Ganzon, Malabor turncoats with questionable loyalty

"My whole thing is loyalty. Loyalty over royalty; word is bond."  Fetty Wap

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- We can't blame some Liberal Party (LP) mainstays in Iloilo City if they are not comfortable with the presence of former city councilors Jeffrey Ganzon and Mandrie Malabor in the administration bandwagon.
The two balimbings (turncoats) are running for the city council in the 2016 polls under the LP ticket of reelectionists Rep. Jerry P. Trenas, Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, and Vice Mayor Jose Espinosa III.
Strange bedfellows, indeed.
In the 2013 elections, Ganzon lost to Espinosa for vice mayor, while Malabor lost for councilor when they ran under the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).
All the UNA local candidates from congressman, mayor, vice mayor and councilors were, in fact, massacred in an unprecedented 15-0 blitzkrieg. 

CASUALTY

One of the UNA casualties for councilor was Dr. Gold Gonzalez, daughter of the late Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr., who is now running for mayor against Mabilog.
Members of the opposition party shared one vision and mission and vowed to stay together and go down together against titanic odds.
But when Gonzalez and her team filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) in the Comelec last month, Ganzon and Malabor were no longer with the group.
They filed their COCs under the LP.
Like opportunists, they abandoned the opposition and embraced the administration to save their own necks.
They probably thought their chances of winning in 2016 were nil if they did not jump ship and join the "enemy."

DEFEAT

Were they demoralized after their 2013 defeat? 
Are they desperate to win and have underestimated the capacity of the party they jettisoned? 
What happened to the principles and cause they loudly espoused in the 2013 elections?
In 2013, their group accused the Mabilog and P-Noy administrations of graft and corruption and election fraud (owing to the 15-0 result in the local and national elections).
Some of them and their subalterns even filed a case against the mayor in the Ombudsman.
Can we blame Mabilog and other LP stalwarts if they will distrust these deserters and suspect them to be Trojans? 
By joining Mabilog's group, Ganzon and Malabor are expected to "behave" once they are back in power--or they will be ribbed as "ingrates."

Miriam in 1992; Drilon in 2016?

“The people who cast the votes don’t decide the election, the people who count the votes do.” JOSEPH STALIN

By Alex P. Vidal

ILONGGOS will always go for their own daughter or son in any presidential race.

They have shown their unity and determination to elect their very own in 1992 when they nearly sent Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago to Malacanang had it not been for the sudden blackout during the canvassing of votes.

Defensor-Santiago in 1992.

Drilon in 2016?

Was the recent survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS) which showed Senate President Franklin Drilon enjoying a 65 percent satisfaction rating deliberately released in the media in order to prop up his chances to be nominated as presidential standard bearer of the Liberal Party in 2016?

The survey started to make rounds in the media at the time when Mar Roxas was rumored to be on the way out as DILG secretary and was being pummeled in the presidential surveys.

Roxas is still being preferred by Malacanang as the LP presidential standard bearer despite his disappointing showing in poll surveys.

THIRD

The son of Capiz was already dislodged from third spot by Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte of the PDP-Laban.

Several days before the SWS survey came out showing Vice President Jejomar Binay on top, Drilon spin doctors have been drumbeating his “winnability” factor if ever he decides to throw his hat into the presidential race. 

“I know that there is no better and apt way to show to the Filipino people that I value and deserve their trust, than by working even harder, and fulfilling my duties to the Senate with great zeal,” Drilon announced after learning that his satisfaction rating actually rose by four percent since the last survey was conducted in December 2014.

Drilon, however, has not made any categorical statement that he was interested to run for president.  

Pulse Asia survey also showed he enjoyed a 49 percent approval rating, two percent higher than last year’s survey.

NOMINATION

Political parties sometimes base their nomination of certain candidates for higher offices in the surveys of reputed firms like Pulse Asia and SWS.

Between Roxas and Drilon, Ilonggos in Iloilo and Negros prefer the senate president.

Roxas, whose family has been in power for several decades now, hasn’t done to Roxas City or Capiz province what Drilon has done in a short period in Iloilo City.

Some two billion pesos worth of infrastructure projects have been poured in Iloilo City using Drilon’s pork barrel funds and other agencies. 
All these were implemented under the administration of a relative, Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.

Iloilo City has experienced a renaissance in tourism and infrastructure since Drilon and Mabilog worked together like father and son.

