Recurring floods, uncollected garbage. Then, as if they were not enough
… come severe haze, power outages.
THE floodings have long been with us in Cebu City.
As far back as several mayors and City Councils ago, stretching across two decades, for at least one former multiple-term mayor, who’s now critical of the handling of the city’s oppressive problems.
Incumbent Mayor Nestor Archival -- the latest in a long list of chief executives and local legislators who couldn’t fix the recurring problem -- is being sued before the Ombudsman.
Not for failure of performance but for alleged misconduct in dealing with the problem, something tied to conflict of interest that may constitute corruption, for “injuring the interest of the government and benefiting a party in the controversy.”
Specifically: Archival refused to issue a cease and desist order against Monterrazas de Cebu for allegedly causing the floods, in effect protecting its interest and his own personal interest as he owns property in the development.
The toxic transboundary smoke from forest fires in Indonesia has made the Cebu air quality “acutely unhealthy and hazardous,” prompting suspension of classes and wearing of face masks. although as of the weekend, no case had yet been reported to the city’s health centers.
The city suffered from daily rotational blackouts from one hour to two and a half hours over the past days, “caused by severe supply deficit in the Visayas regional grid.” The power supply shortage is described as “worsening,” with about 971 megawatts of generating capacity not available to the grid. Power plants have failed to meet generation requirements, with eight plants shut down and 15 others operating at reduced capacities.
THAT ARREST:
2 ways to look at it.
1. “Political oppression,” in which the law is weaponized, the vice president’s life is endangered and she’s stripped of immunity against criminal prosecution while her impeachment trial is not yet over.
2. “Scripted melodrama,” in which VP Sara plays the victim and evades due process, slamming the precept that no one is above the law.
What do we have: brownouts or blackouts?
Technically, what we’ve been having are blackouts, or total loss of electrical power.
A brownout is “a partial drop in voltage where electricity still flows at a reduced level.”
For so long, power companies have called them brownouts instead of blackouts, which they apply only to long periods of total absence of service. Apparently, the euphemism aims to downplay the
inadequate service.
Beware of osteoporosis, er, leptospirosis. Brittle bones or bacterial infection, whatever.
PEOPLE joke about Sen. Robin Padilla’s confusion over words on national stage, while addressing last Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, safety during flood season.
What do they expect of a senator, acquire parliamentary skill and learn as well difference in meaning of similar-sounding names of diseases?
If it were a movie or TV scene, the director could’ve just yelled “Cut!” and ordered as many retakes as Robin Padilla would need.