Projects, cut reasons why congressmen turncoat

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

ILOILO CITY - Many reelected mayors in the concluded May 9 election lost their bid.

“The loss was a huge slapped on the face of these politicians,” an incumbent Mayor, who served his first class town for more than 20 years, told me.

He cited that a sitting mayor of a burgeoning town receives more than a million pesos a month of payola from illegal number game’s jueteng and other forms of gambling, millions of pesos S.O.P (euphemism of 20 percent or cut) from government projects and supplies sold by the contractors to the municipal government, while his opponent spends to defeat him in the election by using his personal monies.

JUMP SHIP. Congressmen from various political parties took their oath of allegiance to presumptive 17^th Congress House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and his and President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte’s PDP-Laban Party. PHOTO CREDIT: Rappler

Recent news reports said that outgoing House Speaker Sonny Belmonte was disappointed about the mass defection of the members of the once vaunted Liberal Party.  Just weeks after the May 9, 2016 poll, these solons swear allegiance to the Partido Demokrito Pilipino- Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) of President-elect Rody Duterte.

Many of them fought tooth, gum, and nail for the presidential victory of Mar Roxas who helped them get projects from the Palace.

Now they unabashedly sing hosannas to Duterte forgetting that weeks ago they were flirting with Roxas as if he was the best "thing" that happened in their lives.

Was this bad taste in the mouth?  

Yes, if you have halitosis or bad breath, but congressmen chart their reelection by intervening thru his or her connection with Malacanang on the number of multi-million pesos’ projects and the millions of pesos the national government can give to his or her district.

In each of that projects he or she can pocket through the 20 percent or more S.O.P like those farm-to-market roads  by the Departments of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform or concrete road pavement or elevation pavement of highway done by the Department of Public Works & Highway.

Thanks to the moro-moro played by their favorite private contractors who rigged the bidding to overprice it so they can stash away a big chunk of public monies. (Read here my previous article how government officials rob the coffer, by clicking How contractor profits from gov't project).

For those who read this column on the hard copy of our newspaper, here are some excerpts of that topic:

“He said in a P28 million gravelling of roads, the Palace connected guy who interceded for the project in the province gets 10%, the district Congressman who identified the place of the infrastructure gets 5% from the worth of the project.

“Mga P15 million ang kita ko diyan sa project,” a contractor whispered to me when I asked him how much he earned from it.

“Tubong lugaw,” ang raket na napasok ninyo,” I told him after I mentally calculated that the government and the public get only P8.8 million after P2.8 million goes to the Palace’s connection, P1.4 million goes to the congressman, and the P15 million profits he pocketed.

 I believed what this Contractor told me.

 In the past, a Mayor who was a contractor told me the anatomy of the two-third of the government monies that went to the pocket of the contractor and government officials.

 He cited a P3 million fund for re-gravelling of road from the national government in a town in a Congressional District of Pangasinan. The mayor asked him how much he would give him in case he (Mayor) asks for his service.

“I give you P1 million.” The grateful town executive shook his hand for the conclusion of the negotiation.
My contractor pal told me he got the P1 million for himself, while the remaining P1 million was deducted by P100 thousand for the municipal engineer who certified that the substandard project was above board, an average of P5 thousand to each of the barangay captains whose jurisdiction were beneficiaries of the project.

 “Iyong re-gravelling ang contractor spends only less than 30 percent of the total amount (It means less than P900 thousand from the P3 million budget that goes to the Filipinos - MCO),” he told me."

***

Now that Bayambang, Pangasinan mayoralty elect Cesar Quiambao gears to assume office at noon of June 30, I am curious to see what happen to a media practitioner who was an avid apologist and rah- rah person of former mayor Ricardo Camacho.

A few days before the May 9 election, I bumped into Quiambao’s Man Friday Levin Uy, former councilor and Director of Quiambao’s Kasama Kita sa Barangay Foundation (KKBF), and PR man Jessie Perez in a coffee house in Dagupan City.

They told me that they want to see this person, who sow intrigued against them during the Camacho’s heydays, yank-out from the media circle of the new mayor.

Reports say that this practitioner had been heaping praises and plaudits to Quiambao.

 

(You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too attotomortz@yahoo.com)

Cayetano qualified to be Senate Prexy – JDV

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

QUEZON CITY- A veteran national politician said that Senator Alan Peter Cayetano  is suited for the Senate Presidency.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano exhorts
members of the Senate. PHOTO CREDIT. rappler. com

 “Puwede, puwede (He is qualified),” said recently by former five-time Speaker Jose de Venecia, the power behind the vaunted Rainbow Coalition of congressmen in the former Ramos Administration.

Known as JDV, he said in a social function here that Cayetano, who was the vice presidential tandem of President – Elect Rodrigo Duterte, can wiggle to the senate presidency through his ability and the influences of Duterte to the members of the 24-man August Chamber.

“It depends upon your ability to mobilize strategic intra-party quantities,” he stressed.

The former Speaker agreed that Duterte’s support will have a say for the senator’s choice of their top whip when the Senate convenes on July this year.
"He has a definite say".
The president-elect in his recent media interviews disclosed that he was hands off on the selection for the senate's top man.

