Why the questionable projects

I have not gone out of our gate in the last four months. Not even for a fraction of a second. If being in the social media is virtual exploration of the world, I have shut my internet down these months. The order of President Rodrigo Duterte couched as a health protocol for elders to stay home, is just too dangerous for a senior citizen like me to disobey. If the president could dismantle the oligarchs (my example is the Lopez family) with his die-hard supporters releasing a barrage of allegations which, by the way, government regulatory bodies showed to be baseless, an ordinary mortal who violates the protocol is easy prey.

To keep myself away from boredom, I sweat a lot cleaning my garage, filled my heart playing the records of John Gary and fed my imagination reading again the thrillers of Robert Ludlum. The incredible plots of Jason Bourne et al influenced me enough to write this article today.

In my memory, councilors Dave Tumulak and Jerry Guardo ran for councilors in 2016 in the political group of Atty. Michael Rama. They heaped all praises on Rama’s leadership, echoed the vibrancy of his platform of government and hailed the profundity of the philosophy underlying his governance. They won as Team Rama bets but Osmeña defeated Rama. Yet, in no time after Rama lost, Tumulak and Guardo turned coats, abandoned Rama’s group and became BOPK converts. When the 2019 elections came, both councilors, this time, extolled the virtues of re-electionist Tomas Osmeña, who made them part of his political team. As we all know, Osmeña lost to Mayor Edgardo Labella. Before Tumulak and Guardo could warm their councilorial seats as BOPK party men, they again changed loyalties. They left BOPK and joined the party against which they campaigned.

Why am I talking about this political indiscretion of both councilors? There being no law prohibiting political butterflies, it is the right of Tumulak and Guardo to change affection (er, affiliation) from Osmeña’s BOPK to Labella-Rama’s Barug-PDP anytime as they previously switched from Team Rama to BOPK. Some people called it political opportunism!

Tumulak figured prominently as the perceived brain behind the establishment of a cemetery in Barangay Guba. From the news reports, it is easy to assume that it was he who was probably responsible for the cutting of many mahogany trees there, a possibly illegal act. Perhaps in feeling that he belongs to the Labella administration, he can make shortcuts in doing things. So, he announced the opening of the cemetery without going through the process. The consequence? Tumulak put Mayor Labella at risk of administrative and criminal prosecution.

Guardo, on the other hand, announced that he helped distribute tuob kits to the barangays. Apparently the city obtained 1,000 kits for the price of P2,500 per kit or roughly P2,500,000. Guardo was even shown to have demonstrated how to use the tuob to the mayor. But, there appeared to be no validly-approved appropriation for such purchase as there seemed to be no written document issued by the mayor to buy. Buying the tuob kits was a criminal violation (ayay, gihatag diay ug wa palita). The consequence? Guardo also put Mayor Labella at risk of administrative and criminal prosecution.

Back to Ludlum. It is not improbable that these two councilors are of the same political frame of mind. So, the following questions rise. Are they trying to show their support to the mayor by undertaking innovative even if illegal programs? And in the process advertise themselves to advance their own mileage? Or are they pushing the mayor to commit questionable decisions? Why and for whom?