By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR

CIVILIAN local executives had better watch out in the next few years because their political careers are under serious threat.

This, especially if they have among their constituents an illustrious, top-ranking, high-profile police officer who strongly feels there’s life after retirement. You see, chances are these uniformed men, not their current vice mayor or councilor or previous opponents, will be their next (bitter) election rivals.
Lingayen mayor Jonas Castaneda, as reports now go, is in one such fix.

The looming ‘threat ‘ of a Police general Leopoldo Bataoil mayoralty ambition, so political pundits say, is growing larger by the day considering the Pol Profile’s approaching retirement from the service.

Many Lingayen pals I’ve talked to say, like the military personality that he is, Bataoil is pre-positioning now and marshaling his men and allies – although he’s quick to parry insinuations about his political intentions for now. The almost regular meetings his band of supporters is having at the general’s wide farm resort in barangay Malimpuec these days belie any denial he makes though, my bagoong informants claim.

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The general who’s getting all the media mileage he needs, courtesy of his loyal and fully greased stable of reporters mostly from the distaff side, is egged no end by the fact that his son, Mon Bataoil, is an incumbent town councilor and has a clique within Jonas’ and Vice Mayor Bartolome’s turf to keep the mayor on his toes all the way to 2010.

From what I hear, there are five members of the group to include our old pal, alderman Joe Ferrer, a bagoong magnate who recently delivered a scathing privilege speech at the town council session denouncing political intrigues coming his way.

They it is who are now trying to spoil Jonas’ once flawless facial and disturbing his uh, equanimity.

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If and when he does throw his hat into the political ring, Bataoil will of course just be following the footsteps of his comrades-in-arms, former police generals Generals Rey Velasco and Amado T. Espino and several others in the national scene who just can’t have enough of public service, it seems, they’d traded their uniform for paisano attire in order to continue to serve la patria.

Let’s hope that, in case he makes it as mayor, the Lingayen-born police general won’t also insist on building an airport in the capital town or move to pass an edict banning guns in civilian hands.

Still, having seen how the incumbent Governor Spines operated and won in the last elections, resources, maneuvers, propaganda and all, the veteran political animal that he is, Jonas would be dumb if he does not yet know how to fight a starred, bemedalled police officer when things ever get to that point.

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Is the fight initiated by City hall against those pesky public domain grabbers at the beach areas of Bonuan winnable?
I think so.

The task force formed by Mayor Al only needs to be painstaking and extra careful in its battle preparations (forget about this gung-ho thing; it only emboldens probable softies among the target “squatters” to claw back instead of settling) and make sure they are using “smart bombs” to destroy the “enemy.”

Proclamation No. 98, on which the city administration, thru the city legal officer, based its move to cancel tax declarations in Dagupan foreshorelands – especially those beachlots of Bonuan – spelled out the limits and boundaries of the Tondaligan national park and playground, complete with the Lot Numbers of parcels of land that were made part of the park and therefore officially became public domain since March 26, 1963, the date President Diosdado Macapagal signed the proclamation.

Anyone found building his residence or resthouse within this set domain, regardless of whether he holds a supposed tax declaration, or whether he’s a lowly laborer or a high public official, maybe even a member of the judiciary, is sitting as, what else but a squatter? Simple enough.

Let’s not rush the city assessor into outlawing residents in beach areas outright; for all we know they could be outside the ambit of Proclamation 98 all the while.

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By the way, Proclamation 98, a copy of which I was able to obtain thru the help of Ryan Ravanzo’s city information office (CIO) and, I suppose, the city assessor’s office, covers parcels of land lining the beach extending from Bonuan Gueset to Boquig and Binloc — with most of these lots situated in the Binloc area.

Over the years, it is just possible, many have encroached, knowingly or unknowingly, on such a vast expanse of open public land.
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We asked Ryan who’s a member of the task force if there’s hell to pay awaiting those behind the spurious mass titling of lots and the grant of tax declarations that the “squatters” used (and are actually waving to members of the task force) as proof of their “rightful occupancy.” He said there was, but it will have to wait till the whole lot ownerships in the area are fully and satisfactorily scrutinized and demolition, if at all, is carried out.

We believe the greater punishment should go to those behind the land scam – not their victims – because, as one enraged marginal lot owner was loudly wailing over the radio last week, “someone” told them long ago that they already fully own the land and that everything has been “cleared” as regards their right to stay and therefore they willingly and happily paid their “amortizations” to the guy who gave them their “haven.”

I wish I could dismiss these with a curt “Suckers are born every minute” but I can’t.

The sordid scam is just too sickening to be made light of.
Mayor Al and his team, from City Engineer Jane Rosario to City Legal Officer George Mejia to the city assessor and the community environment and natural resources officer owe it to Law and Order to apply the full measure of penalties on these scam artists and their cohorts in government.

We’re going to reserve our three cheers for them till then..