Tuesday, September 25, 2007 Mandaue political camps trade charges in forum
THE contending political camps in Mandaue City yesterday accused each other of being puppets, a charge both sides denied.
The two camps later agreed on the need to maintain an open line between the mayor and vice mayor. The two sides also said, during yesterday’s Kulokabildo.com program over radio dyAB, that they have similar objectives although they differ on how to achieve this.
Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, who failed to attend the forum, was represented by his personal lawyer Francisco Amit, City Administrator Briccio Boholst and City Legal Officer Omar Redula.
On the opposite camp was Mandaue Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna and council majority floor leader Victor Biaño. Association of Barangay Council (ABC) president Joy Ouano also attended the forum and was seated between the two contending groups.
Ouano’s role
During the forum, the host raised apprehensions by some sectors that Fortuna and the Mandaue City Council majority bloc are being dictated by former mayor Thadeo Ouano. After the forum, Joy Ouano said she agreed with the observation raised.
Thadeo’s son Jonkie ran for mayor with Fortuna but lost to Cortes.
Biaño, however, stressed yesterday that the former mayor already detached himself from any of the city’s activities.
“I stand by my own principle, ug di ko padiktar sa mga Ouano,” said Biaño. (I won’t allow myself to be controlled by the Ouanos). Biaño was once a fierce Ouano critic but was invited to join the former mayor’s party in the last elections.
Biaño said he had hoped that Cortes would attend yesterday’s forum to answer impressions by some sectors that the chief executive is very dependent on his lawyers referring to Boholst, Redula and Amit.
In answer, Boholst describe what Biaño raised as a “baseless impression.” He said it is the mayor who decides on all pressing issues confronting the city.
It also came out in yesterday’s forum that while the two camps have similar objectives in addressing mobility problems of the Mandaue City police, they disagree on how to implement them.
Fortuna said the issue is “addressing mobility problem right then and there.” He suggested extending the lease of Terrano patrol vehicles for the remaining quarter of the year and buy new vehicles next year, to be included in the city’s 2008 annual budget.
Boholst, on the other hand, said that to address the immediate need of the PNP, Cortes pulled out six vehicles from various departments and assigned them to the police.
Reconciliation
He said the mayor assigned the vehicles while waiting for the purchase of the eight brand new patrol vehicles through the passage of a supplemental budget by the council.
The two sides also disagree on how they can reconcile.
Boholst said the City’s executive and legislative branches should stick to their roles to avoid conflict. He said the council should leave it to the mayor to steer the city.
“Pagpanday ug paghimo sa balaod, stick lang sila diha,” said Boholst. (Just stick to enacting laws.)
“Diha magsugod ang bangi (that’s where we disagree),” Fortuna said. He asked city officials not to doubt the council, saying they approved all documents on authorities for the mayor submitted to them for concurrence.
“We have not shown any move to make the life of the mayor difficult,” Fortuna said.
He said legislation is the act, and what is being legislated are policies. He said the council has the power to regulate and enunciate policies. He said it is the mayor who enforces all these regulations.
Both camps, however, agreed towards the end of the forum that an open communication line between the mayor and the vice mayor must be maintained.
“I respect the vice mayor, naa lang lain miembro sa konseho nga lain ang tomong,” said Redula, who refused to name the councilors. (Some of the councilors have different agenda.)
Amit said the differences between the executive and legislative branches mean that democracy is alive in Mandaue.
Boholst said he is hopeful that all that Fortuna said in the forum are not just “lip service.”
Fortuna said they should look at the collective action of the council and not the individual characters of each member.
After the forum, Ouano invited officials from both camps to lunch. But Fortuna begged off saying he had other pressing things to attend to and only Boholst, Redula and Amit accepted Ouano’s invitation. (OCP)
