P2.3 billion is not a small amount to sneeze at. There’s this laptop deal done during the Duterte administration and the Department of Education is asking the supplier to replace the laptops. I don’t think they can do that. Baka mas malaki pa ang kinita ng ilang tao doon sa Department of Budget and Management (DBM-PS) kesa sa supplier. You remember the name Christoper Lao? You remember the Pharmally deal? What happened to the Blue Ribbon Committee investigation? Hanggang investigations lang, after that waley.
This another one. The Commission on Audit (COA) flags the P1.38 billion personal protective equipment (PPE) purchase intended for use by medical frontliners. Another billions of pesos lost in a chopper deal with Russia. It was the Philippine government which cancelled the contract. Eh,papaano na ngayon yan? Dalawang bilyon mawawala na parang bula.
Former Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana should have known that under the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) our government is not allowed to buy military arms, say guns, tanks, choppers etc. etc. from Russia. Iyan na baga ang sinasabi ni late President Fidel V. Ramos. Complete Staff Work( CSW) and due diligence. Hindi dilihensiya.
If you count the billions lost on the ayudas, PhilHealth funds, etc the public school teachers will not go around acting like ‘professional beggars’ seeking donations from parents of students in the Balik Eskwela program. Bakit ganoon? May Isang mama nagnakaw ng isang latang sardinas dahil nagugutom ang pamilya kulong agad siya? Pero kapag billion, wala lang. Mayroong mga Ilang taga-Davao ngayon ang pakuyakuyoy at pangiti-ngiti dahil busog na busog sila.
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Danilo Baylon is sour graping. And he shouldn’t. No reason to. He lost the gubernatorial race in the last elections to Governor Dennis’Delta’ Pineda fair and square. Pineda polled almost sixty percent of the votes. The Pinedas are well loved in the province, particularly the governor’s mother, Vice Governor Lilia ‘Nanay’ Pineda. His wife who contested Candaba Mayor Rene Maglanque also failed. So that speaks volume. Move on Mr. Baylon. Huwag mong paniwalaan ang mga umuto sa iyo na kalabanin ang mga Pinedas at the height of their popularity. There’s a time and season for everyone and for everything.
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Just like in Angeles City. In the next elections the Lazatins are unbeatable. There are talks that the brothers-Mayor Pogi and Congressman Jonjon-may trade places in 2025. Mayor Pogi is proving to all and sundry that The Tatak Lazatin brand of service is for the welfare of the constituents. He never stopped in making rounds of the barangays and personally getting feedbacks from his cabalens. Personally delivering financial assistance. I have witnessed the work ethics of Angeles mayors from Rafael Del Rosario, Eugenio Suarez, Rafael Lazatin, Francisco Nepomuceno,Tony Abad Santos and Edgardo Pamintuan and I can safely say that if I am a teacher and will rank them in industriousness Mayor Pogi will emerge valedictorian. ( Btw. In my younger years, I worked part time during Del Rosario’s incumbency. Was City Information Officer during Suarez and Nepomuceno administrations. Was councilor during Abad Santos and Pamintuan’s terms.)
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Sometimes a person’s luck is written in stars, a poetic line written which I read many moons ago. Mexico Mayor Teddy Tumang was a barangay captain when he beat to the polls incumbent Ernesto Punzalan. Jing Capil was barangay captain when trounced two opponents including former Governor Mark Lapid in a three way contest in a Porac town. Board member Cris Garbo was board member and ended the more 20 years rule of Mayor Boking Morales in Mabalacat.