Cayetano, a member of the Nationalista Party, recently said that 15 members of the Senate already signified their commitment to support him.

De Venecia opens to help Duterte on Ph-China rows

Philippine former 5-Time House Speaker Jose de Venecia, founding chairman of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) that represent more than 340 political parties, met in Manila with  Northern Watch Newspaper’s political columnist Mortz C. Ortigoza to discuss U.S President Barrack Obama’s phone call to Philippine President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte on the South China Sea’s row, immediate bilateral talks with the Chinese, his intercession for China, Vietnam, and the Philippines that signed a seismic and geological test, and joint exploration, excerpts:

Jose de Venecia Jr, Founding Chairman of International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), speaks during a signing ceremony with the foreign members of the group.

MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA: U.S President Obama called President – Elect Duterte to wait for the decision of the (United Nation) arbitration (tribunal in The Hague). The Philippine president answered that if the situation still goes in still water he would go for bilateral talks with the Chinese. I know you advocated that talk, what’s your take then?

JOSE DE VENECIA (JDV): If the talks are at the level of the Arbitration Panel, we could continue. Anyway, it should be in the few weeks from now but then the bilateral talks at the informal level should begin immediately.

 Begin immediately?

 At the informal level.

 Was Obama correct when he told Duterte to wait first for the decision of the Tribunal?

 The formal way, the formal way because the informal level can be (through) back channeling. But that channeling could not wait.

Panelo’s tattered jeans, shiny black boots

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

During the recent joint victory party of incoming Congressman Toff de Venecia (4^th District, Pangasinan) and cousin presumptive Rep. Edward Maceda (4^th District, Manila) at the family owned Sampaguita Gardens in Valencia Street Quezon City, I met incoming president Rodrigo Duterte’s double - header presidential spokesman and press secretary Salvador Panelo.

JEANS, BOOTS. Incoming Press Secretary Sal Panelo and his ripped
 jeans and shinny black Italian boots. PHOTO CREDIT: Politics.com

“What’s your take on the adverse pronouncement of Mon Tulfo about you?” I posed to the outrageously sartorial buff and high rollers’ lawyer.

To the unfamiliar,  Tulfo’s recent column  at the Philippine Daily Inquirer trained his gun on Panelo and Mark Villar’s appointment as secretary of the Department of Public Works & Highway.

The feisty columnist cited the appointments of the duo were not evaluated thoroughly by the presumptive president.

Tulfo said Panelo, lawyer of mass murderer of mostly media men Andal Ampatuan, Jr., is adversarial to the press, both in countenance and demeanor.

“First, a presidential spokesperson should be pleasant-looking because he’s called upon to talk to reporters in front of the TV camera.

Second, Panelo’s antics and the outlandish knickknacks he wears on his person will make him a laughingstock which will reflect on Duterte.

Digong should rethink his decision if he wants to get along with the press in the vital first six months of his administration,” Tulfo wrote.

Mass defections of LP to Duterte’s party normal – JDV

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

QUEZON CITY – The brain power behind the Rainbow Coalition in expediting bills of the former Ramos Administration said the mass defections of congressmen to the party of President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte were customary.

5 –TIME SPEAKER. Former five-time House Speaker Jose de Venecia (second from left, standing) poses for posterity with family members and guests during the  joint congressional victory party last Saturday at the Sampaguita Gardens in Quezon City of incoming Rep. Toff de Venecia (4th District, Pangasinan) and first cousin presumptive Rep. Eduardo Maceda (4th District, Manila). MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

“There will be ebbs, and flows, and shifts, and copulation of few allegiances. But that is normal in Philippines politics. It is abnormal in other countries (but) normal in the Philippines. But it should not be encouraged,” former five-time Speaker Jose de Venecia, known as JDV, told this paper on the mass defections of the present but fading ruling Liberal Party to the incoming PDP-Laban.

The once powerful LP, presently chaired by outgoing President Benigno Aquino III, has 80 to 90 solons as of press time who turncoat to the presumed ruling party PDP.

Liberal Party used to have 116 congressmen in the 250 members in the 16^th Congress who would end their term in the noon of June 30 this year.

Filipinos mull to sail to China grabbed Scarborough Shoal

Even without the nod of the DFA

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – The leaders of the National Movement for Food Sovereignty (NMFS) and the Green Peace mulls to sail to the disputed Scarborough Reef even without the permission of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Green Peace's ship. Photo Credit: Inhabitat.com

Ka Iza Gonzales of the NMFS said the plan is for a fact finding mission for Filipino fishermen who are banned by the Chinese navy there to fish.

“Puwede naman po, kaya po isa po itong hakbang para alamin po iyong mga mangingisda  natin sa Pangasinan wala  na silang nahuhuli. Pumapalaot po sila pero pagdating ho sa laot tinataboy ho sila, malaki ho ang problema (We can do it, that is why this is our step to inquire why fishermen in Pangasinan have no catch anymore. They went to the high sea but upon reaching there the Chinese drove them away. That is a big problem),” Gonzales said when told not to ask the imprimatur of DoF that was lukewarm to the scheme but instead go ahead with the plan to go to the disputed shoal known among the locals as Panatag.

