Transparency

 

INFORMING the people on matters that affect civil order and government service is a duty of public officials, especially those in elected positions. This is what transparency is about.

The media’s role in a democracy as the fourth estate is to ensure that issues concerning the public are duly reported, especially those that compromise good governance. That is what being society’s watchdog entails.

These are the points that were central to the anxiety that befell Dagupan City last week when supposed rumors, which later were officially confirmed as fact, spread that Mayor Benjamin Lim has suffered a stroke. A public official, especially the chief executive of a city, falling seriously ill is a matter that concerns the people because it affects the running of public affairs. Lim’s camp had the duty to immediately inform the public. The media could not be accused of simply being malicious in seeking to report the truth of the matter. The people deserve to know who is managing the city. With all due respect to City Administrator Vladimir Mata, who himself admitted that he took charge of City Hall for at least three days, he occupies an appointed position and his authority does not come directly from the people.

And so it was a relief for Dagupan when Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez assumed her responsibility on May 16 to serve as acting mayor while the mayor is indisposed, which is provided for under the law.

Emotions were extremely high in Dagupan last week what with the hotly-contested elections and the unfortunate turn of events concerning the mayor’s health. But with the election results settled and the mayor’s family opting to invoke privacy on his physical condition, it is time to see past the emotions. There is a heavy task at hand to get Dagupan moving forward, and for all that is needed to be done, transparency and good governance remain the key words to public service.

 

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How the senatorial voting went

AS we go to press, all indications point to a 9-3 result in the May 13 senatorial elections.  The 9 from President Aquino’s Team P-Noy are Poe, Legarda, Cayetano, Escudero, Angara, Aquino, Pimentel, Trillanes and Villar, and UNA’s 3 are Binay, JV Estrada and Honasan.

While P-Noy’s 12-0 target failed, he should be already exceedingly happy with the 9-3 outcome.  It proved that his pulling power has not waned one bit.

Both Nancy (Jojo Binay’s daughter) and JV (Erap’s son) leaned on the built-in mass base of their fathers to win convincingly. Binay’s 2010 shock win over Mar Roxas was still too fresh to ignore, while Erap’s surprise runner-up finish behind P-Noy in the 2010 presidential race rubbed on JV and definitely catapulted the kid to victory.  Honasan’s military bailiwick has remained loyal to him, as in the case of his fellow soldier, Sonny Trillanes, who took 9th spot.

As to why the neophyte Grace Poe emerged No. 1, you know the answer fully well.  The masa were voting for FPJ when they shaded the slot reserved for FPJ’s daughter.  That simple.

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