Pamintuan said his administration “intends to convert the old infrastructure into a modern public market where order, sanitation and freshness of produce will be strictly adhered” amid a thunderous applause while flashing a photo of the newly-renovated and clinically clean wet section area of the public market in the accompanying power point presentation.
His announcement of the opening of the new Angeles City Memorial Park and the soon to start construction of the “Agyu Tamu Command Center” was also well applauded. He said “this will allow us to monitor the entire city, ensure security and speed up emergency response on a 24/7 basis.”
But some expressed apprehension with Pamintuan’s pronouncements of big ticket infrastructure projects of his administration.
Pamintuan said these big ticket projects that are currently undergoing feasibility studies by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are the “Abacan Development Corridor that will connect east and west Angeles to SCTEx/ NLEx, and the Interchange/ flyover from the North Luzon expressway (NLEx) Angeles City tollgate to the MacArthur Highway.”
An observer who is a civil engineer by profession scoff ed at Pamintuan saying that this is a far-fetched reality considering the huge amount of right-of-way compensations as well as their immense and challenging engineering designs.
Another said the projects appear too ambitious and meant only as abstract plans on paper.
Pamintuan also trumpeted his successful efforts in ridding the city of ugly “spaghetti wires” caused by dead and unused telecom and cable connections which is now being replicated in other areas and province like Nueva Ecija.
No to extra judicial killings
As a human rights lawyer during the Marcos regime, he said he has never tolerated “extra judicial killings” in the city even as the war on drugs has taken the lives of some 32 drug pushers and dependents.
He said a total of 1,318 have so far voluntarily surrendered who admitted to be drug users and peddlers, and 328 arrested including actor Mark Anthony Fernandez.
The mayor said in 2016, his administration provided 30 patrol cars and 50 motorcycles to the city police force to help them to carry out their tasks in maintaining and eradicating drugs in the streets and communities.
However, the mayor admitted the lack of facilities for the surrenderees that is why he has instructed City Councilor Dan Lacson to look into the possibility of setting up a drug rehabilitation center at the compound of the Angeles City Police Office in Barangay Santo Domingo even as he converted container vans into reformation facilities to rehabilitate the increasing number of drug-related apprehensions.
Traffic mitigation
The mayor also bannered his traffic mitigating programs to ease the daily traffic congestions which have become the many causes of complaints from businessmen and investors as well as the public.
“You may also have noticed our no no-nonsense implementation of our local laws and regulations in traffic, illegal vending, vices, traffic obstruction, environment rules, health and sanitation, among others,” he said as he appealed to his constituents not to call him for minor traffic and other infractions so that discipline will be instilled to both motorists and commuters alike.
Special mentions
Special mentions were the Dr. Mario Munoz, who passed away recently, whom the mayor said “has made the world clearer and more beautiful to the hundreds of Angelenos whose fading sight he restored” and Chinoy businessman Dennis Uy whom he said stands as a shining example to the students of the City College of Angeles and especially to the “younger generation of leaders” for his perseverance from a lowly helper into a billionaire.
“I assure you that I will not allow anyone to derail our march for the furtherance of the dignity of our people, and the development of our city,” Pamintuan said in ending his speech.
It was the shortest SOCA so far, lasting less than 30 minutes, made by Pamintuan now on his last term as mayor.
