the Maramba
Boulevard after the restoration of
the Capitol Building was completed
in 2006,” Agbayani added.
He said various ornamental
plants were planted to enhance
the beauty of the place.
However, Agbayani noted
that the plants have apparently
been unattended to and have
started to wither away and to turn
brown in color.
To daily maintain the
Maramba Boulevard, Veterans
Park and the other surrounding
areas in the Capitol, the Tourism
and Parks Development Office
was created, Agbayani added.
The office was manned by
a park administrator and several
utility workers, security and other
maintenance aides.
Agbayani expressed hope
that the upkeep of the Maramba
Boulevard as well as the adjoining
Aguedo Agbayani Memorial Park
in front of the Capitol would be
spared from politics.
“Huwag naman sanang
mabahiran ng pulitika ang pagasikaso
sa Maramba Boulevard,” he said

by MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA
The acrimonies for the past weeks brought by the expose in media against Senator and “presidentiable” Manny Villar in the Senate hardly put a dent on the image of the latter on the Pulse Asia’s January 22- 26, 2010 survey. It showed there “presidentiables” Noynoy Aquino and Villar were already statistically tied with 37%, 35% (in the survey’s margin of error of plus and negative two percent), respectively, from the nine questions given to the 1,800 respondents.
The first four questions got a significant percentage –points. They are areas where I am going to delve, and, ehem, explain how it bodes them. They are “1) The candidate is “not corrupt/clean record, 24%”, “2) Care for the poor, 24%,“3) Can do something/is doing something/will do something, 16%”, and “4) Helps, helping others, 11%”.
Since the website of Pulse Asia did not specifically show how many percentage-points both of them got in No.1, I presumed the “Not corrupt/clean record” went to Noynoy because of his unsullied scandal-free image from the time he joined politics as congressman.
The C-5 row, I presumed again, has affected the points of Villar on this question.
But I believed he is neck to neck or ahead on the last three questions against Aquino.
Thanks to his aggressive infomercials at ABS/CBN and GMA-7 TVs where he pays millions of pesos daily to endear himself to voters on his pro-poor advocacies.
These advertisements could shame World War II German Propagandist Joeseph Goebels who once quipped that a lie being told and re-told could become a gospel truth to the listeners eventually.
Villar’s infomercials are complemented by some TV shows where he is seen gratuitously giving tens of thousands if not millions of pesos worth of houses to the poor. An awe-inspiring sight before the eyes of the millions of gullible voters who thought Villar was the short-haired orange-clad messiah who descended from heaven to save them from their sorry-state and homelessness.
On these three questions Noynoy’s would be no match competing with Villar on the credibility game.
Villar’s pro-poor Tondo-born image that jived with the last three questions has gobbled Hacienda Luisita resident Aquino’s image.
Noynoy’s handlers especially his primary “campaign-manager’ ABS/CBN did not succeed to alienate the pro- Villar’s respondents in the last three questions. They were not able to agitate Villar’s sympathizers how grave his sins were when he earned and is still earning the windfall of tens of millions of pesos of scarce government monies as a result of his intercession on the duplicated P6.96 billion C-5 road.
ABS/CBN and Noynoy’s handlers failed to simplify this anomaly (although the former has been airing lately its masses-friendly explanation cum news on its prime time schedule) so the common tao could understand it, and hopefully be angry and leave Manny.
The same anger that ousted former presidents Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada because of corruption issues.
***
Although it took me sometime to understand the nuances of C-5 scandal, unlike the saliva-secreting scandal Katrina Halili and Hayden Kho have brought, allow me to present to you this issue that even a school drop-out of Iskol Bukol understand.
For the first time allow me to speak in the vernacular so any Tomasito, Deocoro, and Herodito could understand:
Simulan po natin ito kung saan ang gobierno ang naka pagkumbinse ng Malaysian investor na gumawa ng kalsada sa pamamagitan ng Build Operate Transfer (BOT). Ang BOT po ay hindi iyong ginagamit ng mangingisda pagpupunta sila sa la-ot, ito po ay polisiya ng gobierno kung saan kahit isang kusing na centimo ay wala pong gagastosin ang gobierno natin dahil ito ay pagkakita-an ng namumuhunan sa bayad ng mga mi-ari ng mga sasakyan, na ayaw ma-traffic, na dadaan dito.
Ito ay magmula sa South Luzon Express Way (SLEX) at magtatapos Coastal Road sa Paranaque.
Ang gastos lang ng gobierno dito sa Manila Cavite Toll Expressway Project (MCTEP), ay P2.68 billion dahil ito ay ibibili ng mga lupa at ari-arian na masasagasaan ng kalsadang ginawa. Sa English po ang tawag dito ay expropriation.
Mag mula sa SLEX at patungong Coastal Road si Villar, gamit ang kapangyarihan bilang Senate President, ay na-impluensiyan niya ang gobierno na gumawa ng panibagong kalsada na tinawag na
DPWH C-5 Extension Project (CX-5) na kasama ang Las Pinas- Paranaque Link Project (LPPLP).
Tawagin natin ito na CX-5/ LPPLP. Ito ay isang kalsada na, maniwala man kayo o hindi, ay ginawa para tabihan ang kalsadang ginawa ng Malaysian. Mag asawang kalsada! Puedi ba iyon? Puede po, dahil nangyari na po ito doon sa Cavite at Paranaque areas.
Ang malupit lang po dito ay iyong bagong kalsada ay ginastusan ng gobierno ng P6.96 billion. Napakamahal po kasi nilihis ng konti at dinagdagan ang haba sa pamamagitan ng LPPLP para mada-anan ang mga 50-52 hectarya na lupa-in ni Manny sa Las Pinas na karamihan ay hindi pa na developed. Binayaran si Manny ng P7, 168 per square meter (psm) sa ari-ari-an niya na nasagasaan.
Iyong mga non-Villar properties doon ay binili lang ng gobierno ng P1,880 psm.
Dahil dito kumita si Villar sa expropriation ng P168 million, kasama na doon ang over-priced.
Billion po ang kinita o kikita-in ni Villar dito dahil tuma-as din ang halaga ng lupain niya dahil sa bagong kalsada.
***
Dati po nuong nag-aaral din ako sa Iskol Bukol, akala ko po ay kuentong praning po iyong pagbili ng kotse na kasama na ang kalsada. para maka-iwas trapiko.
Mukhang naniniwala na po ako sa kuentong iyon pagkatapos ko ma-researched ang CX-5/LPPLP.
Kasalukuyan po akong napapraning dahil bigo ang ABS/ CBN at supporters ni Noynoy na iparating sa masang madla ang nakaka- altang presyong isyung walang pangundakang nakawan na ito.
Malisyoso po ang ginawa ni Senator Villar dahil po sa Code of Conduct and Ethical Standard for Public Official and Employees, ang isang opisyal ng gobierno na mi interest sa isang proyekto ng gobierno ay dapat maglahad kung mi conflict of interest siya doon bago siya sumali sa pagawa ng proyecto.
Hindi po ito ginawa ni Villar.
Ang parusa dito ay kasong administratibo.
Dahil din dito si Villar ay pueding maakusahan ng plunder or pandarambong sa Ombudsman kung saan ang kasong ito ay walang piyansa dahil sa pagiging karumaldumal.
Ito pong pagiging karumaldumal ay hindi po naintindihan ng masa. Mas naintindihan pa ng masa ang jingle ng ads ni Villar na “nasubukan niyo na bang maligo sa basura? Nasubukan niyo na bang mag pasko sa kalsada?”
Pag ganito na lang tayo hangang eleksiyon sa Mayo, siguradong maliligo tayong lahat sa basura at magpapasko sa kalsada sa ilalim ng administrasyon ni Villar.
Pagpasensiyahan niyo na lang po ang sulat ko sa Pilipino.
(Send comments to totomortz@ yahoo.com)

