Thursday, November 15, 2007 Espinoza: Mayor Radaza’s devotion By Elias L. Espinoza Free Zone
EVERY year Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza helps in carrying the image of the Lady of the Rule, perhaps as his way of showing his devotion to the city’s patroness during the fiesta.
One thing noticeable, though, was his face in the picture Sun.Star-Cebu published the other day. It showed signs of sadness and discomfort. Was the image on the dais too heavy for him?
Also, Mayor Radaza, who rarely gives media interview, used the occasion to talk to his constituents inside the church before the mass started. He must have been enlightened.
Cardinal Vidal, meanwhile, expressed concern that Mayor Radaza’s rift with businessman Efrain Pelaez would deprive Lapuhanons of the city’s basic services. But Vidal does not want to intervene because he is not familiar with the issues involved.
The good cardinal should better not intervene. Not only is corruption involved in the conflict, Radaza and his minions are determined to run after Pelaez, who filed a graft case against the mayor.
President Arroyo’s emissary even failed to mend the rift between Radaza and Pelaez. Call me a pessimist, but I don’t think the good prelate can patch their relation up.
I agree with the cardinal, though, that the conflict could affect the city’s delivery of basic services. Some city streets don’t have lights (or these are defective) and other roads are dilapidated.
The contractor of the road in Basak has still to finish the project and the traffic has gone from bad to worse. I even learned that a Canadian investor avoided Lapu-Lapu City when he heard about how City Hall is treating local businessmen and foreign investors.
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Cebu City has been known recently for incidents of vigilante-style killings. But the other day, Mandaue City suddenly found itself as the playground of murderers.
Japanese businessman Hiroshi Kosaka was shot and killed inside his van by motorcycle riding killers when his driver stopped for the red light at the intersection of G. Ouano and Plaridel Sts. at about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.
We can’t blame the Mandaue city police or Mayor Jonas Cortes for poor intelligence work. The police can say the crime happened at a time when most Mandauehanons were still asleep.
Many suspect that Hiroshi’s killing was business related. Sun.Star’s Oscar Pineda said Hiroshi operated a KTV, travel tour firm and bag manufacturing company.
Still, the killing is an indication of how relaxed are our law enforcement agents.
While law abiding citizens can’t carry licensed firearms outside their residence if they don’t have the required permits, criminals roam free with their guns.
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My good friend Rep. Tony Cuenco, after initiating a congressional inquiry that failed to get to the bottom of the alleged drug smuggling here, is now setting his eyes on the reported smuggling of motor vehicles in Cebu.
Why is he singling out Cebu? Because he is a Cebuano and some of the businessmen allegedly linked to the smuggling activity are those he dislike for some reason or another?
Cuenco’s committee has nothing to do with smuggling of cars. But as a concerned legislator, he can file a motion asking the proper committee to conduct a congressional inquiry. I hope this will not be another waste of public funds.
I gathered that importation of knocked down multi-cabs is allowed. Most of those that benefit from this are in the low-income group. So why deprive them of the comfort of driving a multi-cab or cheap used car?
