Thursday, January 31, 2008 Espinoza: Jakosalem, Citom better be ready for the flak By Elias L. Espinoza Free Zone
CEBU City Councilor Jack Jakosalem, chairperson of the Citom Board, had to push for the putting off of the odd-even scheme dry run for private vehicles that pass the Banilad-Talamban road because it flopped the other day.
Alternate roads were not enough to accommodate the hundreds of motor vehicles rerouted, he admitted. This indicates that the Citom rerouting plan was shortsighted as it failed to consider that the alternate roads are narrow and dilapidated.
Work on Rep. Raul del Mar’s flyover project at the intersection of Gov. Cuenco Ave. and A. S. Fortuna St. has been put off several times because of objections raised by the business community, so it will definitely start tomorrow.
Unless stopped, WTG Construction and Development Corp, the contractor, will start the construction of the flyover as scheduled. Unfortunately, Citom has yet to come up with a comprehensive rerouting plan.
If the dry run for the odd-even traffic scheme the other day was chaotic, I could not imagine how traffic tomorrow will be like since Citom is obviously unprepared for this situation.
Jakosalem should better be ready for the flak coming not only from affected motorists and businessmen but also from Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
The councilor does not live in Talamban. No malice intended, but I think his only concern with this traffic problem is, perhaps, the votes of Talambanons come 2010. He is being rumored to be running for vice mayor.
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Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes’ veto of the P6.96-million budget for the city’s legislative assistants was an exercise of his prerogative. City councilors should not begrudge him for that.
It is not the end of the day for them, though. Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna, who is capable of finding middle grounds in conflicts, can handle this problem very well. In fact, he already talked with City Administrator Briccio Boholst about this matter.
On the other hand, the possibility that the mayor’s veto would rekindle his conflict with the opposition-dominated council is remote. City officials, in performing their duties and responsibilities, should not solely look at their own interest but consider the welfare of the general public.
At the end of their terms, city officials are judged not by how good they performed or who got the bigger part of the pie but how well they served their constituents.
Since the new administration assumed office, Mandaue has remained sluggish. The city’s traffic management still leaves much to be desired. Efforts to improve it are hampered by the appointment of inexperienced people.
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The graft case filed against labor arbiter Fructuoso Villarin IV, who is based in Tagbilaran City, is all about money. His participation in settling the money award for dismissed workers of Hanjin Construction after the Supreme Court decided the case with finality smacks of contempt.
Because of what he did, Villarin deserved to be charged before the Office of the Ombudsman for giving unwarranted benefit, advantage and preference to Hanjin, who was ordered to pay the 500 dismissed workers a total of P70 million.
Villarin must have been asked to persuade the workers to sign a waiver and to accept the meager sum of P35,000 instead of the P200,000 per decision that the dismissed workers are entitled to receive.
The case against Villarin is a good deterrence for others who are similarly situated. Lawyers of workers should not give in to any plea for settlement.