LINGAYEN — The groundbreaking of the Sual Port Development Project, one of the mega infrastructure projects envisioned by Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. to catapult Pangasinan into unprecedented economic growth, took place last February 5 in Poblacion, Sual.
The governor said the event marked another milestone in the history of the province as this will pave the way for the industrialization and the long-delayed economic development of Pangasinan.
He also said the project will spur a new climate of growth that will fan its steady march towards
becoming a premier location for investments in Region I.
“Indeed, the Sual Port has the single-handed capability to stimulate more economic activities and livelihood opportunities for our people,” the Governor said even as he added that Pangasinan can now look forward, dream big and begin a new adventure towards greater economic progress and opportunity.
He also said that it is one historic moment when Pangasinan can enjoy the real prospect of moving forward and finally leaving behind the unfortunate years of missed opportunities.
According to Gov. Espino, the Sual Port, once completed, will pave the way for the development of the province’s potential export products like metallic and non-metallic minerals, its abundant supply of high quality sand and gravel and its agricultural crops and fishery products.
“It will provide easier access for our potential exports to reach the global market,” he added.
The governor thanked President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo for her unflinching commitment to help the province realize new breakthroughs and the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) for making the project possible by jointly allocating P200 Million to jumpstart the project.
Also designed toaccommodate international commercial vessels, the port will spell tremendous potentials for municipal, provincial and regional growth, according to Atty. Doroteo Reyes II, Undersecretaty for Civil Aviation DOTC, as he commended the entire provincial government for the grand occasion which he said is a sure insurance of the future.
First District Representative Arthur Celeste said that with the construction of the port, Pangasinan can now compete with provinces like Davao and Cebu in attracting investors.
“Hindi lang pabor sa Unang Distrito o sa bayan ng Sual, ito po ay pabor sa buong Pangasinan na magpapaangat at magpapalipad sa ating probinsiya tungo sa malawakang progreso at pagbabago,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mayor John Rodney Arcinue of Sual, said the long-awaited project will open the gates towards industrialization, not only of his town, but of the entire province even as he said that there will be more job opportunities and greater revenue for Sual and Pangasinan.
The construction of Phase I of the Sual Port, costing P80.6 Million is expected to be completed in 365 days. The project involves the construction of a RO-RO ramp, rock causeway, including rock bulkhead, fill materials, RC Curb, Stair landing, Zocalo wall, retaining wall and drainage system. (PIO/Rafael Manuel)

