A (ware)house is not a home. Reminds me of a song by Dionne Warwick. To some extent, that might just be true.
So claim the detractors of Tarlac City Mayor Susan Yap who used this reason against her as they filed a petition, that, to their minds make her ineligible to be their mayor.
This was the same reason why the Comelec en banc overturned its Second Division which ruled in her favor several months ago. The Supreme Court (SC) has issued a status quo ante order. This means that there will be no succession taking place.
No new mayor. No new vice mayor. SC’s order makes Yap keep her post while the case is being heard.
Hearing Yap in radio/tv in interviews and other broadcast commentaries makes one think of the contentions that were raised in the attempt to oust her from office.
Those who want her out claim that Yap is not a resident of Barangay Tibag, Tarlac City where she is a registered voter. I was not furnished a copy of the original complaint filed against her but I did hear and watched Yap’s rebuttal in news accounts.
From what I can surmise, her detractors are saying that how can she live in a building that look like a warehouse? Yes, a storage, a bodega, a tambakan.
That was probably based on external looks of the property that Yap owns since 2004. She said that the lower part of the house was once part of a business and that could explain why other people hastily concluded that it was not a place of abode for her.
“We live simply, so they think that it looks like a warehouse,” said she in one interview.
That statement reminded me of what I used to tell friends that I want my house to look so simple on the outside. But inside, it would be a different story. Lavish it would not be, but will always be comfortable and filled with all the furnishings, ornaments, appliances that I want. A batcave for my home theater and my vintage audio collection.
Seeing some pictures posted online, it was less spectacular. Not posh but the typical house for a politico. There appears to be a laminated wood finish and some walls are in old-fashion bricks. The kitchen looked equipped too with ref, microwave and a water dispenser with a 5-gallon mounted. The house set-up manifests a simple living, indeed..
I did see some duraboxes which shows how typical a Filipino household it is. I saw some shoes, flat and heeled ones, and rubber shoes. Also stacked up towels and some clothes in dust covers (probably gowns and coats). Not really that spick and span but all tidied up.
The mayor’s house looked cozy yet simple, so spacious, so livable a place.
+++++
Comes her lamentation now: “No one came to visit and inspect what is inside my property,” she says.
Yap said the Tibag house is the same residence she has been living in from four elections ago. With elections being held every three years, that means she was there from the 2016 political exercise.
Supporting her defense for proof of residence, she said, are photographs and other documents like cedula which is commonly known as Community Tax Certificate.
She also has the backing of previous barangay officials who vouched that she actually lives there.
Why would the current barangay captain not do the same? The answer: She is not aligned with her. With that, anyone can easily conclude that was political in nature. Kapitan Jay-Ar Navarro even denied her a certificate of residency. It was in fact Navarro and one Amado De Leon who sought to disqualify her with a case they filed with the Comelec.
+++++
It is also important to note that unseating Yap runs contrary to the dictum vox populei, vox dei. (The voice of the people is the voice of God). One must remember that even the Bible says that it is God that appoints (earthly, government) leaders.
Yap won convincingly over closest rival in the 2025 local elections. She enjoys that mandate given by the city’s electorate. To discard those votes (read:voices) by virtue of an allegation over residency just doesn’t sit well especially these days where people can easily unite to voice their concerns and grievances.
One good thing about all these brouhaha though is the fact that Vice Mayor KT Angeles, who, by the way, took her oath as “mayor: is so respectful of the latest ruling that SC where Yap is still the mayor while the case is being heard by the high tribunal. She is so gracious in recognizing Yap’s leadership in Tarlac City
Yap would like to make it clear that she was not reinstated as she was not removed from office as Mayor. She said that there was never an order for her to vacate her position as the city’s chief executive.