Shoo-in for Chief PNP after Duterte announced 3 bets

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

In the last Monday’s press conference laced with humors and innuendos, presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte bared the probable heads of cabinets and the chief of the Philippine National Police.

FAIREST OF 'EM ALL. Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all for the top plum of the Philippine National Police? From left: Chief Superintendents Ramon Apolinario and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Senior Supt. Rene Aspira. PHOTO CREDIT: CNN Philippines

Although the top honcho of the PNP is equivalent to a bureau chief, the police organization is a powerful agency that would play a vital role in Duterte’s knuckle duster fight against notorious criminals.

He cited Chief Superintendents Ramon Apolinario and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Senior Supt. Rene Aspira as probable chief of the PNP.

Chief Superintendent and Senior Superintendent, to the uninitiated on the rankings of the former Philippine Constabulary after it “broke-away” from the Armed Forces of the Philippines in January 29, 1991 through Republic Act 6975, are the equivalent of military ranks of Brigadier General and Colonel.

“I asked them to talk among themselves since they were my chiefs of police and they have sterling records during their stints in Davao City,” the president-elect said to that effect.

When I asked my sources from the police, who are alumni of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), if the trio are “mistah” or classmates at the PMA as mentioned by Duterte and who would be the next chief of the PNP among them after Director General Ricardo Marquez submitted his courtesy resignation, I was told that Apolinario is a member of PMA Class 1985 while dela Rosa and Aspira are part of PMA Classes 1986 and 1987, respectively.

Shoo-in

“Who do you think would be the shoo-in?” I posed to one of my sources.

Before he gave me a direct answer, he told me that General Apolinario even if he is a member of Class 1985 will retire on 2019 while dela Rosa will retire on 2018.

“Bato joined the PMA older than his classmates thus he will retire upon reaching the compulsory retirement age of 56 two years from now”.

He said that if the president asked them to talk, the logical thing there is for Bato (“stone” because of his muscular body) to assume the top plum  before he bows in 2018,thereafter Apolinario succeeds him.

My source did not tell me when Aspira will retire.

My source told me that the promotion for the four stars' Director General of the police is not a problem because Duterte can promote dela Rosa to another three stars immediately.

Bato can be promoted to multiple stars' rank

A member of PMA 1986 told me in the past (click here):“The president can promote a colonel to one star general, then after a week he can be a two-star general, then a week later a three- star police general that could even bypassed those senior officers”.

“What will happen to PMA Classes 1983, 1984, and 1985 that are still with the PNP?” I asked.

He told me some of the members of Class of 1984 particularly would become Bato’s deputies.

“Would it not be awkward he would be “barking” orders to the “Cows” (third year) when they were still plebe (first year) at the PMA?” I asked.

He cited to me the case of former PNP Chief Recaredo A. Sarmiento II, a member of PMA Class 1966, whose deputies were Class of 1964.

“There was no problem about seniority there, PMA Class 1964 were professional. They were soldiers who soldiered on”.

PMYer hits Class 1984

He cited however the problem with PMA Class 1984, the adopting class of presidential  and administration candidate Mar Roxas:

Many of them unabashedly campaign for Roxas. Many of them however left Roxas when they knew he has no Chinaman’s chance to win the presidency.

In my earlier interview with vice presidential bet Senator Chiz Escudero, during the time he and presidential aspirant and Senator Grace Poe lorded the polls, Chiz told me the following when I asked him if my source was correct that Poe would get the police honcho from PMA Class 1987, Escudero’s adopting PMA Class:

“He is too young”.

“We have to follow the rule, PMA 1984 is the ruling class followed by PMA classes of 1985, 1986,” he added.

It can be recalled that Escudero angrily asked later Director General Ricardo Marquez for the relief of Chief Superintendents Renier Idio, Bernardo Diaz and Ronald Santos – all members of PMA Class 1984 after reporters saw them last April 2, a campaign period, with Roxas protégée Director Generoso Cerbo, Jr. (PMA ’84), his fair haired boy for the PNP post, in Novotel hotel at the Araneta Center in Cubao, which is owned by the family of Roxas.

With Class 1984 being demonized, does that mean General dela Rosa get from the “less tainted and less partisan” Class of 1985 for them to be plucked in at some powerful posts at Camp Crame?

He did not answer.

PMA Class 1986 benefits on Bato’s promotion

“How about those PMA Class of 1986 of dela Rosa who supported other presidential candidates other than Duterte, would they be “condemned” to perpetuity being colonels and not promoted to become a one star general so they can be regional director, a lucrative post especially in Luzon?”

My source told me that they would have no problem with that. It is a PMYer's custom that classmates help fellow classmates.

By the way, another member of Class 1986, whom I bumped into in a mall, told me that eight of their batch is already one star ranked.

Presently, Apolinario is the officer-in-charge of the regional police of the Mimaropa Region, dela Rosa is the executive officer of the Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development (he was relieved as brigade commander few days before election day by the PNP hierarchy after he threatened to crush election cheaters), and Aspera is the chief of staff of the PNP-Anti-Kidnapping Group.

(You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)