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – Former House Speaker Jose de Venecia (4th District, Pangasinan) said the dominant party that will win in this year’s poll will be either the Liberal or the Nationalista Party.

He said Lakas-Kampi CMD Party that controls the present House of Representatives will decline considerably.

“I doubt if its candidate for president (Gilbert Teodoro) will win,” de Venecia, who co-founded the defunct Lakas-CMD, said.

He stressed that after the May 10, 2010 polls, political parties should unite so the country will not be divided again.

He proposed a government of national unity to neutralize the constant infighting and impeachment threats to the sitting president.

De Venecia said at all cost a newly elected president should be proclaimed in June 30, 2010.

“If no civilian authority emerges by July 1st, the military would, as guardian of the state, temporarily take charge.

He said military take-over would be the last resort because it would not bode well for the country.

De Venecia was ousted from the speaker ship in January 2008 after his son and namesake exposed the overpriced but aborted NBN-ZTE deal. The young de Venecia pinpointed high government officials including First Gentleman Miguel Arroyo as having dipped their fingers into the deal.

He is serving his last term in office. His wife Gina runs for his post under the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

When the former speaker resigned from the newly merged Lakas-Kampi CMD, all the four mayors in his district who supported him politically joined the NPC.

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Precaution to congressional bet Hermogenes Esperon, some media men are up in arms against your P.R men kuno who are based in eastern Pangasinan. They told me your P.R boys did not remit the proper amount of monies as payment for the services of these media friends for your candidacy.

Sir, baka masira kayo diyan. Mukhang hindi tama rin iyong binibigay nilang pera sa ka pro-promote of your candidacy.

The camp of your rival Marlyn Agabas relished this that it even contemplates to pirate some of them to their fold.

***

Reinvigorated like a newly overhauled Ferrari, Dagupan City Mayor Al Fernandez has arrived from his U.S trip. His supporters believe that its all-system goes for him to jump into the hustling in every beach, fishpond, sitio, and barangay in the 92,867 strong votes city as per Comelec December 10, 2009 record.

His presence in the Bangus city is a relief for his supporters because, susmariosep, his mayoralty opponent Benjie S. Lim (former congressman and mayor) has been foraging daily the city and its peripheries as if there is no tomorrow.

“Lumalakas si Benjie Lim, Mortz!” quipped to me by a veteran political operator when I met her at the house of her very powerful political patron.

Benjie patiently and surreptitiously launched a silent war by using the Ho Chi Minh Trail approaches in penetrating every organization, association, and whatever they deem indispensable for their struggle in winning the hearts and minds of Dagupenos.

To counter this Benjie’s surge, Al and his handlers should not emulate the failed General William Westmoreland versus Ho and General Vo Nguyen Vian Giap approach but a masterful strikes ala Inchon , Korean landing of Douglas MacArthur.