While Roxas can’t unite the fragmented political leaders in Roxas City and Capiz, Drilon was able to cement a reputation among local leaders as political demigod.

GRUMBLE

Some people in Capiz grumble that Roxas hasn’t brought economic boom in the province and Roxas City only recently made it in the headlines when the first CityMall was built there and business and investment writers started to write about the city’s potentials only after young billionaire Edgar “Injap” Sia disclosed plans to invest more in his hometown.

If the LP will bump off Roxas for Drilon, supporters of Drilon will always have the surveys to parade as their justification.

No hard feelings for Roxas.

The graft charges filed against Drilon in relation to his alleged misuse of pork barrel will have to take a back seat once the Palace starts to discuss seriously about Drilon’s next political moves.

But it appears that no less than President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III himself is hell-bent to endorse Roxas as LP standard bearer.

Will the surveys help change the president’s mind?

After all, only fools don’t change their minds, as the saying goes.

Mabilog admits mistake; Duterte visits Defensor

“Success produces confidence; confidence relaxes industry, and negligence ruins the reputation which accuracy had raised.” Ben Jonson

By Alex P. Vidal

MAYOR Geefre “Kalay” Alonsabe of Alimodian, Iloilo, a Liberal Party (LP) member, was the lone municipal mayor who joined Iloilo Governor Arthur “Art” Defensor Sr. when Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte, a PDP-Laban stalwart and rumored presidential aspirant, visited the Iloilo Provincial Capitol on Friday morning.

If the LP hierarchy is not jealous, it will not sanction Alonsabe, who seemed to be more excited and interested only on Duterte as a tough guy or a macho man, than as a potential rival of LP’s presumed standard bearer in 2016, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Sec. Mar Roxas.

Alonsabe’s personal admiration for Duterte does not mean he is willing to shift allegiance from LP to PDP-Laban.

Admiration is different from loyalty.

He admires Duterte but his loyalty is still probably with Roxas.

Currently scouring for more grassroots support, Duterte would love to be adopted by Alonsabe and other Iloilo mayors who are mostly LP allies.

Duterte did not have any idea, of course, that Alonsabe, an aggressive and popular public servant, is facing a graft case in the Ombudsman for the release of P3.241-million fertilizer funds in 2004 to a cooperative linked to former Iloilo second district congressman Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco Jr.

Duterte’s campaign in Western Visayas is expected to snowball with the help of his well-respected regional coordinator, Rotarian and lawyer Hansel Didulo.

-o0o-

If the mea culpa committed recently by Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog in the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) on the enforcement of the wheel clamping ordinance happened when the city mayor was Mansueto Malabor, the city council would have been up in arms.

Malabor could not commit an error without being bamboozled by opposition leader Councilor Perla Zulueta (now a consultant of Mabilog).

Under a vigilant and confrontational city council then, debates and conflicts were healthy signs that our government officials were doing their job.

With the executive and legislative branches engaging in a Punch and Judy show, media had a field day.

That’s how the check and balance worked if the two branches of government—executive and legislative—are independent of each other.

Thanks to the 12-0 win of the Liberal Party city council bets in the 2013 local elections, nobody will be willing to rap partymate and political benefactor Mabilog in the knuckles.

-o0o-

What happened was an honest mistake, according to Mabilog.

Because of the volumes of papers that the city mayor regularly signs on his table, he “mistakenly” inked his signature on the MOA with 3L company, which should have been forwarded first to the General Services Office (GSO).

As a matter of procedure, GSO would have to look first for 3L company’s competitors before any agreement was signed.

The signed document would then be sent to the city council for confirmation.

Because the cart was pushed ahead of the horse, Mabilog is asking the city council to cancel the agreement.

In the first place, if City Administrator Norlito Bautista and other officials in the city mayor’s office were doing their job, Mabilog would have been spared of this very fundamental error and the inconvenience of facing a backlash from critics.

It’s the task of the city administrator and the executive assistants to screen the papers, especially the MOAs, being stockpiled on the city mayor's table.

The staff’s fatal negligence can bring unnecessary delays on important transactions and embarrassment to the executive office. 

Heads must roll.

-o0o-

“What will happen to our country if Binay becomes the president?”

