“The art of communication is the language of leadership.” –James Humes
With most preoccupied with reelection and political ambition in the upcoming midterm elections, some Iloilo City councilors have opted to play deaf and mute with regard to the unpopular decision by Iloilo City Mayor Jose ‘Joe III’ Espinosa III to rename the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand to the “Iloilo Dinagyang Grandstand.” With members of the local legislature failing to perform their role of scrutinizing misdemeanors within the executive branch, we in the media are forced to fill the checks and balances vacuum.
The media consistently drew attention to the renaming as it was not just unpopular but downright unpalatable and smeared with moral and legal issues. City councilors were reluctant to chide the mayor as they probably did not want to appear as “villains” in the mayor’s eyes (especially amid strong indication Espinosa will remain mayor for the next four years). Their resistance to the issue gave city residents the impression of, as long as they are in power, Espinosa will get what he wants and they will not stand in his way.
However, the mayor has responded to the criticism positively. He immediately extinguished the issue saying the “Iloilo Dinagyang Grandstand” name was not permanent and acknowledged renaming a public structure requires the endorsement of the local legislative body.
Contrary to how political enemies portray him, Espinosa is not insensitive and, once all is said and done, it is fairly certain he will no longer pursue a formal renaming.
Despite the Iloilo City Council not formally tackling the issue and helping assuage members of the so-called Timawa party (Ganzon loyalists), who vowed to campaign against the incumbent if he did not change his mind, Iloilo City Councilor Joshua Alim hinted he would have pushed for the retention of the word “freedom.”
The Iloilo Freedom Grandstand, built in the 1950s to commemorate Republic Act 1209, or the Iloilo City Freedom Law, which was authored by former Senator Rodolfo ‘Roding’ Ganzon, who also served as Iloilo City mayor, was the only living legacy for the late legislator’s followers.
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Like many cases regarding police officers linked with illegal drugs, President Rodrigo Duterte offered no solid evidence when he shamed and fired Bacolod City Police Office director, Police Senior Superintendent Francisco Ebreo; Police Superintendents Allan Macapagal, Richie Yatar, and Nasruddin Tayuan, and Police Senior Inspector Victor Paulino.
Even after meeting with the said officials at Malacañan Palace earlier this week, the president reiterated his displeasure and disgust, lambasting them anew for allegedly protecting individuals in the drug trade.
Unless solid evidence is produced and formal charges are filed in court, they may be innocent; Police Regional Office-6 director, Police Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, even came out and confirmed Ebreo was not on their list of officials believed to be linked with illegal drugs.
Without questioning the Duterte’s intelligence capabilities, there must be a valid reason for him to go ballistic. It was eventually learned the law enforcement officials drew the president’s ire after some incumbent elected officials claimed officers had escorted Bacolod City Councilor Ricardo Tan after he and his wife after they survived an ambushed last month while on their way home from the Campuestohan Highland Resort, which is owned by the city official.
Tan had previously been labeled a drug trafficker by the president; and while the city councilor may be at odds with Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia, the mayor is also allied with Duterte./WDJ