***

What is the difference between opposition senatorial candidate Riza Hontiveros and opposition senatorial tail- enders Adel Tamano, Ruffi Biazon, TJ Guingona, and Neric Acosta?

Hontiveros is wily. Even though it is obvious that President Arroyo is not barred by the constitutional provision of limiting her term for one term in the congressional race in Pampanga, Hontiveros still persists to appeal the decision of a Comelec division in rejecting her bid of barring Arroyo to run as congresswoman in Pampanga.

Just read what Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer has opined on the electoral circus played by Hontiveros: “If the commission that crafted the Charter intended to prohibit presidents from joining future electoral contests, it would have worded the pertinent constitutional provision in an unequivocal manner.”

But I still doff my hat to Riza’s chutzpah. Because of her obviously misplaced persistence, she keeps landing her name and face on newspaper, radio, and TV. In short, she got all the mileage that her poor survey rates needed. While her poor counterparts could not even think of a tinge of the gimmick she has been waging.

***

Like the Sword of Damocles, President Gloria M. Arroyo’s last few months in office is being observed by political kibitzers with bated breath.

The stake is too high for her to just leave office without putting trenches to shield her against non-bailable capital suits like plunder.

With all the influence, power, and resources at her hands presently, the president will make everything to save her from incarceration after June 30, 2010 when her term ends.

One of the opportunities she and her advisers would be ‘exploiting”, for me, would be the vulnerability of the computerized election to machinations that will result in a failure of the poll for president, vice president, senate, and a senate president beyond June 30, 2010.

This failure however will not affect the congressional and local posts since these areas are just too small for a failure of counting up to the June 30, 2010 transition.

In the congressional election, we know that Arroyo runs in the same post in Pampanga. Indisputably, with all the multi-millions of pesos of government projects she dumped there, she is the favorite to win. This strategy, I suspect, has been long hatched in Malacanang for her Speakership of the House of Representatives.

As the number four person in the succession of power, Arroyo can easily ask the members of the House of Representatives to form a Constituent Assembly with the remaining outnumbered 12 senators – whose term ends on 2013 – to join the revision and vote for it — whether they like it or not.

This constitutional coup would be anchored on the provision of the Constitution that says that the Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its Members can amend or revise the Constitution (Paragraph 1, Section 1, Article XVII Philippine Constitution).

This is an ambiguous provision because it did not specifically say if revision or amendment can be done separately by the bicameral congress. Arroyo supporter zealously read this as a joint congressional effort to change the fundamental law of the land.

All the senators – including those who will win in the 2010 poll – will be absorbed by a new unicameral-presidential form of governance.

A system of government where a newly proclaimed president like Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino will become toothless as he would be relegated to be a titular head like what happened in Russia. To the school drop-outs who mind to read this column, titular head is where the president preoccupied himself cutting ribbon every time the country has social function.

In the Russian model its former president Vladimir Putin – just like Arroyo – was barred to run for reelection. But because of his shrewdness, he became triumphant in revising the country’s constitution where he found himself proclaimed as the Russian prime minister.

Arroyo can be proclaimed as prime minister, too.

This maneuvering can be backed-up through this kind of constitutional coup: It can be backed-up too by an Arroyo-friendly Supreme Court -where anytime from now it can even reversed its hair thin 8-7 Lambino vs. Comelec People’s Initiative for another means to convert our system of government into a parliamentary form. And I was not under the influence of liquor writing this column my dear Procopio, there is a precedence for this legal summersault where the high court just reversed its three times rejections of the three Motion of Reconsiderations for the city hood’s bid of 16 towns lately.

***

As I encoded the above articles, I saw a feature on U. S based Fox TV those T-shirts fashionably worn nowadays by American’s teens and adults.

Those tees were emblazoned by faces of communist guerrilla’s greats Che Guevarra, Fidel Castro, and Mao Ze Dung.

But these stuffs are different from those worn by our youth who don’t have a modicum of knowledge where from Adam these Che, Fidel, and Mao come from.

The feature – being replayed once in a while by this Republican Party Friendly TV station – was a dig at these communist icons past sins to humanity.

At the back of a Mao t-shirt was a statement that says: “This t-shirt has killed twice what Adolf Hitler has murdered”: “This t-shirt has killed 70 million people in peace time.”