This was the straight and frank reply made by former North Cotabato Gov. Manny Pinol when retired Philippine News Agency (PNA) Iloilo chief Neonita “Mommy Nitz” Gobuyan asked him pointblank: “Ngaa nagabira bira ka gid kampanya kay Mayor Duterte? (Why are you working so hard campaigning for Mayor Duterte?)

Gobuyan, who recently told Vice President Jejomar Binay in a chance meeting in Iloilo that Binay would be the next president of the country, asked the question to Pinol when they met inside the office of Gov. Defensor on Friday.

Double victory for Marivic Mabilog

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” Mahatma Gandhi

By Alex P. Vidal

VICTORIA “Marivic” Griengo Mabilog has all the reason to be happy and proud.

Aside from being the wife of the world’s no. 5 city mayor, she lives in the same city where the recently proclaimed winner of the 2014 World Mayor comes from.

It’s a double victory, to say the least.

Marivic’s husband, Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, landed 5^th place among the 26 finalists.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi has been awarded the 2014 World Mayor Prize by the World Mayor Project.

Marivic, a senior finance officer in a Canadian private company, has been based in Calgary, Alberta for nearly two decades and goes to Iloilo City every now and then to attend important festivals and events, including family affairs.

The first lady of Iloilo City, a low profile and someone who is allergic to VIP treatment, must have rubbed elbows with Mayor Nenshi on countless occasions in Calgary in the past although she “hates it to be introduced in Canada as the wife of Jed because I am Marivic.”

Marivic, who landed 12^th in the CPA licensure exams before she met Mayor Mabilog, called her husband’s 5^th place finish “a bliss” while her normal blood pressure was “a blessing” the day she woke up to receive the World Mayor news.

VISION

Bestowed every two years to a mayor who has developed and realized a vision for urban living that is relevant to towns and cities across the world, the award was conceived in 2004.

By honoring those who have served their communities well by governing openly and honestly, and those who made significant contributions to cities nationally and internationally, the projects aims to raise the profile of mayors worldwide.

In his Facebook account, Mayor Mabilog expressed satisfaction with his fifth place win:

“Well, I think no. 5 in the whole world is not bad? Its GOOD ENOUGH. To be named among the World's top 5 is a huge honor for me, for my family, for my country, the Philippines and my city. Thank you dear people of Iloilo City for your trust and support. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!! I am Iloilo, Proud to be Filipino.”

The top 10 2014 World Mayor are:

1.  Naheed Nenshi (Calgary, Canada)

2.  Daniël Termont (Ghent, Belgium)

3.  Tri Rismaharini  (Surabaya, Indonesia)

4.  Carlos Ocariz   (Sucre, Venezuela)

5.  Jed Patrick Mabilog (Iloilo City, Philippines)

6.  Albrecht Schröter (Jena, Germany)

7.  Annise Parker  (Houston, USA)

8.  Yiannis Boutaris (Thessaloniki, Greece)

9.  Giusy Nicolini  (Lampedusa, Italy)

10.    Aziz Kocaoglu  (Izmir, Turkey)

World Mayor 2014 known Feb. 3; Mabilog in top 26

“I would not vote for the mayor. It's not just because he didn't invite me to dinner, but because on my way into town from the airport there were such enormous potholes.”  Fidel Castro

By Alex P. Vidal

WILL he make it?

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is among the 26 finalists in the World Mayor 2014.

The winner will be announced on February 3, 2015, according to its London-based website.

The announcement will come after two major events in Iloilo City: the Dinagyang Festival on January 24-25, and the feast of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Our Lady of the Candles) in Jaro district on February 2.

“After the verification process of votes and testimonials, the World Mayor jury, made up of senior members of the City Mayors Foundation, will start its deliberations,” announced the worldmayor.com. 

“The name of the winner and other results will be announced on Tuesday, 3 February 2015.”

Mabilog, one of the closest allies of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, is one of the six finalists from Asia.

He is the only one who made it from the Philippines.

Earlier, Mabilog was joined in the list by Mayors Edgardo Pamintuan of Angeles City, Ferdinand M. Amante of Butuan City, Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City, Juliet Marie Ferrer of La Carlota City, Benjamin Abalos of Mandaluyong City, and Eric Saratan of Talisay City, Negros Occidental.

Since the announcement last year that Mabilog was among the finalists, both the mayor’s critics and supporters claimed they submitted their comments about Mabilog to the organizers via online.

