Punchline
The double-dead resolution
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
SINCE sanggunian secretary Ryan Ravanzo filed a special civil suit against Mayor Benjie Lim and the city’s Judas 9, local media repeatedly quoted Mr. Lim saying: “There was nothing irregular or anomalous in the Sangguniang Panlungsod resolution authorizing me to initiate the sale of the MC Adore lot and building together with the other city-owned land located in Barangay Talibaew, Calasiao.”
Then, in an apparent show of defiance of any legal and court intervention, he said “This being the case, my office will move on to sell the properties upon the creation of a disposal committee.”
“Nothing irregular!” became his buzzwords.
However, it appears that son Brian, the acknowledged ringleader of the Judas 9, had doubts about Daddy’s position. It appears, unico hijo Brian, notwithstanding his limited legal training, shares the DILG’s view that the resolution was defective and needs to be corrected.
But his attempt to seek the city council’s “affirmation and confirmation” of the controversial resolution during a last week’s regular session, 2 weeks ahead of the scheduled court hearing on the petition for a permanent injunction, proved to be his undoing. Perhaps son Brian saw an opportunity not only to show Daddy Mayor his mettle at trouble-shooting legal issues and make Daddy proud, but little did he know that he would soon make matters worse for himself, his Daddy and his own lapdogs.
He was gravely mistaken to believe he could deftly correct the infirmities of the resolution by getting the city council simply to “reaffirm and confirm” the adoption of the controversial resolution without correcting the basic defects cited by the DILG. What a dumb thought.
Alas for son Brian, he equated being wily and scheming to being smart and legally bright; worse, he felt justified using the tyranny of numbers to pursue a malevolent end.
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THE PLOT. Here’s how it went. Last Monday, the excited son Brian was seen swaggering into the session hall with his retinue of bodyguards before him and 8 Judases behind him.
In conspiracy with majority floor leader Karlos Reyna, son Brian launched the blitzkrieg on the greatly outnumbered minority of 3 by surreptitiously listing his agenda under “Other matters”.
Those who watched the proceedings at the session hall or on USATV Channel 17 saw the minority taken by surprise by Reyna’s tact because it prevented them from studying the issue prior to the regular session. Fortunately, Veem Belen Fernandez was quick to sense the plot – to get a “double-dead” resolution adopted by the Judas 9. She promptly referred the Judas 9’s new resolution to the appropriate committees, a move that was not anticipated by the scheming plotters.
In the ensuing discussion, Onor-onor Brian reiterated the need to “affirm and confirm Resolution 4981” that authorized Daddy Benjie to negotiate the sale of the MC Adore and the Calasiao properties. His justification? His Daddy Mayor is already moving to dispose of the properties so the city council must support! Duh? Arrogance of power has obviously gotten well into his head as well to believe that he can easily pull the wool over the people’s eyes and get away with it.
* * * * *
RIGHT VS. WRONG. Former majority flood leader Maybelyn Fernandez, now in the minority, shot back citing the need for the committees to conduct a public hearing and to render a report before the body could act on it. Wily son Brian then moved for a division of the house, his legal response to any objection, confident that he has nine votes in his pocket to neutralize any objection. VM Belen rebuffed him saying his proposed resolution was already referred to the committees for study. But he continued to badger her nonetheless with a misplaced technicality for Daddy Mayor’s sake.
Both Veem Belen and Councilor Maybelyn stuck to their guns, refusing to yield an inch. Councilor Alfie Fernandez gave the needed legal booster. The minority invoked people’s interests, son Brian invoked Daddy’s interests. Tsk-tsk.
To finally close the city’s gates to the Judas 9, Councilor Jigs Seen moved for adjournment, and that effectively repulsed the assault on the people and the legal process. (Here’s another fly in the ointment. One of the Judas 9, who reportedly claimed to be in on the plot early on, was overheard to have bragged to some friendly ears that son Brian’s plot was, in fact, the idea of Daddy “so the judge can dismiss the case without thinking!”) Tsk-tsk! Such gall to incriminate a judge in the abhorrent plot just to demonstrate the group’s confidence! Has the group lost all sense of propriety?
Curiously, none of the other Judases rose to help argue for their misguided leader throughout the shouting match. (Could it be because there is truth to the rumor that city hall had not completely delivered on the promised P1.5 M incentive? No money, no honey?).
Dagupeños can truly be proud of Vice Mayor Belen and minority members Councilors Maybelyn, Alfie and Jigs. They were steadfast in their opposition to the obnoxious plot of the Judas 9 aimed at permanently injuring the city.
Son Brian again woefully underestimated the power and might of the right vs. the wrong and evil. He and his cohorts still have not realized that numbers are of no consequence when the might of a moral force is used to fight for people’s interests!
* * * * *
ADMISSION OF IRREGULARITY. With his plot in tatters, son Brian reportedly rushed to his Daddy Mayor for help. And help he got. The Mad Dog Whisperer’s lapdogs went to town and painted both Vice Belen and councilor Maybelyn as the bad witches of the city. What a way to earn a bonus! But their ultra defensive posture simply exposed the weakness of the position of the majority.
Besides, haven’t they heard of the idiom, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” They only made matters worse for themselves by seeking an affirmation and confirmation because by doing so, they practically admitted that their earlier resolution was irregular and not binding. Paging Judge Torio!
Cheers to the minority and the people’s continued struggle for good governance! (Expect the Judas 9 to return with another traitorous assault on the people on Monday).
* * * * *
BE FOREWARNED. Here’s a fair warning to the board of directors of the local chapters of the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Association, the United Architects of the Phils. and the Chamber of Commerce for authorizing their respective presidents to sign the anomalous appraisal report.
During the heated discussion, onor-onor Brian pointed to the three organizations’ participation as proof of the credibility of the anomalous appraisal report, and said nothing about Mayor Lim’s handpicked conspirators that prepared the report. Daddy and son have deviously shifted the burden of defending the anomalous report before the bar of public opinion and a court of law to the three organizations. Galing nila talaga!
The board members of the three organizations should, therefore, be ready to be indicted by the Ombudsman. I sincerely hope the risks they are taking to their individual integrity are well worth the incentives promised them. For full accountability to the public, the board members of the 3 groups will be identified soon.
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