Anak ng bibingkang hilaw, I was petrified when I first saw the word “T-shirt has killed”. I thought at first how bizarre now our world is. Is it the scourge of global warming that made this thing happened? I asked myself. Even shirts are now killing people. Until it comes to my senses that it was a grammatical mix-up for the proper use of word from “this t-shirt” to”this person”.

Anyway, the same adverse statements have been implicated to Che and Fidel.

Gee whiz, If any body there at the U.S who read this column, I would be grateful to refund the price of the tees and its freight in case you stumble and send one here in ‘Pinas. O.k itong pang ja-porms!

(Send comments to totomortz@yahoo.com)

STA. BARBARA– “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”

These words from Albert Einstein became the driving force for some 45 volunteer members of the medical team who served in the Panangaro Medical Mission held on January 23-24. at the Orbos Gym here.

The medical, surgical, dental and optometry mission was able to serve 1,968 residents of this town, i.e., 1472 medical cases, 58 surgical cases, 150 dental cases and 262 cases in optometry.

Mayor Reynaldo Velasco said, “We are truly grateful to all the volunteers especially the doctors who came all the way from the U.S.A. and who committed themselves to share not only their material blessings but more so their time, knowledge and skills to make this medical mission a successful one.”

Dr. Fe Reyes, the municipal health officer of this town and the co-coordinator of this mission said, “What made this project different from the rest is that it included surgical particularly excision of cysts and optometry. With regard to optometry, the patients were not only examined but were also given brand new eyeglasses.”

“Lectures on health and welfare of women and children were given to the patients while waiting for their turn by municipal social welfare and development officer, Mrs. Wilma Coquia,” Dr. Reyes added.

Husband-and-wife tandem Dr. Carmelo and Bernadette Roco, the over-all coordinators said, “This project couldn’t have been possible without the collective efforts of the Philippine Disaster Coalition in collaboration with the Philippine Consulate, Ayala Foundation U.S.A., Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan Association of America, Daniel Maramba National High School (DMNHS) Society of America, DMNHS Alumni Assocation, Inc., the Rotary Club of Sta. Barbara, the University of Luzon, College of Nursing, the local government unit of Sta. Barbara and some civic-oriented individuals.”

This medical mission had been the 18th medical mission that had been conducted since Mayor Velasco assumed office in July 2007. And a total of 16,186 patients had been attended to.

By Brando Cortez

HOT NA HOT ang nangyaring palitan ng salita sa Senado noong nakaraang Martes kung kaya hindi nakakapagtakang magkainitan at magkapikunan ang ilang mga senador dahil sa debate sa committee report patungkol sa overpricing ng C-5 road extension project na kinasasangkutan ni Senador Manny Villar.

Kap Andres Flores ng Rosales, alam mo ban a napikon ang bagong kasal na si Senador Mar Roxas na nagpanting ang tenga dahil hindi niya magustuhan ang sinabi ni Senador Nene Pimentel hinggil sa usapin ng “insertion?”

Nabangit kasi ni Senador Mar na kailanman ay hindi siya gumagawa ng congressional insertion para sa pansariling interes.

Agad namang sumagot si Pimentel at sinabi kay Roxas na matapos itong maikasal kay Korina ay marami itong ginawang “insertion” na ikinagalit ni Mar.

Ito ang kanilang sagutan ni Sen. Mar Roxas:

Roxas: No, Mr. President. My name was mentioned in the context that we were gunning up, that this was all political, that we were using insertions — when he said in a blanket statement — that there were insertions, others had insertions. Well, I say no. I have no insertion on any matter. In fact, I have no insertion, period because we were in the minority. Let alone an insertion for a road to pass through any such property.

Pimentel: Well, I’m sure that after your marriage you’ve had some insertions…

Roxas: Mr. President, I demand that that be removed from the record. That is an affront on my wife!

Pimentel: Mr. President, I remove it immediately.

BUHAYIN ANG BNPP! Bagama’t wala nang inaasahang rotating brownouts na mararansan sa Luzon partikular sa Metro Manila , nananatili pa ring nasa “yellow alert” ang Luzon grid na nangangahulugan na hindi pa rin sapat ang power reserve ng mga planta.

Atty Jazon, tama sina Cong Mark Cojuangco at Cong Eskimo Estrella na buhayin ang Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

Dito sa Pangasinan nakaranas na naman tayo ng brownouts. Syempre maraming pwedeng rason, yearly maintenance daw po ng isang planta sa Pangasinan na nagbibigay ng kuryente ang dahilan ng brownout.

