“Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat.”--Christopher Earle
THIS is neither to add insult to injury nor kicking or beating a dead horse. But I just hope that the defeat suffered by the “former political has-been” who will become again “political has-been” in the recently concluded elections will humble himself and learn the lesson. By now, he should know the meaning of humility.
The “former political has-been” conceded to his opponent, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, even as the canvassing of votes was still going on, upon knowing that the latter was already leading by a big margin. Labella and the other winners were scheduled to be proclaimed by the Board of Canvassers Tuesday afternoon.
In his message to his supporters posted on his Facebook account, the “political has-been” said: “I do not want a single person to feel sorry for me. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I am not the priority. You are the priority. Everything I have done as mayor, I’ve done for Cebu.” He thanked his supporters who campaigned hard for him, saying he will be eternally grateful for them and assured them he will still be here for them.
He again talked about the future of the South Road Properties (SRP) saying “he hopes that it will not be squandered again.” He described the SRP as a mango tree. It will bear the fruit for the children to enjoy. “Let us not chop down the tree and sacrifice our children’s tomorrow for today. Let us take care of the tree, take care of ourselves and Cebu.”
What a pathetic statement. But even in his misery he still showed his arrogance as if he is the only person who can manage the SRP. He thinks that other persons are all idiots and he is the only genius person who can manage the SRP. If it is his deal in the SRP, it’s above board. But if it’s another one’s deal, it’s tainted with corruption.
His defeat has freed the Cebuanos from the bondage of tyranny and arrogance. I don’t need to describe his attitude because we already know what kind of person he is. He is very arrogant and vindictive. He is a bully. He thinks that he owns Cebu and all the Cebuanos are his slaves. President Duterte described him as a despot. He acts like a dictator or a ruler who holds power and exercise it in a cruel or oppressive way.
His defeat to Labella is what we call “karma.” He does not listen to suggestions even from his peers and political allies. What he wants, he gets. Look what he did to the allies of his political foes. The barangay captains who are identified with the opposition. He recalled the City Hall-issued vehicles, including ambulances. He did not give equal share to them. He put up his own Barangay Mayor’s Office (BMO) to barangays whose barangay captains are not his allies, which triggered animosities between the legitimate barangay officials and his BMO appointees. He wants people to kneel before him. He is suffering from Schadenfreude disorder, a person who laughs and enjoys seeing the misfortune of his enemies.
I am not a political analyst but I attributed his defeat to Labella on his arrogance and dictatorial attitude. This is not to mention the failure of his administration to address the basic problems confronting the city like garbage collection, traffic, floods and the deteriorating peace and order situation. He tolerated corruption committed by his allies and gave favors to his election financial backers.
Mao ni gitawag nga “gaba.” Ug nagkatawa na karon ang mga tawo nga iyang gipanggukod sama sa mga kapitan, Rico’s lechon, Vic Enterprises, Jerome Pawnshop ug daghan pang uban. Weder-weder lang ning kinabuhi N’yor. By June 30, pareho na tang civilians.