“It is the public scandal that offends; to sin
in secret is no sin at all.” Moliere
By Alex P. Vidal
The late former Iloilo City councilor Melchor
Nava immediately dismissed as “rumor mongering” reports that he was caught in
flagrante delicto in a “very uncompromising position” with a female
staff inside his office when Panay Electric Company (PECO) lights suddenly
switched back on after a brief power blackout.
This happened in the mid-90’s, and I was then covering the city hall beat. I was there inside Nava’s office together with two
other beat reporters when power suddenly went out while we were talking about
the involvement of several PNP officials in the Loboc port heist. I left the
dark room while Bombo Radyo reporter Abe Beatingo and DYOK (Aksyon Radyo 720)
reporter Lynon Cortez allegedly stayed for awhile.
But even if there were no detailed narrations from
witnesses, radio stations the following morning feasted on the rumor; Nava and
his alleged paramour became the objects of scorn and ugly gossips that lasted
for several years. It tormented a lot of people allied with the beleaguered
alderman and the female casual employee.
DENY
Nava was unfazed though. He and the female staff
denied the rumors to death. “Tinonto na ina ‘ya nga istorya. Sin o man nga
gago ang mahimu sina sa sulod sang opisina man? (The story is rubbish.
Who in his right mind will do such act inside his office?)” Nava bewailed.
“Naga serve gid ako kape kag natabu-an lang
nga nag brown out tapos amo na ina dayon ang nag lapta nga istorya? Kalaw-ay a
may nobyo ako ‘ya (I was serving coffee when the power interruption
occurred. I didn’t expect that a nasty story would spread after that. It’s not good
because I have a boyfriend),” lamented the female employee.
The power interruption lasted for about 15
minutes. Vice Mayor Guillermo dela Llana did not take the matter seriously when
sought by reporters if he would throw the books at or rap Nava and the female
worker in the knuckles. “Damu problema ciudad ta. Kotso-kotso man lang ina (we
have more urgent problems to tackle in the city than dwell on rumors),” the
vice mayor remarked.
When asked by then dyBQ reporter Art Calsas for
his opinion about the ruckus, the late city councilor Achilles Plagata
hollered: “Yots daw indi kamo mga lalaki (aren’t all of you men
here?).”
INVESTIGATE
According to initial reports, city hall “would
not investigate” the alleged sex scandal involving an executive assistant and a
female casual employee that rocked the administration of Mayor Jed Patrick
Mabilog. But the mayor recently posted this message in his Facebook account:
“There is a current sex scandal issue allegedly
involving an executive assistant in city hall. Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog does
not and will not tolerate immoral acts within the premises of city hall nor any
government office in the city. An investigation shall be conducted by the city
administrator, city legal officer and the HR officer. As to give due process as
required by civil service law, we would appreciate for anybody who can witness
or provide evidence on the alleged sexcapade that happened inside city hall as
we do not want to unjustly crucify a person because of unrequited love or
political grudges. If the person is found to be positive of the accusations his
services will either end or will have to submit an irrevocable resignation. But
if these accusations are found to be malicious I suggest that the person bring
his accusers to court. Witnesses shall be treated with complete
confidentiality.”
All the fuss about the report would turn out
to be nothing but plain and simple rumor if no one came forward to substantiate
the accusation.
Rumor mongering involving illicit affairs and
office romance usually occurs if there is a gross inefficiency and incompetence
among employees. When employees are lazy and not productive, their attention
and focus are diverted into something else; and they become actively and
endlessly hooked on the gossip mill.
TEXT
Iloilo City Administrator Norlito Bautista,
who admitted he got the rumor through text messages and the purported testimony from
an auxiliary who allegedly saw the tryst after office hours in the seventh
floor, should not have gone to media if he was not ready to name names and put
exclamation point on the report.
The guessing game is unfair to the other
executive assistants, who must now be the objects of suspicion if not derision
from their wives, children and friends. It’s not fair either to the persons
referred to in the rumor if they would not be given their day in court but were
already crucified in a public trial. The accuser or accusers must come to court
with clean hands.
The entire hullabaloo didn’t sit well with Mayor
Mabilog, who values family, morality and spirituality aside from public
service.
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