Sa Metro Manila, nakaranas na naman sila ng brownouts.

Sa Visayas at sa ilang lugar sa Mindanao mas mahaba ang oras ng brownouts na minsan ay tumatagal ng walong oras bawat araw.

Dumating na naman ang brownout days and nights na matindi nating naranasan noong kapahuna ng Mom ng isang kandidato sa presidente.

Ang iba pang rason na ibinibigay nila ay summer na na kasi kaya mas mataas ang konsumo ng kuryente dahil mas marami ang nag-aagawan ng supply.

Kahit na anong ibigay nilang dahilan, ang mamamayan ay walang pakialam.

Ang importante sa kanila ay may kuryente sila.

Kapag wala silang kuryente, ang gobyerno ang sisisihin nila.

Hindi dapat ipagwalang bahala ang brownouts dahil napakalaki ng nawawalang pera at mga oportunidad para sa pag-unlad kung hindi maasahan ang supply ng ating kuryente.

Apektado ang serbisyo publiko at negosyo tapos magiging mantsa pa ito sa ating bayan dahil magdadalawang isip ang foreign investors na maglagak ng negosyo dito sa atin.

May magagawa ang gobyerno.

Potical will ang kailangan upang mabigyang solusyon ang brownouts.

Dapat ihinto ng gobyerno ang privatization ng power industry.

Dapat iwaksi ang takot sa paggamit ng isang nuclear power plant.

Dapat i-recommission ang Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

PUNO EXTENSION. Dapat bigyan ng extension si Chief Justice Reynato Puno.

Kap Rolly Montemayor ng Manaoag, alam mo naman na ang extension sa serbisyo ay matagal nang ginagawa ng presidente sa ibang branches of government, puede sigurong gawin din ito para sa ikabubuti ng lahat.

Chief Justice Puno has been an able and credible guiding light kaya dapat –extend na lang ang kanyang serbisyo hanggang sa makapili ang susunod na Presidente.

KAPENG WALANG ASUKAL! Alama niyo ba na ang average retail prices ng asukal sa mga sumusunod na crop years ay pataas ng pataas?

Eto po ang crop year at katumbas na presyo bawat kilo ng asukal ng araw araw na ginagamit niyo: 2000 to 2001 P26.80; 2001-2002 P27.38; 2002-2003 P27.24; 2003-2004 P27.12; 2004-2005 P28.10; 2005-2006 P35.78; 2006-2007 P36.91; 2007-2008 P37.63; 2008-2009 P37.18; JANUARY 2010 P44.27 per kilo.

Noong umupo ang administrasyon ni PGMA P26.80 per kilo ang retail price ng asukal ma ginagamit mo sa kape mo.

Ngayon January sa pamumuno pa rin ni PGMA P44.27 ang presyo bawat kilo ng asukal.

Iyan ang kayang gawin ng isang ekonomista. Iyong kandidatong presidente na kulay dilaw ay nagmamalaki na ekonomista din daw.

Itong dilaw na kanidatong ito ay may dambuhalang sugar central na nagproproduce ng asukal pero wala siyang nagawa para mapaunlad ang industriya at wala siyang nagawa para panatilihing mababa ang presyo ng asukal.

Kahit na nagging presidente ang kanyang mom, wala din pag unlad sa industriya ng asukal katulad na rin ng pagtaas sa presyo ng galunggong na hindi niya napigilan.

Bok Ging, darating ang panahon na sugar free na talaga ang kape mo…mapait at walang tamis.

Oo nga pala, Ayon kay Ka Melvin noong naligaw siya sa Negros , ang isang crop year sa industriya ng asukal ay nagmumula sa September hangang August.

GIVEN NA. Given na ang mananalo bilang representatives sa house para sa district five ay si Manay Gina De Venecia at sa district five naman ay si mayor Kimi Cojuangco.

Given na rin ang resulta sa kumpetisyon para mayor sa Mapandan, Bugallon, Sto Tomas, Bolinao, Lingayen,

Interesting naman daw ang kumpetisyon sa pagka-mayor sa Alaminos City at Dagupan City .

BISITA. Dumalaw po sa mga bayan ng Sison sa harap ng mga boy scouts, Sta Barbara sa harap ng mga fertilizer dealers, Malasiqui, Dagupan City at Calasiao ang nagpapakilalang contender para senador na si Gilbert Remulla.