RESOLUTION

The Iloilo City Council passed a resolution on October 7, 2014 supporting Mabilog’s bid.

Resolution proponent Joshua Alim also exhorted his colleagues to vote for the city mayor online.

The website said: “The philanthropic City Mayors Foundation awards the World Mayor Prize every two years to a mayor who has made outstanding contributions to his/her community and has developed a vision for urban living and working that is relevant to towns and cities across the world.”

The Prize has been awarded since 2004.

The foundation “honors mayors with the vision, passion and skills to make their cities incredible places to live in, work in and visit.”

It added: “The World Mayor Project aims to show what outstanding mayors can achieve and raise their profiles nationally and internationally.”

Organizers of the World Mayor Project choose city leaders who excel in qualities like: leadership and vision, management abilities and integrity, social and economic awareness, ability to provide security and to protect the environment as well as the will and ability to foster good relations between communities from different cultural, racial and social backgrounds.

The winner receives the artistically acclaimed World Mayor trophy, while the runner-up is given the World Mayor Commendation.

Those who voted via online were asked to consider whether the candidate was likely to agree to the City Mayors Code of Ethics. Candidates wishing to be considered for the World Mayor Prize were asked to sign up to the Code.

ATTACHMENT

Attachment of a “thoughtful supporting statement” was required for those who voted.

Here are the finalists: (North America) Mayor Naheed Nenshi, Calgary, Canada; Mayor Annise Parker, Houston, USA; Mayor Mick Cornett, Oklahoma City, USA; Mayor Kevin Johnson, Sacramento, USA;

(Latin America) Mayor Marcio Lacerda, Belo Horizonte, Brazil;

Mayor Álvaro Arzú, Guatemala City, Guatemala; Mayor Carlos Eduardo Correa, Monteria, Colombia; Mayor Carlos Ocariz, Sucre, Venezuela;

(Europe) Mayor Daniel Termont, Ghent, Belgium; Mayor Alain Juppé, Bordeaux, France; Mayor Albrecht Schröter, Jena, Germany; Mayor Yiannis Boutaris, Thessaloniki, Greece; Mayor Giusy Nicolini, Lampedusa, Italy; Mayor Nils Usakovs, Riga, Latvia; Mayor José Ramón García, Ribera de Arriba, Spain;

Mayor George Ferguson, Bristol, UK; Mayor Joe Anderson, Liverpool, UK;

(Asia) Mayor Tri Rismaharini (Risma), Surabaya, Indonesia; Mayor Yona Yahav, Haifa, Israel; Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, Iloilo City, Philippines; Mayor Hani Mohammad Aburas, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Mayor Park Won-soon, Seoul, South Korea; Mayor Aziz Kocaoglu, Izmir, Turkey;

(Australia) Mayor Clover Moore, Sydney, Australia; (Africa) Mayor Jacqueline Moustache, Victoria, Seychelles; Mayor Thabo Manyoni, Mangaung, South Africa.

Good luck, Mayor Mabilog.

Interesting ‘conflicts’ in City Hall

“Peace is not absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means.” Ronald Reagan

By Alex P. Vidal

WHEN we covered the City Hall beat during the administrations of the late former Mayor Rodolfo “Roding” Ganzon (1988-1991), former Mayor Mansueto “Mansing” Malabor (1991-2001), and now Iloilo City Rep. Jerry P. Trenas (2001-2010), the clashes happened usually between members of the legislative and executive branches.

Ganzon sprayed with water the seven recalcitrant members of the City Council using the hose of a fire truck at the Freedom Grandstand.

The maverick Ganzon, a former senator, was at loggerheads with most members of the local legislature that his administration was marred by legal skirmishes and interrupted by preventive suspension orders.

He even went as far as padlocking the office of Councilor Lorenzo “Larry” Ong.

City hall could not find peace as long as Ganzon was at the helm and the seven city councilors: Trenas, Ong, Edgar Gil, Rolando Dabao, German Gonzales, Eduardo Penaredondo, Cirilo Ganzon refused to assume sycophantic roles.

Malabor and his minions in the executive office were constantly under the watchful radar of former Councilor Perla Zulueta, who is now Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog’s executive assistant for finance.

LAMBAST

Each time firebrand Zulueta lambasted the executive office in privilege speeches and media interviews, Malabor’s blood pressure skyrocketed.

