Thus said the Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) as it assailed the two rural health units (RHU) here for their “irresponsible and biased statements” during the meeting called by Mayor Condralito “Carling” De La Cruz last week to on the joint monitoring team (JMT) on poultries and piggeries.
PGKM chairman Ruperto “Perto” Cruz said he was “deeply disappointed” with the statements of RHU II Dr. Edgar Lacanlale during the meeting of the PGKM, Krusada Kontra Amoy (KKA) and at least five piggery owners led by Johnson Go of Marson Farm in Barangay Sta. Cruz.
“Ang dami na ng naging presidente at mayor pero di naalis ang mga piggery heto pa kayang si Mayor Carling? (There were several presidents and mayors before but none of them had been able to close the piggeries, what more with Mayor Carling)?,” said Lacanlale shocking the PGKM and the KKA members.
Cruz described Lacanlale’s statements “as direct insult to the capabilities of the incumbent mayor.”
“Lacanlale closed all arguments with his words that the piggeries are somewhat invincible in Porac. He also undermined the office of mayor. What’s the use of this meeting on the JMT?” said Cruz.
Cruz said Lacanlale had no business “staying for one more day in his post and he better just be the lawyer of poultry and pig farms in Porac.”
PUBLIC
SERVANTS
PGKM’S Sonny Dobles, for his part, described as “arrogant” the statements of RHU I Dr. Lilia Panlilio when she heard the complaints about Sta. Cruz residents on the foul smell allegedly coming from at least 18 prominent piggeries and 20 poultries in Porac.
“If you are sick, report to us so that we can record them. We could not go to your place to check,” Panililio told the elderly residents.
Dobles said the elderly residents had been “hurt” when Panilio told them that the RHU could not see them in their barangays “even if they are very sick.”
“How can people travel if they are very ill. Panlilio should realize she is a public servant not a private doctor. She should have told the residents: ‘Pease call or inform us and we will go to you if you can’t come to us’,” said Dobles, who attended the meeting to thresh out the composition of the JMT.
Dobles said Panlilio had “admitted from her own words that the piggeries and poultries in either Angeles or Porac emit foul smell.”
“I live in San Jose, Angeles, and sometimes I smell something foul from my house. But I don’t know it comes from Porac or Angeles piggeries,” said Panililio in the meeting as she tried to imply that the stench problem could have only come from nearby Angeles.
“Porac and Angeles are just beside each other. So wherever the stench came from, it means there is problem in both areas,” said Dobles.
HOW MANY?
In the same meeting presided by the mayor’s Executive Assistant Ronnel De La Cruz, Go and the other piggery owners insisted on limiting the number of JMT members to enter the piggeries during the inspection and monitoring. They want to have only four, including one from the PGKM or KKA.
A resolution earlier passed by the Porac council named at least nine JMT members.
Cruz said “we have to have eight from our group at the JMT, including three from media.”
“What are they hiding, with this proposed revision in membership? Why only four and only one from us. The other three are coming from the non-complainants,” said Cruz.
“Limiting the number of JMT members is closing transparency and opening the team to opportunities for corruption,” added Cruz.
The PGKM said they will attend the next meeting to thresh out the rules in monitoring the piggeries but urged Mayor De La Cruz to “be present and to preside over himself and not delegate this to anyone else.”
“We will see the real color and intention of the mayor if he is coming in the meeting and help set the parameters,” said Cruz.
