|
Monday, November 22, 2004
Nalzaro: Teddy was overacting
By Bobby Nalzaro
MANDAUE City Mayor Teddy Ouano said he is still willing to appear before the next hearing of the House committee on dangerous drugs as a resource person and not as a ‘suspect.’ Wait a minute? Who is accusing the mayor that he is a suspect in the mega shabu laboratory found operating in his city?
Did anybody, including the vigilant Cebu media, accuse Ouano of any involvement in the busted shabu lab? It was only a public perception that he has knowledge of its existence mainly because it was a multi-billion-peso investment, and those responsible in the illegal operation won’t risk shelling out that huge amount of money if they were not given assurance of any protection from the authorities and some influential and powerful personalities. And they may include some politicians and businessmen in the city.
But why is the mayor so defensive about the allegations that he has something to do with the shabu lab operations? He hired a battery of top-caliber lawyers and supporters to defend him and drum up support for him during the congressional inquiry last Friday. If he has nothing to do with the illegal drug manufacturing business, then he could just have declared his innocence by simply answering those questions thrown by the panel, and not go to the extent of hiring people to cheer for him.
Mayor Ouano was just overacting when his ‘paid supporters’ staged a rally outside the venue of the hearing. He was just wasting his money paying those rah-rah groups, as their action was practically an exercise in futility. Did they achieve something that made the people of Cebu, especially Mandaue, believe that the mayor is really innocent on the existence of the mega shabu lab?
But I would like to remind those anti-Ouanos that this congressional investigation couldn’t pin down or send the mayor to jail. This is being done in aid of legislation for possible amendment of the two-year-old Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Maybe others would think that the mayor could be imprisoned based on this allegation.
This scenario is far from reality unless and until there will be charges filed against him. But as of this time, he is not implicated in the charges filed against those directly involved in the operations. Not even those Mandaue City Hall department heads who failed to inspect the warehouse that was turned into a shabu lab.
Politics, though, has come into play in this shabu lab brouhaha, as his political rival has been ganging up on him on this issue. But I would like to remind the honorable mayor that only the Mandauehanons can judge you if you are really protecting some illegal business interest in your city. This might happen in the next election if they will reject you or any member of your clan who wish to run for any elective position.
Pero dili pa ulahi ang tanan, mayor. Kung gusto gayod kang ipamatuod nga walay kay kalambigitan sa operasyon sa drugas diha sa imong dakbayan, gukda kanang mga tawo nga nahilambigit diha. Ug i-apil kanang imong mga kabanay. Way pabor-pabor ba.
(November 22, 2004 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
