Bad news was not reported

To many people, the expression “no news is good news” has a positive connotation. They consider that a bit of news is a reportage of an event, incident, happening or even trouble taking place somewhere involving lives, properties or communities. When none is thus worth reporting, presumably there is peace, as there is no ruffle to man and his activities. That is why it is good.

The General Community Quarantine was implemented in our city and in most parts of the country last Monday. Many restrictions to our lives that were imposed as measures to prevent the spread of the dreaded coronavirus were either removed or liberalized. So, I was interested to see how our city fared on such day. When I sat before the television set to watch the 5 o’clock news programs, GMA’s Balitang Bisdak and ABS-CBN’s Radyo Patrol, I noticed a dearth of news coming from the Cebu City Hall.

“No news is good news” came to me with a happy impact. That the city administration of Mayor Edgardo Labella must be doing very well was my logical impression. I was pleased to think that whatever plans anticipatory of the “new normal” that the mayor hatched went perfect. No glitz, in the language of the millennials. Otherwise, the news personalities in the city hall beat would have a full and busy day of reporting.

The scene in Mandaue City was a bit different. There was news from our neighboring city. It was a big issue that pre-occupied media men. Mayor Jonas Cortes somehow dominated the airlanes. He and his city administrator were talking about the huge problem of transporting people to their work places. They had to explain that they could not maximize the targeted number of vehicles to haul the expected volume of passengers. According to them, documents were still being processed and the unexpected delay in the paperwork affected their plans. But, after admitting some frustrating shortfalls, they committed to improve the situation.

While still news watching, I received a text message from a friend who, since 3 o’clock in the afternoon of that very Monday, was at the vicinity of the Cebu City Hall waiting for any public utility vehicle to bring them back home in Sitio Panagdait of our Barangay Kasambagan. It had been more than 2 hours and the group of waiting passengers was getting bigger by the minute. By any standard, waiting for that length of time was unheard of in times past. Uncertainty began to erode their patience. Distinct apprehension was written all over their faces. They complained that nobody could tell them if city authorities had anticipated such a situation and they were standing just across city hall! Where were the touted Kaoshiong buses? The buses entrusted to the barangays? The 80 air conditioned coasters that the city bought only quite recently? None arrived to give them any ride. Could not any responsible administrative authority in the city offices have seen them? And perhaps come down to address whatever concerns they had like what Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes did in the TV news coverage on Monday.

There was therefore an event, incident, happening or even trouble taking place somewhere near the City Hall to report about. It was bad that people were stranded. It was worse that no public conveyance was available to transport them. And worst that no public official shed light on what was happening.