Thursday, July 05, 2007 Seares: Mayor Soc’s marriage By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
IT seems they can't leave Talisay City Mayor Soc Fernandez's marriage alone. They pounded on the issue during the election campaign and they're still at it now.
"They" refers to media of the invasive kind: those who eat "erring" public officials for breakfast or lunch, depending upon style and hour of commentary.
A public official's private affairs are private, beyond media scrutiny, unless they affect his public function.
Still, Jeoffrey Hamzah Broñola of dyRF radio had a valid point. There's allegation of another woman competing for Mayor Soc's affection. And there's this marriage license Mayor Soc showed to dyRF news reporters, which, the reporters said, looked spurious as it had no serial number.
Fair game
When legal or moral violation related to his job is the issue, the public official becomes fair game, even on things personal and private.
But what's the score? Is there another woman? His critics speculate: The sinner eats and wipes his mouth and says he has done no wickedness.
If denial were evidence, jails would be filled with people convicted because they denied any wrongdoing.
The mayor quotes the Bible more often than the Local Government Code and praises the Lord more repeatedly than he extols political patron Rep. Eddie Gullas. Does that make Mayor Soc a suspect of marital infidelity?
His wife isn't seen at City Hall. Do they want her to keep clinging at his side and help him run affairs of government?
Maybe, they just find Mayor Soc too virtuous to be true and see lechery in a missing serial number.
One thing pretty certain: Prying by media will go on.
