Wednesday, August 29, 2007 Speak out: Time to shut up By Joseph M. Dabon Hermag Subd., Basak Mandaue City
NOTHING can more aptly describe the current mayor and vice mayor of Mandaue City than this inference of a well-worn saying.
Both are young, first timers in their positions and positioned enviably of etching a glorious page in the history of the city.
Sadly, whatever meaningful similarities they have are negated by the destructive differences between the two.
To start with, the camp of Mayor Jonas Cortes take to the vice mayor as a minion of the past administration, marching to its corrupt and dictatorial tune.
In reflex, it can safely be construed that within the inner circle of Mayor Jonas are people with a singular purpose of stamping out all vestiges of the past and, rightly or wrongly, affecting the decisions of the youthful mayor.
On the other hand, Vice Mayor Carlo Pontico Fortuna, probably ecstatic over a new-found freedom from the stifling yoke of the past mayor or, as some people believe, marching to the beat of the disgraced Ouano administration, appears to be leaving no opportunity to make the executive look ineffective and incompetent.
In between are concerned Mandauehanons who are plain revolted at the unfolding drama in our City Hall.
Before things get out of hand, I suggest that both go back to the basics, which is the Local Government Code.
I am not familiar with it but can safely assume that it contains, beyond any reasonable doubt, the job descriptions of both the mayor and vice mayor.
Vice Mayor Fortuna is a brilliant lawyer and our mayor is surrounded by a phalanx of lawyers and lawyer wannabes.
If both sides cannot come up with a singular and agreeable interpretation of the Code, then there something grossly wrong with it or there something grossly wrong with the lawyers in this country.
Alluding from the biblical line of giving to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, I suggest that the vice mayor allow the mayor to be the mayor and vice versa.
As it is, the tasks are already gargantuan enough in each office without them having to get at each other’s backs.
Let them not assume that what they are doing to each other is for the interests of Mandaue. Let them not assume that their constant sniping at each other in public is finding a sympathetic ear among Mandauhanons because it is not.
On the contrary we take them as carping of a spoiled brat running off to daddy for some unmet selfish desires.
In closing, I suggest that they both learn to accept the fact that there is a time for everything. Right now, the time is for them to shut up and work together to make Mandaue City what it is supposed to be, not to be what it is today.
