WE have always believed that all these election cheating particularly “dagdag-bawas’ or vote-shaving and switching of election results cannot be blamed on teachers, they who sacrifice a lot to keep the home fires of democracy burning in the countryside.

As the just-concluded elections last Monday showed, teachers are generally faithful to their sworn poll duties and responsibilities – as best exemplified by that lady schoolteacher in Batangas who was apparently burned to death, along with the schoolbuilding where the canvassing was going on, when she refused to be intimidated by some powerful candidates into doing their wishes. Read the rest of this entry »

By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR.

DAGUPENOS woke up morning after the elections to realize the bizarre and stunningly immediate implication to general order and cleanliness in the city of the election loss of City Mayor Benjamin S. Lim to Speaker Joe de Venecia in their gigantic, take-no-prisoners battle for the foruth district congressional seat.

Many city residents quickly observed chaotic traffic in the main thoroughfares as early as Tuesday afternoon, day after the May 14 polls, as public utility drivers merrily began ignoring traffic rules, especially on loading and non-loading areas, ignoring the few traffic enforcers of the Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) on the road. Some drivers were shouting insults at POSO men saying their boss (Lim) is no more and that they were claiming supremacy over city roads once again. Read the rest of this entry »

By DANNY O. SAGUN

WE predicted quite correctly the victory of re-electionist Congressman Joe de Venecia over Dagupan city Mayor Benjie Lim. But we did not foresee the congressional race as that lopsided. We thought it would be 55-45 or 60-40 in Joe de V’s favor. It was 70-30 or even more lopsided when the last ballot was counted.

We congratulate both for that spirited fight.

‘JDV’ (those initials again that initially confused the board of inspectors in the precincts) indeed trounced his rival but BSL (his initials too had the tabulators confused whether it was to be counted for him or not) showed to all and Read the rest of this entry »

By YOLLY Z. SOTELO

WHAT is sad about changes in political leadership is that many employees in the local government lose their jobs. This is especially because most of them are casuals or emergency workers and their appointments last only up to the last day of the incumbent elective official’s tenure of office.
Then there are political appointees, too – those who handle “sensitive” positions, or whose work are political in nature.
All these people, whether they work for the politician or have transcended politics and are really doing public service, are affected every election time and there are new elected officials, who in turn, will be hiring new workers. Read the rest of this entry »

THE World Choir Games – the Olympics of Choirs – unfolds July9-19 in Graz, Austria where music lovers will experience one of the greatest musical festivals, the world’s biggest choir competition.

Tens of thousand of singers and visitors from all over the world will transform the European Capital of Culture into a world metropolis of choral singing.

From sacred music to jazz participants from more than 70 nations will compete for diplomas and Olympic medals in 28 categories and present their artistic abilities at numerous encounter concerts and gala concerts in Graz and its surroundings. Read the rest of this entry »

Nen MARIO F. KARATEKA

ALIWA labat konon ketket, no ag ingen baknot so ginawa daray sektor o moyongan na traysikel tan dyipni draybers/operators laban ed isisipen dan kalaban daran konsehales na Dagupan a salanti di Alex de Venecia, kaanakan nen Ispiker Dyo, tan si Vlad Mata. Araldalem, agi, so impangibaknot tan impangiwawasiwas dad Cuya Alex ya walad tiket na administrasyon tan si Vlad ya walad linyay oposisyon Team New-Po.

Say sakey a tinargit na saray opereytors tan draybers a si Kg. Joey Tamayo balet aliktaran to so lewet tan akaloob ed grupo daray analon samploran kokonsehales na siyudad. Aliwan tanto so sakit na linawa dad sikato siguro.
Read the rest of this entry »