THIS is a continuation of the blind item we raised in last Saturday’s issue, “Crazy for love.” The issue triggered intrigues among the media and political circle in the city. It’s about a newly elected official who is seriously and deeply in love with a girl who is much younger than him. The politician and the woman lived in the former’s ancestral house for several months.
But the politician’s siblings, especially his brothers, who also live in the compound, opposed their “romance.” Sources said the politician’s siblings do not like the girl because of her background and character. Because he loves the girl so much, the politician is perceived to be “under the saya.” The politician, together with his lover, left his ancestral house after a quarrel with his siblings. They now live in a rented apartment. But the politician occasionally goes home to their ancestral house without the girl. The siblings threatened not to support the politician’s reelection bid in the next election if he would not end his relationship with the girl.
The girl has reportedly been “poking her fingers” and intervening in the politician’s official functions. Without any official designation, the woman is now an “unofficial member” of the screening committee of the politician’s office. If there are applicants for whatever position, the woman has the final say. She frequently reports to the office of the politician and has recommended 15 personnel to be employed there. Even supporters and close friends of this politician have distanced themselves from him. They, too, do not like the girl’s attitude. She dictates everything, according to the source.
Well, there is nothing wrong if this politician is deeply and seriously in love with the woman, especially since there are no legal impediments in their love. The politician’s marriage with his previous wife has been annulled and the girl is single. But if the other party intervenes in the politician’s official functions, that is another story. We don’t care who the politician is involved with or how many because this is his personal life. Way labot ang lungsod ana kung magpakaboang siya sa gugma. Apan dili unta angayan manghilabot ang babaye sa official nga functions sa maong pulitiko. Nagsalimoang gumikan sa gugma.
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I don’t know if Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella is aware that there are three groups in his circle that are negotiating with the management of the controversial Binaliw landfill operated by ARN Central Waste Management Inc. Sources said that these interest groups are individually lobbying with the management of the landfill for their own agenda. Each group representative told the official of the landfill to only negotiate with their group.
The first group, which is in the executive department, wants to cancel the P65-million contract entered by the previous administration, saying it will be a subject of a thorough review. This group suspects that the former mayor is part of the company. What thorough review are they talking about? The contract was aboveboard. I suspect it will not be canceled altogether, but modified if they can reach a certain agreement and agree on terms and conditions to suit their agenda.
The second group is composed of reelected councilors. They insist that they should be the ones negotiating since all transactions about garbage disposal pass through the City Council, particularly the committee of environment and natural resources.
The third group is not connected with City Hall but is from the office of an influential person closely identified by the powers that be. During a recent visit of a newly elected senator, an official of the landfill who also attended the affair was approached by a representative of this group and told the landfill official to only negotiate with their group. The representative is closely identified with the influential person who was among the financial backers during the elections.
Mayor Labella should be extra careful in dealing with this issue because he might have been blinded and misled by his own people. Even the plan to tap the Aloguinsan landfill owned by the Morenos as an alternative dumpsite has raised some questions. How true that some personalities holding sensitive positions at City Hall now were previously lawyering for the Morenos? Is that why they prefer to dispose of the city’s garbage there? Just asking?