Submit all poll winners to a drug test

The barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections are over and let the winners bask in their victory, while the losers ought to rethink their strategies. But more importantly, in this election, we never saw a group that came up with a little program of government. The incumbent candidates merely enjoyed their own popularity while the challengers pointed out their deficiencies, but in the end elections were peaceful.

Meanwhile, I fully concur with the suggestions by many pundits that the winners of the barangay and SK polls should first pass a drug test so that we can finally identify who are hooked on drugs. As for those who will not submit to a drug test, perhaps the Comelec should prevent them from holding office. I don't know if this is possible, but I would like to believe that it is the only way for us to officially check who are the druggies among barangay officials.

One glaring problem that surfaced was for the elderly or persons with disabilities to vote in the ground floor of our schools. I voted at the Cebu Normal University and I learned that they installed ramps that bring wheelchairs all the way to the third floor. Unfortunately, not all schools have ramps; hence it is incumbent upon Comelec to identify the senior citizens and PWDs in our various polling districts and make it easier for them to do their election duty.

Let us warn our Comelec officials that someday, you too will join the ranks of the elderly or worse, become PWDs yourselves before you get a taste of karma! I recall at one time when then mayor Michael Rama joined a conference for the PWDs, my sister Adela Kono strapped him to a wheelchair and when he had to answer the call of nature he asked to remove the straps on his legs. But he was told that PWDs do not get strapped in their wheelchairs, but they just cannot get up and leave to go to the toilet.

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Last May 13, The FREEMAN came up with an editorial entitled "Political game" regarding the Kawit project issue and let me quote excerpts of that editorial.

"The Cebu City Council has spoken. In a 9-8 vote the executive department branded as politically motivated, the legislative body rejected a resolution authorizing Mayor Tomas Osmeña to sign a joint venture agreement with a developer that wants to develop a portion of the South Road Properties.

"Last Friday's voting practically killed the proposal by a developer to put up a multi-billion integrated resort and casino on what once was Kawit Island and now part of the SRP. The development was expected to generate at least 5,000 jobs and billions in revenue for the city.

"The Kawit development rejection comes amid another proposal by a Manila-based developer which is eyeing to purchase three hectares at the SRP for a mixed-use development that include at least nine residential towers. The opposition council members may have found some items in the agreement disadvantageous to the city. But they cannot escape the fact that their decision was largely part of the political game they are playing with the administration.

"The Kawit project could have been a perfect opportunity since the city government badly needs more investments to generate additional revenues to finance development programs and projects, and allocate job opportunities for its inhabitants."

It was a great editorial that literally hit the nail on the head as far as the Kawit Project is concerned. But we should not only focus on the Kawit project and look back at the many other business opportunities that were stopped by Cebu City. Notable among them was the Ciudad Project during the time of former governor Gwen Garcia. Then we also lost the Cebu version of SM's Arena, similar or better than the Arena in MOA and the SMX, which should have been ready to be used next year.

While I concur with the editorial, they should have mentioned the many other projects that Cebuanos lost because of ugly politics. If only we can shield huge investments to Cebu from our ugly politics, Cebu can keep its crown as Queen City of the South. As it is, I fear we have already lost this crown to Iloilo City.

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