NOTICE who’s minding the store while President Duterte is visiting Israel and Jordan for eight days starting Sunday (Sept. 2)?
The justice secretary, Menardo Guevarra. The reason, Malacañang says, is that Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea is with the president’s entourage.
Not Sara Duterte-Carpio, the president’s daughter and Davao City mayor, as CPP-NPA guru Jose Maria Sison alleges. Although the public wouldn’t know for sure about such arrangements if ever they are made. When Duterte disappeared for a number of days because Digong was in a coma, Sison charged that a “committee” that included “Inday Sara” ruled the country. If his bad intel about Duterte having gone comatose told the public anything, one must be cautious about any rumor he peddles without supporting evidence.
Not Sara and surely not Vice President Leni Robredo.
No law requires the VP to take over in the president’s temporary absence. The Constitution provides only for permanent absence, such as death, resignation or physical disability.
The rule is different in local governments. The Local Government Code (Section 46, Book I) specifically provides that in case of “sickness, leave of absence, trip abroad, or other temporary incapacity,” the vice mayor or vice governor shall “automatically” take over the seat of the mayor or governor.
When at one time Mayor Tomas Osmeña, before leaving for the U.S., named the treasurer as acting co-mayor, along with the vice mayor, he was called out for violating the law. No such thing as co-mayor or deputy mayors.
That happened because the VM, Edgar Labella, belongs to the opposition. The mayor needs to trust the person who occupies his seat when he’s absent but the law ignores political enmity in the rule on succession. And the fact that technology allows steady and clear communication between a traveling president, mayor or governor and the office he leaves behind.
From ‘RL’ to ‘LR’
The Rama-Labella (RL) team will become Labella-Rama (LR) tandem. The initials RL stood for “Rule of Law”; now the initials are LR for “Law Rules.” Former mayor Mike Rama harps on his respect for law, as distinguished from his rival’s alleged disrespect of it. Neither RL or LR is in the ballot, just individual names of candidates.
If Tingting was 93-1 ‘dad’
So what does that make of other past and present public officials who helped in the birth of the deal that swapped Cebu City properties with the province-owned lots occupied by city residents?
Midwives, “manghihilots”? Incumbent officials such as Gov. Junjun Davide and Mayor Tomas Osmeña made the “delivery” possible. The “father” was no longer there. Also no longer present were former governor Gwen Garcia and former mayor Mike Rama who also helped in the shaping of the agreement.
Rama’s role is being questioned though. He was blamed for the freezing of the barter during Gwen’s term after he delivered his “modawat og limpyo” speech. Mike alleged that the news story was erroneous but Gwen who probably obtained a transcript of his remarks didn’t believe him. To this day, Mike insists his talk was reported out of context.
Jonas, Gullas, Sonny O.
Mandaue City, Talisay City and Toledo City, often under-reported in the media, have re-emerged in the news:
[] Mandaue, where at a city forum President Duterte verbally mauled Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña. And its mayor, Luigi Quisumbing, usually reticent and not prone to whining, also publicized alleged death threats against him. One would scoff at it if not for the current rash of killings, whose victims include politicians suspected of coddling drug pushers or seen as battling against them.
[] Talisay, criticized publicly by Duterte as the city in the province worst afflicted with the drug menace, got another jolt with the relief of its entire police troops on suspicion of being in cahoots with drug traffickers. Mayor Eddie Gullas scrambles to improve his city’s image.
[] Toledo, where suspended mayor John “Sonny” Osmeña (no fan of his cousin Tomas Osmeña) tangles with authorities on why he should not resume his seat as mayor following the favorable Court of Appeals ruling even though a motion for recon was still to be resolved.