EDITORIAL - No-brainer in Mandaue City

The cities of Cebu and Mandaue are often called twin cities. But this election they could not have been more different. Cebu City will soon have a new leader because change comes with the package when no incumbents are running. The same can’t be said for Mandaue and the Mandauehanons.

If Mandauehanons want change, which is what elections are all about, they will have to work for it. And fast. They only have exactly five days left to decide whether they want change or whether they want more of the same for the next three years — a long time by any measure.

By reelecting Mayor Jonas Cortes, Mandauehanons will have more of the same for the next three years. No problem with that if that is what they really want. But if they want change, then they may go with Rep. Nerissa Soon Ruiz who is presenting herself as the alternative.

But Mandauehanons must not only seek change for its own sake. They must seek change that is for the better. To make that determination, all that Mandauehanons need to do is place Cortes and Soon Ruiz side-by-side and tick off the factors that matter in making their determination.

But as Cortes is the incumbent and Soon Ruiz seeks to replace him, they cannot be judged in the same manner. Cortes will be judged on his accomplishments or the lack of it, Soon Ruiz on her potential to do better, or worse. It may not be a fair trial, but that is how it is.

Against Cortes the rap sheet is long. He has been called lacking in focus, inefficient, incompetent. Worse, he seems to have done little or nothing publicly palpable to at least dispel and disprove his critics. In so doing, he has allowed the charges to stick.

The cry in Mandaue is the supposed failure of Cortes to deliver on basic services, which is at the root of public expectation in government. Soon Ruiz, on the other hand, brings to the table a fairly good accomplishment record, both as a legislator and provider of services.

That the priorities of the present Mandaue leadership seems askew is evident in its preference to parlay basic services in favor of savings. Savings are good, but they must not come at the expense of services. Good management is measured in savings generated after expenses.

Against a string of perceived uncorrected failures and incomprehensible priorities, the promise of change borne by the carriage of accomplishment is always attractive to any electorate. With Mandauehanons vaunted to be wise voters, the choice before them is almost a no-brainer.