The headlines say that the new mayor of Bacolod Monico Puentevella has asked for cooperation of the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod during his speech at the inaugural session of the SP last week.
He also urged them “to join” his administration which I think is not for them to jump in to his occult political party but to work or unite in efforts for the good of the city. However, when one ask others for cooperation he should not threaten them. Let’s quote some of his words and reports in the press.
Does Puentevella think that he can bully Councilors Alex Paglumotan, Cesar Distrito, Archie Baribar and Bobby Rojas? Does he think that Councilors Jocelle Batapa, Em Ang, Carl Lopez and Jun Gamboa will jump at the lash of his whip? I am not certain with Councilors El Cid Familiaran and Sonya Verdeflor because they know how to adapt to the situation. Councilor Mona Jardin is yet to win in the October barangay elections and the election by the barangay chairmen to return to the SP. Keith Ramos is also graduating. Indeed these are portents, ominous signs that Bacolod will have three interesting years. The reaction of Councilor Cesar Distrito is just as ominous. Puentevella used the occasion to project or send a message of how he will govern this city. He had all the time and the opportunity to scold the councilors some other days and some other places but not at their own session hall and in their inaugural session. He is not President Aquino who could scold government functionaries in their own offices and their own anniversary because they are under his office and he has the authority to dismiss them for simple lack of confidence. The SP is a co-equal branch of government and the SP is not under the mayor. They were elected by the people and accountable only to them, not to the mayor. He wanted courtesy and respect but he was unable to extend the same. His actuation, his treatment of the councilors is a forewarning not just for the councilors but for all who would dare cross him and turn his beautiful dream into a nightmare. There is another portent of interesting days for Bacolod. There are reports that he wants to change the color of the official seal of the city from green to blue to suit his personal color choice. The roof of the bandstand and the waiting sheds at the plaza had been painted blue, like that of the nearby La Consolacion College. He can paint the entire city blue or whatever and have his traffic enforcers sport blue shirts, but certainly it is different to tinker with the color of the official seal. Not that the seal cannot be changed as circumstances demand but what urgent need or overwhelming justification is there to change it? Will the SP go with him in this? I recall the case of Shi Huang Ti who wanted that the history of China should begin with him. He ordered the burning of all books and histories of China to remove all traces of the past. Is the new city government likewise obsessed? True the magnitude of his action is not as great as that of the Chinese emperor but the portents are in his mind set. I hope he eschew such thoughts if he wants to be remembered differently. Of course we find this mind set quite often and the reason so many historic structures are lost forever. Modesto P. Sa-onoy The Visayan Daily Star
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