Power play

Mayor Lim

Vice Mayor Fernandez

By Dave Paragas

TAXPAYERS’ MONEY IS the reason why governments exist (I mean ironically) as some presumptuous public servants get elected without a sense of direction and purpose, only platforms intended to please the majority on a short- term basis.
 Of course, these words would again ring a familiar bell comes election time. I’m aware that pundits, especially those who think they are better than the Supreme Court justices, are presumably more knowledgeable enough to expound on the issues of “who’s more corrupt?” and who is more likely to fail in winning the people’s mandate in this year’s May 13 polls.
 Let’s wait and see!

 URGENT MOTION TO RESTRAIN
 The resolution of the case involving the proposed sale of the McAdore property is being awaited with bated breath. Sadly, the idling city property has since been under siege from those professing great concern for the people’s interests.
 The irony of man’s predilection for invoking technicalities that can neither quench the thirst nor feed the hungry stomach of Dagupenos has wittingly or unwittingly caused more harm than good for the city’s constituency. Call that the main ingredient (if the by product) of power play. December 14, 2012 was the historic date when City Secretary Ryan Ravanzo’s urgent motion to restrain the sale of McAdore was granted and enforced until January 4, 2013.
To people with limited views about city affairs and concerns, that motion came as the best Christmas and New Year gift from someone who wanted to portray himself as ‘the protector of city’s interest’. Even my barber knows that no one has the monopoly of morality, which is already losing its sting and popularity among some people in public service because all of us, in the context of plurality, may claim that we’re are just exercising our rights or airing our own opinions based on the principles laid down by the bill of rights. But what about the house, food, education, medicines and electric bills that silently kill the lives of our dear fellows? Come to think of it.
The urgent motion to restrain and all its related prayers by Ravanzo were undeniably intended to ‘fully stop’ the mayor from selling the McAdore property virtually hurting the welfare of the public that is supposed to benefit from the whopping P 106 million proceeds.

 CODE OF ETHICS
 My special thanks to Sir Ermin Garcia Jr. for accommodating my news story in his last column entitled, “No one else but Guv Spines”, a 29-paragraph masterpiece, which eloquently (if confusingly) harped on the “inconsistencies” and improprieties of the statements of a media whistle blower whose exhortations, to me, were harmless, meant only to remind our colleagues that there, indeed, is a code of ethics governing journalism conduct. Sir Ermin exceedingly invigorated my self-esteem as an upstart in local journalism. It is an honor for me to be taken seriously by one of provincial journalism’s leading lights and (whether he likes it or not), he is Mayor BSL’s foremost partial (and bitterest) critic.
His busy schedules in Manila notwithstanding, he’s been tirelessly grappling with sleepless nights just to pursue his uncompromising role in fighting for what he believes is right for the city. I’ve been told that writing is neither an art of playing and punching with words, nor playing with fire, for the language of its sacredness is embedded in the spirit of the Journalist’s Code of Ethics – a gigantic responsibility. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “he has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help” was on par with his’ (Sir Ermin Jr.), “Let’s all wish each other good punching in 2012!” And it is in that context that I thank him for acknowledging my humble presence in Journalism industry.
 HAPPY NEW YEAR
 There is a reason to believe that our voters are now knowledgeable enough to discern who among the candidates are worthy or not – candidates who can be their allies through the best of times and the darkest of hours. And from the lessons of our history, we may be different from each other, but we hold something in common – Yes, we all want sensible public service that truly serves our mutual needs.
 Happy New Year