His legal chief, Atty. Mary Milagros Hechanova, always had plenty of paper works to review to save the king.

The clashes normally occurred in the name of check and balance.

It was always a healthy sign for democracy when the Mayor’s Office and the City Council were at each other’s throats and not singing a chorus when it comes to policing their ranks.

The City Council under the Trenas administration was not as adversarial compared to the previous administrations, but Trenas also had his own share of goose bumps from feisty councilors who refused subservient functions.

Today, Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog’s relationship with the City Council appears to be sweeter than real life sweethearts.

The honeymoon is expected to extend until probably their terms will expire; and the bacchanalia, so far, has not been interrupted despite veiled differences in the choices for presidential candidates in 2016.

While everything has been going on smoothly between Mabilog and the City Council, civil wars occur from time to time within Mabilog’s inner circle, involving his key factotums.

KITCHEN

City legal chief Jose Junio Jacela got out of the kitchen when he could not anymore stand the heat after his appointment was rejected by the City Council.

The City Council rejection was not the one that wounded him most: it’s the Brutuses and Cassiuses who kept on planting thumb tacks in his back.

Until now no one can tell if Jacela and former Vice Mayor Victor Facultad, also Mabilog’s consultant, can still see each other eyeball to eyeball.

Spokesman Jeffrey Celiz’s wings had been clipped at the time when he was making mincemeat of Mabilog’s detractors.

In frontal combats vis-à-vis the mayor’s critics, no one can match Celiz.

Intrepid, brilliant and consistent, Celiz can single-handedly neutralize if not clobber all of Mabilog’s deadly detractors in debates and other verbal shootouts.

Why we haven’t heard of Celiz for awhile only the mayor knows.

Most recently it was Zulueta and City Legal Chief Daniel Dinopol who figured in a heated exchange of words in media.

So far, no heavy bombs have been unloaded. Only powder puffs and brickbats.  

If the apparent cold war between Mabilog’s two top lieutenants won’t be settled soon, it has the potential to escalate into ugly proportions.

Malones has the last laugh

“Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.” George S. Patton

By Alex P. Vidal

IN soccer, they call it a “hat-trick” or a head goal.

In stopping the suspension order against him, embattled Maasin Mayor Mariano Malones scored a hat-trick against the Iloilo Provincial Board and his political enemies who have written him off as early as September this year.

Malones was found guilty of simple misconduct by the Iloilo Provincial Board with a penalty of suspension for three months over the administrative case filed by an illegally terminated assistant human resource officer of the Maasin municipal government last September.

He filed an appeal before the Office of the President in Malacanang which "stayed" his suspension.

Signed by Deputy Executive Secretary Michael G. Aguinaldo, the order stated: “Pursuant to Section 9 of Administrative Order No. 22 series of 2011, the execution of the assailed Resolutions is hereby stayed.”

Since the order presented to the Iloilo Provincial Board was a certified copy, Vice Governor Raul Tupas said they will wait for the official transmission of the order from Malacanang.

STAY

The order meant Malones would stay in his office and the suspension order is either held in abeyance or terminated.

Whatever it is, Malones has scored a moral and psychological victory against his adversaries.

The rescue order from Malacanang also proved that the local legislature does not have absolute power to rule against or in favor of local elected officials facing administrative cases.

That it is not yet end of the world for any local chief executive found guilty of simple or even serious misconduct. 

Because there is still a big brother somewhere out there for the rescue. 

When the Iloilo Provincial Board meted the suspension order on Malones, only two members voted against the resolution: Ninfa Garin and Dennis Valencia, all from the first district of Iloilo.

Two others abstained: Licurgo Tirador (third district) and Shalene Palmares-Hidalgo (fourth district).

In the 2016 elections, Malones, one of the most influential and strongest political leaders in the third district of Iloilo, will definitely remember their names.

And the names of those who voted to suspend him.

-o0o-

Unlike former congressmen Salvador “Badong” Cabaluna Jr.(partylist) and Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco (Iloilo second district) who were overexposed in media before Iloilo second district Rep. Arcadio “Cadio” Gorriceta trounced them in the 2013 congressional elections, Iloilo Board Member June Mondejar is considered as wet-behind-the-ears in as far as bigger political battles are concerned.

Mondejar, younger brother of former TESDA Regional Director Buen or “Bokbok”, was municipal mayor of New Lucena for three terms and was never in the limelight in all the years of his muted political career.

