Days following the last letter from Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan for her to vacate City Hall and hold office somewhere else, it seems the city’s lone district representative, Paz Radaza, is not bothering to budge.
Radaza’s office in City Hall has already been padlocked by the local government, which seeks to repossess it since Chan is using it for other purposes. Yet her personnel continue to hold office outside, receiving constituents seeking assistance.
However, the more Radaza hangs on to her City Hall office, the more trouble she is bound to face in her tug of war with the mayor. Chan is not expected to soften his position to have the neophyte lawmaker leave City Hall.
Oponganons cannot really blame Chan. Being the local chief executive, he has jurisdiction over City Hall, a mandate he is tasked to serve by virtue of the support from the majority of the city residents who elected him.
The congresswoman may have a valid reason for insisting to stay in City Hall through a City Council ordinance. But that does not mean she always has the right and power to continue clinging on to her City Hall office now that the city government wants to use it to further improve its services to Oponganons.
Besides, no less than the Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año had opined that Radaza cannot insist on staying in City Hall. For the DILG chief, it is Chan, being the mayor, who has jurisdiction over City Hall considering the fact that it is the city’s seat of power.
The best move for Radaza is to pack up leave City Hall. There are other areas around the city where she can always hold office for her constituents. Opting to stay will only add more trouble for her in a battle that is hard for her to win.