Social welfare officer retires, joins politics

ZAMBOANGA City Social Welfare and Development Officer (CSWDO) Francisco Barredo turned 65 years old on Friday, ending his 35 years in government service. But he will be back if he wins in the 2013 council race.

"Today, I have three celebrations. First, I am turning 65 years old; second, I am retiring from government service, and third, I am filing my candidacy for city councilor," Barredo said during the first Friday mass at City Hall.

He thanked his wife, children, in-laws, and grandchildren for supporting and inspiring him throughout his career in government, starting as an elementary school teacher.

"I never thought I would retire as a department head of the City Government," he said.

He also thanked the CSWDO employees and his co-department heads, who he said he will miss, especially their company during meetings with Mayor Celso Lobregat in the wee hours of the morning.

For his part, Lobregat said Barredo was charting a new journey after retirement.

"Not only today is the end of your stint as a department head. Today, you begin another journey and that is to become a city councilor," Lobregat said of Barredo.

The mayor added: "Today, since I will be filing as congressional candidate for the first district, also signals that after nine months - I will no longer be mayor of Zamboanga City. It will be very long and very short. Very short, because there are many things to accomplish; and very long, because we have to act with sense of urgency. We have to stretch the time because so many things still have to be accomplished."

Lobregat also thanked the City Government officials and employees for all the things and sacrifices they have done for the service and for the good of the City Government.

"Correct si Kit (Kit is right) when he said that I am the worst and the best mayor. I am the worst because I extract from you for the best of the people," Lobregat said, adding there are many hard decisions to make in the next few hours, the next few weeks and the next few months.

"One is choosing who the next department head (of CSWDO) will be. We will interview the applicants and decide by tonight because I don't want to leave things hanging in the CSWDO. We have to have somebody heading the department," Lobregat said as he invited everybody, who is interested in the position that Barredo left vacant, to apply. (Bong Garcia)