Until he announced he would challenge Gorriceta in 2016.

Even outside the second district of Iloilo, curious Ilonggos were now starting to talk about Mondejar, not because they were familiar with the youthful-looking board member, but because they were startled by his guts to disclose his political plans at the time when no one was discussing about politics.

But now that the cat is out of the bag, Mondejar’s moves will now be monitored and misconstrued as part of his preparatory steps for a possible showdown with Gorriceta, the best friend of Senate President Franklin Drilon.

-o0o-

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog suspended classes in elementary and secondary levels both in public and private schools yesterday (November 27) afternoon due to heavy downpour brought by typhoon Queenie.

“Despite that the water level of iloilo river & creeks are still within n0rmal level and water level inside iloilo city natl hi sch minimal and also All roads and bridges are passable & No evacuees reportd. Upon the advise of Mr. Darwin Papa that Typhoon Queenie is gaining strength and may hit ground this pm, together with Schools Division Superintendent Nelly Valerio, I Jed Patrick E. Mabilog, Mayor of Iloilo City under the General Welfare Act do hereby declare the suspension of classes in all elementary and secondary levels for both public and private schools in the afternoon of today November 27, 2014. Classes for College level depends on their respective school heads,” Mabilog wrote in his Facebook account.

Ex-city LEEO chief being singled out in anomalies

“I don't blame people who suspect my performance. My own mind suspects it. How can I blame them?” Sri Chinmoy

By Alex P. Vidal

Either he is a victim of black propaganda by some people who want to ease him out from the graces of Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog or he really is a crook.

First, Vicente de la Cruz was linked to the murder of a young lady, a single parent shot to death outside a big mall in Iloilo City on January 27, this year.

Then he was relieved of his post as Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO) chief.

Reportedly on a “floating status” after being assigned in the city mayor’s office, de la Cruz is now being accused as one of the “tuklo” (thief) masterminds in the city public markets.

In a recent city council committee on public market hearing, de la Cruz’s name surfaced as among those behind the alleged city public market anomalies.

Whistle-blower and committee chair Rodel Agado called for the investigation on suspicion that de la Cruz was being pampered by Mabilog.

Media also lashed at Agado for his refusal to name names after he aired the “tuklo” brouhaha on several interviews this year.

ANSWER

De la Cruz did not answer his critics in relation to the mall murder where his former casual worker, Enrico Robles Jr., was said to be the triggerman that killed Frances Lei Reyes, a 22-year-old resident of Oton, Iloilo.

But de la Cruz broke his silence when his name was mentioned in the committee hearing November 13 in relation to the tuklo issue.

“Ambot. Waay ko kabalo pero. I’m sure nga waay ko ‘ya gapanuklo (I don’t know about that and I’m sure I am not stealing),” he swore.

De la Cruz insisted that he never awarded stalls contrary to allegations and “I know that for a fact.”

He admitted though that he allowed interested vendors to temporarily occupy empty stalls sans awarding and letting them pay cash tickets “for the interest of the city”.

The local market law did not prohibit such practice, de la Cruz added.

“Kanugon lang sang empty stalls kun indi magamit kag makolektahan sang city,” de la Cruz told the committee investigation.

Accountable Officer Emmalene Diana claimed de la Cruz ordered LEEO job hire Fedelyn Villalobos to issue illegal receipts to a certain “Lilia Cordova” for her stall rentals from January to February 2014.

RECEIPTS

The receipts were tagged under Diana’s name.

Diana included de la Cruz’s alleged order in the affidavit she submitted to the executive department’s market committee and Agado’s committee.

“Cordova” had arrears from July 2011 to Dec. 2013 amounting to more than P100,000 and must not be issued receipts for January to February 2014, according to Virgilio Tunogbanua, Iloilo Terminal Market in-charge.

De la Cruz asserted that he never ordered anyone to issue receipts to Cordova.

“I have not done anything that would affect the collection of the city,” he added.

Now that de la Cruz has been allowed his day in court, critics should give him now the benefit of the doubt.

In fairness to de la Cruz, if his guilt has not been proven yet, detractors should refrain from making speculations so as not to muddle the issues leveled against him and his alleged cohorts.

