[] The former councilor says Rama has made ‘a lot of enemies’; he names three: CPA, Capitol and MCWD
[] The mayor unleashes a heavier wallop. His accusation stabs into moral fitness of those who’d want to replace him
THE next elections are 445 days away -- counting from February 22, 2024 to May 12, 2025 -- yet insults and other personal attacks, sporadic as they still are, fly from each political camp against the other.
Not surprising, this early sniping. What may stun a bit is that the firing comes not from Tomas Osmeña-BOPK camp, the old political rival of Mike Rama-Barug group. It comes from a former ally of Rama-Barug: the faction of Labella “loyalists” comprising of the late Edgardo Labella’s supporters and those of Jose Daluz III, former Barug councilor and ex-campaign manager, and chairman of one of two boards in the controversy-plagued Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD).
DALUZ’S BLAST. Last Wednesday, February 21 (2024), Daluz, in a media statement, described Mayor Rama as “toxic.” The word’s dictionary meanings are anything but flattering when applied to a person: 1. poisonous, which can cause death or serious weakening and loss of energy; 2. exhibiting symptoms of infection; 3. harsh, malicious, harmful; and 4. an asset that has lost so much value that it can’t be sold in the market.
In the context of what else Daluz said, it’s worse: “Save Cebu against toxic Rama.” “The opposition must unite to remove him…” “He needs to retire.”
What has the mayor allegedly done or not done to get that line of attack? Mayor Mike has been making enemies, Daluz said, naming the Cebu Port Authority, MCWD, Cebu Province and other LGUs. Rama’s relationship with towns and other cities is “no longer healthy… I feel that,” Daluz said.
RAMA’S RETURN FIRE. The mayor prefaced his reply, in the form of a news story on the City Hall public information office Facebook page, with a purported display of forgiveness, given the season of Lent, downplaying the attack, as “offensive” as it was, as his critics’ right. At the same time, Rama wished those who’d run against him not to resort to personal attacks, reminding everyone he’d still be mayor until 2025.
The sharp barb came in the last paragraph of the CC.NI news story quoting Rama: “Naglibog ko. Kinsa may mamuli, kanang mga plunderers? Kinsay mamuli kanang mga kawatan? Susmaryosep? Kinsay mamuli, kanang mga nanulod og mga kontrata nga bilyon-bilyon?”
HARSH INSULTS BUT NOT UNLAWFUL. Generally, politicians don’t sue one another, especially on the road to the next election. It’s not yet the campaign period but the mudslinging between those who govern and their rivals respects no season. Besides, it is said, a public figure is so toxic that he cannot be, ha ha, defamed by the word.
Not each mudslinging by itself qualifies as libelous. “Toxic” is defamatory: it casts aspersion on a person whose personal and leadership qualities are essential to his work. But Daluz’s criticism of toxicity against the mayor has to be malicious to be unlawful, lawyers tell us. It insults the mayor but casts no legal liability, as yet, as it is merely an opinion that hurts but is not criminal.
The reason may lie also in the supporting facts that Daluz used. They weren’t exactly a cause for consternation or anger although Rama deemed it offensive. Some of Rama’s predecessors made as many, even more enemies. A mayor’s decision is not always accepted by those hurt by it. He may argue inadequately for what he pushes but that would hardly make the chief executive toxic.
Rama, Daluz said, was making a lot of enemies. “A lot” comprises three: the CPA, MCWD and Cebu Province, with presumably some of its LGUs. But there were some valid reasons for the positions taken by the mayor, just as there were good reasons raised by the “enemies” created by Rama’s decisions. But it was his call and accountable for it.
Actually, the punch line in Mayor Rama’s reply carried a heavier wallop. He in effect called his would-be rivals “plunderers” and “thieves,” whom the mayor must suspect to have enriched themselves with the billion-peso deals they contracted.
What covered and in effect softened the blow, which may have also taken it out of the realm of illegality? It wasn’t flung against a specific person but a group -- limited but still generic -- and it wasn’t made directly, unlike Daluz’s “in-your-face” accusation of “Toxic Mike.”
UNNAMED ‘WITCH’ AND ‘KURAKOTS' City Hall watchers may recall that then councilor Nina Mabatid -- #2 vote-topnotcher in Cebu City south 2019 elections, a Barug stalwart and insider in the Rama administration -- called out in February 2021 an “ungo sa City Hall” who allegedly called the shots on city government contracts. Mabatid didn’t publicly name the “witch,” saying most people knew who he was.
And weeks before February 2021, a lawyer-former Cabinet member, the late Clarence Paul Oaminal, griped repeatedly in his newspaper column and other forums about a “Cebu City Kurakot Gang” but never publicly named names. The non-disclosure of the name/s of the “ungo” and the “Kurakot Gang” prevented lawsuits but also spared possible culprits from exposure and sanction.
Mayor Rama can do more than call his would-be rivals “plunderers” and “thieves.” Until he does, his accusation will just be early noise-making in political news, with words tossed on media platforms, not doing much beyond their allure as sound bites.
CAUSE OF THE NOISE. A common flaw in government work, even between LGUs and other government entities, is the failure to remove quickly kinks in the process of governance. How long did it take the mayor and the governor to come to terms on the Sinulog site for 2023 and 2024, or did they ever? Until now, LWUA, the agency that’s supposed to oversee local water districts, has not yet disentangled the mess at MCWD.
Feuds such as the Sinulog site row, the CPA-City Hall quarrel over the Compania Maritima property, and the MCWD management controversy are inevitably made louder, more intense and complicated by local political interests. Whatever would involve courting the popular vote or filling the campaign chest inevitably heightens the war of words among the politicians. Expect more of it in the next 400 days or so.