NEVER ENDING PUBLIC HEARINGS on vehicle franchise at the sangguniang panlungsod still finds a number of interested operators and drivers (right) airing their views and problems to city legislators here led by Councilor Vlad Mata (seated presiding, at left ) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulation Board (LTFRB) whose representative came late for this hearing. (PStar Photo by Butch F. Uka)

BISKEG Pangasinan, a loose coalition of political leaders in the province, is now a political party.

The Commission on Elections accredited Biskeg as a new political party after passing requirements.

Local leaders in the province led by former Sto. Tomas Mayor Antonio “Bebot” Villar, Jr., now a presidential assistant, worked for the group’s accreditation.

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THE Regional Trial Court of Dagupan has granted the petition of colleges and universities throughout the country against the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) in connection with the latter’s two resolutions on the phaseout of certain school programs that perform below par in licensure examinations.

The resolution was issued by RTC Judge Rolando Mislang in the face of the petition of the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU) questioning the validity of CHED Resolution No. 475 s. 2004 which set an eight percent ceiling of passing of graduates of educational institutions in government licensure examinations and CHED Resolution No. 20 s. 2005 which set the 30 percent ceiling of passing for nursing board examinations.

The Court’s order was in connection with civil action filed against the CHED by University of Luzon represented by its Acting president Dr. Mac Arthur Samson with PACU and the Dagupan-based Lyceum-Northwestern University entering themselves as petitioners-intervenors.

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SUSPECTED vigilantes struck anew in Dagupan City killing an unidentified man who was dumped on top of a garbage heap along Jose R. de Venecia Highway in barangay Lucao here Tuesday dawn.

The cadaver may have been the third salvage victim in the city in a span of only one week following the earlier discovery of two more bodies in two separate places in the city a few days ago.

All victims, one of whom was a woman, were suspected police characters who might have been eliminated by the supposed vigilantes, whose members could no yet be identified.

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HOUSE Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. said he expected the opposition to go to the Supreme Court to question the holding of the nationwide people’s initiative in order to effect an amendment to the 1987 Constitution.

He told newsmen Saturday at his residence in Bonuan Binloc here that it would be good if the opposition will do this so that they can be clarified once and for all.

“We actually encourage the opposition to go to the Supreme Court so that they can be clarified (on the issue of people’s initiative) once and for all,” said De Venecia.

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MAPANDAN – President Macapagal-Arroyo paid a visit to this town which had adopted her as honorary daughter when she was yet a senator.

The President flew in by helicopter last Tuesday to inaugurate several projects, including new police station in time for the celebration of the annual fiesta and Pandan festival.

In her brief message at the town plaza, Arroyo acknowledged the hospitality accorded her by the officials and the people here thru a municipal resolution that adopted her as a daughter of the town in 1993 under the late Mayor Maximo Calimlim, grandfather of incumbent Mayor Ferdinand Calimlim.

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MAPANDAN – Relieved as provincial police director for alleged failure to control operations of illegal gambling machines barely ten days ago, Sr. Supt. Alan Purisima was returned to his post in Pangasinan Monday after apparently vindicating himself of the charge slapped on him.

Director-General Arturo Lomibao, who was here last Tuesday for the inauguration of the new police station with President Macapagal-Arroyo as guest of honor, confirmed Purisima’s return to his old post in a talk with newsmen after lunch.

He said that investigation on Purisima’s performance in the campaign against illegal gambling machines particularly hataw and ameneng turned in favor of the provincial police director.

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By Behn Fer. Hortaleza, Jr.
PIA Pangasinan Infocenter

GOVERNMENT and the academe in Dagupan City are joining hands to take a closer and more critical look at the sanitation and quality of water being supplied by the various water refilling stations for improved safeguards on public health.

The joint undertaking was sealed thru a memorandum of understanding signed last Wednesday between the city government thru Mayor Benjamin S. Lim and the Lyceum-Northwestern University thru its president, Atty.Gonzalo T. Duque.

Witnessing the agreement that calls for an intensive research on the potability of water processed and sold by the refill stations were Dr. Leonardo Carbonell, city health officer and Director Eugene Reyes, head of the LNU Research and Development Management Offfice.

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By DANNY O. SAGUN
PIA-Pangasinan

EVER showing confidence in his current political moves, House Speaker Jose de Venecia said that President Macapagal-Arroyo could already be delivering her State of the Nation Address before an interim Parliament in July.

With more than the required signatures for the people’s initiative gathered last Saturday all over the country, he said the process involved in amending the Constitution including the plebiscite will have been completed in June.

Verification of the five million signatures would be completed by April 15 to be followed by a month-long campaign to woo the support of the people, he optimistically declared.

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NARVACAN, Ilocos Sur – Elements of the Philippine Army 41st Infantry Battalion captured one of the biggest camps of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in the mountainous area of Tubo, Abra, a senior military officer reported.

Lt. Colonel Angelito De Leon, commander of the army’s 41st Infantry Battalion based in Langilang, Abra, reported to Col. Manuel E. Mariano Jr., commander of the Army’s 503rd Infantry Brigade based in Sulve, Narvacan, Ilocos Sur, that a platoon of army soldiers led by a “Lt. Guway” took control of the NPA camp, composed of 25 makeshift huts, capable of accommodating 70 rebels.

The camp was abandoned by the rebels earlier because of continuing massive military operations in the area.

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