How can Mejorada shelve persona non grata label

“The courage to be is the courage to accept oneself, in spite of being unacceptable.” Paul Tillich

By Alex P. Vidal

DEBATES are ongoing whether it is proper to declare Manuel “Boy M” Mejorada, a private person, as persona non grata (unacceptable person) even if he is not a diplomat.

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and some city councilors think they won’t sound ridiculous if they push through with the plan as they cited several cases involving actors, actresses and other personalities in other cities and provinces in the country not connected with government but were also declared persona non grata for offending the local officials and the people.

City officials are up in arms against the former Iloilo provincial administrator for calling Iloilo “a bird’s nest of corruption” during the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing for the alleged overpriced P700-million Iloilo Convention Center (ICC) project in Iloilo City November 13.

They want Mejorada to pay dearly for the “humiliation” he has brought the Ilonggos.

DIPLOMATS

But some lawyers, including Mejorada, insist only disgraced diplomats are declared persona non grata by their host countries before they are expelled.

Mabilog and the city council proponents think otherwise, thus they plan to slap Mejorada with the draconian measure in a resolution soon.

Even if they won’t use the words persona non grata, the city officials can always express their displeasure toward Mejorada in other means.

Like a simple resolution detailing why they don’t want to see the face of Mejorada in Iloilo City again.

They should take the cue from the Iloilo business leaders, who signed a strongly-worded manifesto of support for Senate President Franklin Drilon days before the hearing in the Senate blue ribbon committee last week.

The manifesto was read in the tri-media, including the social media and message sent.

What will happen to an individual—diplomat or not-who is declared persona non grata? 

Or severely reprimanded in a city council resolution?

Will the label deny him of his rights to open a legitimate business in the place where he was pilloried?

TAG

Will the tag disqualify him from participating in the electoral processes in the place where he was given the severe dressing down?

Will the resolution affect his economic well-being and future employment opportunities both in the government and private sectors?

Better still, will the move of the city council affect Mejorada politically if he has plans to run for public office in the future?

In terms of name-recall, Mejorada now has the edge given the gargantuan publicity mileage he amassed in the nationally televised “live” senate inquiry which became a national topic for a while.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Plus the social media which gave Mejorada the boundless leverage to lash back at his adversaries and disseminate further his case against Drilon, et al in the wider scale even after the first session of the senate hearing (we understand there are more scheduled hearings to come unless terminated).

Mejorada can only shelve the persona non grata resolution and vindicate himself if he runs and wins in the 2016 elections.

If he has secured a mandate, that means the people are not anymore angry with him, or have forgiven him for whatever transgression they think he has committed.

That means he is not really unacceptable as what his city hall tormentors want to tell the public.

Killing Boy Mejorada will complicate matters

“Murder’s out of tune,

And sweet revenge grows harsh.”

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Othello

By Alex P. Vidal

WHILE walking inside the La Paz Public Market in La Paz district, Iloilo City last Monday night, I overheard in a loud radio set inside a billiards hall former Iloilo provincial administrator Manuel “Boy M” Mejorada while being interviewed by Aksyon Radyo anchorman Joecel Banas.

Mejorada said he was ready to appear in the Senate blue ribbon committee that will investigate the alleged overpriced construction of the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC).

Mejorada has filed plunder and graft complaints against Senate President Franklin Drilon, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr., Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson and six other government officials and private individuals in relation to the P700-million project before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Although Drilon, who hails from Molo district, Iloilo City, has expressed willingness to inhibit himself in the soon-to-be announced committee hearing prompted by a resolution filed by fellow Ilonggo Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Mejorada said he prefers to see Drilon in the senate hearing “so we can discuss the issue face to face.”

INSIST

Mejorada insisted there was overprice in the mega project and respondent Drilon must be held accountable for the alleged loss of P488 million from the coffers of the government.

Drilon has denied the allegations of his former Twitter handler and media consultant for Iloilo.

When Banas asked Mejorada if he has received threats in his life considering that he stirred the hornet’s nest involving big names in Philippine politics, Mejorada, who first served as executive assistant of former Iloilo Governor Neil D. Tupas before being promoted as provincial administrator in 2006, quipped: “Ila man ina grupo a (It’s also their own group).”

Mejorada said “God will protect me” if indeed He believes in Mejorada’s crusade against graft and corruption.

During the 2013 local elections when he campaigned against Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, Mejorada claimed that certain characters, some of them members of drug syndicates, wanted to kill him.

