Let the majority get the benefit

A difficulty that an insignificant writer (such as I am) undergoes is when he touches a topic that is likely to hurt the feeling or worse assail the perceived social stand of a high profile person he considers to be a friend. But, regardless of somewhat uneasy personal convenience, it is best in the furtherance of the interest of that friend that he, despite the initial hesitation, expresses his opinion.

In controversy is the piece of local legislation that declares a moratorium in the demolition of illegal structures. The announced intention of the aborted ordinance is to give time to those who built illegally on legal easements along natural waterways to either remove their buildings or until the city government shall be able to provide them sites for resettlement.

Let us address the first point. The structures are illegal. We know that water seeks its own level. Rivers and esteros are rivers and esteros because they are the natural waterways. Through hundreds of years, trickles of water or raging floods continue to flow thru these waterways and in the process deepen their beds. When anything is built on such beds, water is likely to find its way where the flow is unobstructed and it normally happens that the level is where people are residing.

The resulting incident is known as flood. In the city, the volume of water that normally flows thru its bed rampages thru residential homes because its waterway is blocked and in finding its level, that is where people live.

Not only when people build structures on the riverbed itself that floods follow. This calamity called floods can arise when we reside even on the riverbanks because, whether consciously or unconsciously, we tend to do things that result in the clogging of the waterbed. 

In order to protect the greater number of people from floods, laws prohibit us from doing anything that impedes the flow of water on its natural waterways. Thus, it is a protection to society that makes it illegal for the fewer number among us to build on riverbeds and riverbanks.

There is no question that these structures are illegal because in the first place they are not supposed to be erected there. When government authorities do not do anything to prevent these constructions, not only have they failed to perform their sworn duty, worse, they put society to risk.

Conversely, when government leaders, in taking into consideration the general welfare of the people, follow legal mandates, they should be supported more than just being praised. It is in this line of reasoning that His Honor, Cebu City Mayor Michael L. Rama, has to be supported by city residents in his effort to clear the river beds and banks or illegal structures. What the mayor is doing is his job. We elected him to make sure that laws are followed.  Yes, we elected him to make sure that because laws are followed, general welfare is pursued.

Adversely speaking, government leaders who try to prevent Mayor Rama from doing his job is themselves doing a disservice to the people. If the mayor desires to prevent the occurrence of floods in our city and if in that direction, he uses the legal tool of demolishing the illegal structures that cause flooding, then by all means, let us rally around him.

The aborted ordinance that would have stopped Mayor Rama from doing what is good for the majority may hurt him a bit politically. In fact, that is the main reason why the said measure was passed by the city council. The author, the person I consider a friend, used that issue to ingratiate his party to the affected owners of the illegal structures. By appearing as their champion, he can rally them to his political cause.

Here is where it pains me.  I will ask the greater number of city residents to think that it is to our benefit and advantage that the mayor, in doing whatever he can to demolish the illegal structures along the rivers, pursues what is good for the majority and if he is opposed in this effort by a far fewer number, let the many among us work to support him. Let us show our force, the force of the majority of the people.