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Saturday, November 08, 2003
Cebu officials prod Glo
CEBU -- The presidents of the three local officials' leagues in Cebu issued a joint manifesto Friday supporting President Arroyo's efforts to forge a covenant that will end the impeachment deadlock.
Support for the Chief Justice also meant that not all court workers wore red in protest Friday, and a Cebu City Hall official defended the use of government vehicles during an anti-impeachment rally.
The manifesto was signed by League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Cebu president Celestino "Tining" Martinez III, Cebu Vice Mayors' League president Ricardo Ramirez and Philippine Councilors' League Cebu president Michael Miranda.
"While each branch of government is entitled to its position, the prevailing circumstances of confusion, division and uncertainty dictate no less than their fair share of humility, reasonable concession and ultimate sacrifice for the common good," the three said in the manifesto.
Gov. Pablo Garcia criticized the manifesto initiated by the Martinez camp.
Garcia, who is at odds with Martinez's group, noted that the manifesto did not urge the withdrawal of the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.
The governor suspects that the issue of withdrawal is not in the manifesto because of Rep. Clavel Martinez's stand that the impeachment complaint is constitutional.
Clavel and Garcia's word has worsened because of their conflicting stand on the issue. Although both are supportive of Chief Justice Davide, the governor believes the impeachment complaint is unconstitutional and Martinez thinks otherwise.
Seeing red
Unlike their counterparts in Manila and Bicol, not all court workers in Cebu wore red Friday as a sign of protest.
While they also support the call for a salary increase, Jessie Belarmino of the Philippine Association of Court Employees (Pace) said they agreed to hold their mobilizations only after the impeachment problem is over.
They agreed during their meeting last Thursday that they would not make matters worse for the beleaguered Chief Justice, said Belarmino.
"Once the crisis is over, we will immediately call the Supreme Court and the House of Representatives to take a look at our gripes and demands for our salary increase," Belarmino said.
Belarmino also said the Cebu City court workers will not join the call by court employees in Luzon to stage a mass leave on Monday.
But while the different organizations did not take a stand on the impeachment complaint, there were some court employees who wore red in court Friday.
They clarified, though, that the wearing of red does not mean they are supporting the impeachment of the chief justice.
It only means they are advancing their cause for a salary increase and the return of scrapped allowances.
"I am wearing red because the lawmakers did not hear our plea for a salary increase. Adto mi ani sa Kongreso mangayo (We will ask Congress for an increase)," court employee Lilibeth Codoy said.
Moving on
At City Hall, the question wasn't whether many supported Davide or not, but how they went about it and what resources they used.
Acting Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he saw no violations committed in the use of city-owned vehicles to ferry urban poor groups to Fuente Osmeņa for the anti-impeachment rally last Wednesday.
"This is a national problem and everybody needed to be heard," Rama, a lawyer, told reporters in a press conference Friday.
For public interest and as long as the vehicles were not used illegally, Rama said they had to respond to the request of the residents, especially those from mountain barangays, who did not have any transportation.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) warned local officials for allowing the use of government vehicles during the rally.
DILG Undersecretary Agrepino Morga also reportedly said the prayer-rally did not have anything to do with the official functions of the government officials, so their service vehicles should not have been used.
Rama, who was among the local officials who attended the rally, said the DILG should "rethink and consider the point" of their warning.
"What does the DILG want us to do, park our vehicle and walk (to the venue of the rally)?" he asked.
Councilor Gerardo Carillo, chairman of the committee on social services, also said the "warning" seems "misplaced" since anyone who submits a request can use the City's Kaohsiung buses. These are even used for funerals.
"Anybody can use the vehicles -- the women, the urban poor -- for anything that involves public interest," Carillo added. JPM/GN/CYR
(November 8, 2003 issue)
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