Some of those who allegedly wanted him dead aired their threats via the social media and even showed the weapon they intended to use against Mejorada.

DRUG LORD

He identified an alleged drug lord in Brgy. Muelle Loney, City Proper as one of those who are itching to shoot him if their paths will cross.  

Mejorada walked with a bodyguard most of the time until after Mabilog was reelected overwhelmingly.

If Mejorada was saying that the persons allegedly interested to kill him belong to “the same group”, was he insinuating that some of those included in the plunder and graft raps were allies of the drug lords who wanted him dead during the heat of the 2013 local elections?

We are concerned that some of Mejorada’s enemies might take advantage of his rift with Drilon, et al and harm him (God forbid) while he is in the thick of battle against the respondents of the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC) brouhaha.

When so many people want to eliminate a certain individual, chances are his most recent enemies will be blamed.

FIGURE

We know that Drilon, a national figure and a potential presidential aspirant, is not a violent person.

We can’t speak the same for other characters caught in the web of the imbroglio and those sympathetic to the senate big man.

Now that the issue has exploded into horrific proportions and is now known worldwide, killing or attempting to kill Mejorada at this time will only complicate matters.

Iloilo mayors for Roxas; councilors for Binay

“When people show loyalty to you, you take care of those who are with you. It's how it goes with everything. If you have a small circle of friends, and one of those friends doesn't stay loyal to you, they don't stay your friend for very long.” John Cena

By Alex P. Vidal

LOYALTY to the party over a personal choice.

This must be the stand adopted by most city and municipal mayors in Iloilo who are supposedly backing the presidential bid of DILG chief Mar Roxas in 2016.

Most of these mayors attributed their victory in the last local elections to the ruling Liberal Party (LP), thus they can’t just discard Roxas, who is President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III's personal choice.

Even if some of them dislike Roxas’ temerity to show off in “epal” gimmickry, these local chief executives have to toe the line or else.

In the 2013 elections, LP’s machinery was too much for those identified with former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whose bets from national down to the municipal levels suffered unprecedented massacre.

Because of their victories as LP-anointed bets, these city and municipal mayors owe LP and the President a debt of gratitude.

BEHOLDEN

Because they are beholden to Malacanang, they have no choice but to publicly endorse Roxas.

But many of these city and municipal mayors have developed a personal friendship with Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay Sr., opposition’s strongest bet for the top post in Malacanang.

Binay has been patiently paying them a visit one after another, but don’t talk about politics so as not to send panic alarms to the eyes and ears of Malacanang.

Binay, however, is very popular among city and municipal councilors.

Some members of the Iloilo provincial board are also pro-Binay but don’t display their preference at this early in respect to Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr.

Many Iloilo City councilors are also all-out for Binay but remain loyal to Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and, of course, to President Aquino.

Mabilog does not interfere with the choice of his allies in the city council, but assures President Aquino of his “unwavering” support and loyalty.

Mabilog is democratic when it comes to individual political stand of his city council allies.

As long as they support the programs and projects of President Aquino in the metropolis, Mabilog doesn’t give a hoot about the political preference of city councilors for national office.

AGREE

The city councilors and Mabilog, however, agree on one unwritten but golden political rule: spare President Aquino and Senate President Franklin Drilon of any unfavorable harangue.

In fact, Joshua Alim, one of the most senior members of the city council, has become Binay’s virtual campaign manager and spokesman in this part of the country.

Alim has been passionately defending Binay in media interviews and even called the ongoing Senate investigation on Binay’s alleged anomalies in Makati city hall as “political persecution and harassment from the elite who wanted to topple down the vice president.”

Alim also does not hide his impatience when he sees negative comments on Facebook against the vice president and makes it a point to defend Binay by hook or by crook.

When Roxas visited Iloilo most recently, some of the streamers Alim’s group put up in various intersections supporting and endorsing Binay disappeared one after another.

Alim cried foul and accused Binay’s detractors to be behind the “sabotage.”

Many village chiefs have also signified their support for the diminutive second highest position of the land despite the almost daily bombshells being unloaded against him on national and local media.

It’s still a long way to go in as far as wooing the support of grass roots leadership is concerned.

The ballgame is still open, fluid and unpredictable.

Many sips-sips (sycophants) in the local level are still expected to jump ship and betray their partymates.

This early no one can claim he has the majority of local leaders in the bag.