Si Gilbert ay kasalukuang congressman mula sa Cavite na ang slogan ay “Hakbang sa Kinabukasan.”

Gusto niyang matugunan ang problema ng kahirapan at ang kapakanan ng mga media practitioners.

MAAGANG KAMPANYA PARA SA HALALAN. Hindi pa man opisyal na nagsimula ang kampanya ng mga kandidato para sa eleksyon ngayong Mayo ay nagsimula na ang labanan ng mga kandidato sa lokal na antas.

May isang kandidato na lahat ng mangyayari sa kanya ay ikokonekta niya sa pulitika at ang kalaban ang pagbibitangan.

May isang kandidato na kung sino-sino na ang nilalapitan upang pakiusapan na magwithdraw ang kanyang kalaban.

May isang kandidato na naisanla na niya ang kanyang mga ari-arian para may panggastos sa halalan.

May isang kandidato na tuloy ang kandidatura dahil ito daw ang sabi sa kanya ng Diyos.

May isang kandidato na tuloy ang kandidatura dahil siya daw ang itinutulak ng mga kababayan.

Matagal nang gawain ng mga incumbent public officials na mangampanya ng maaga.

Yup, lumang tugtugin na ito at kung ano ang tugtog siya rin ang sayaw kaya pati mga hindi incumbent maaga na rin ang campaign nila.

DAGUPAN CITY– President Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the public works and highways department to speed up the completion of river protection projects in Pangasinan.

The President flew to barangay Carmen East in Rosales town on January 27 to see for herself the completed restoration works at the flood-destroyed sections of the river protection dike along the mighty Agno River .

DPWH director Phillip Menez, who supervises flood control projects in the country except those at the Nation al Capital Region, briefed the President on the status of the repair works.

Menez said restoration works in the 16 sections damaged by the flashfloods spawned by typhoon Pepeng in October 2009 were already complete at the time of the presidential visit. Only a few sections of damaged dikes along other major river tributaries are nearing completion, he said.

Contractors from Pangasinan, Tarlac and Pampanga with good track records “advanced” the implementation of the projects as government sourced out funds for the flood rehabilitation program.

The dikes, built in the 1960s yet, were damaged by strong currents of the Agno river as a result of the release of excess waters from the San Roque dam, the volume of which reached up to 5,300 cubic meters per second The dikes could only withstand up to 2,400 cms, it was learned.

The Chief Executive directed Menez to complete all restoration works as well as the remaining works under Phase II of the Agno river rehabilitation program on February 14 as “gift’ to Pangasinenses. Menez replied in the positive.

After the briefing, barangay health worker Imelda Molina, 40, who comes from the town, thanked the President for the immediate repair of the damaged dikes and for all other programs and projects of the administration that bring benefit to her and her family and the town of Rosales as well.

Arroyo also announced the start of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union expressway, which when completed after two years, will reduce travel time from Manila to about an hour.

Earlier in the day, she flew to the Ilocos provinces, then to La Union to groundbreak the expressway project and finally to Pangasinan, her mothers’ home province. (PIA Pangasinan)

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile yesterday dared Sen. Manny Villar to confront his accusers in the Senate instead of engaging in a media blitz to undermine the report censuring him for engaging in “improper and unethical conduct.’

“If we are liars, they should show that we are liars. And the only way they can do that is to present evidence during the plenary session showing that Sen. Villar has not benefited from the C-5 project,” the veteran lawmaker said in an interview.

“The people should know the truth… if he has sinned or not. I did not invent the evidence,” Enrile said, pointing out the committee went through more than 900 pieces of documents before completing the report.

The Pwersa ng Masa leader also warned that if Villar and his allies boycott the Senate session this coming Monday, he will not hesitate to exercise his powers as president of the upper chamber.

He also said that Villar’s group wanted earlier on for him to drop the investigation on the allegations raised by Sen. Jamby Madrigal.

“They wanted me to favor the accused. I can’t do that. Kahit na anak ko pa siya o kaibigan ko pa. Kahit na hindi na ako itinuturing na kaibigan…hindi ko magagawa ‘yan,” Enrile said.

The Senate president said the current controversy on the C-5 road project is a test case for the Nacionalista Party standard bearer.

“Huwag kang magiging duwag, kung magiging duwag ka hindi ka karapat-dapt na maging Presidente, sapagkat kailangang matapang at malakas na loob…kung hindi, baka takbuhan mo iyong interes ng bansa,” Enrile said.