City Mayor Dan Neri Lim expressed disgust yesterday over the non-inclusion of 3 members of the Loboc Childrens� Choir to Jiangxi, China for the formal signing of the sisterhood agreement between Bohol and Jiangxi province.
The mayor echoed the sentiments raised by radiomen Batchoy Alba and Chito Vizarra during the Governor�s Report last Friday at the People�s Mansion. Alba said he learned that the children concerned are �traumatized� and had to be �brought to the city to be entertained.� He told the TIMES earlier that the 3 children were downhearted when their names were deleted from the list and some other names were inserted. Alba was referring to the inclusion of the daughter and husband of choir conductor and Metrobank�s Teacher of the Year awardee Alma Taldo.
Reacting to the inclusion of the members of the provincial board to the Jiangxi trip in his Saturday radio program Mayor�s Report, the city mayor did not mince words in calling the SP members as �baga�g nawong� (thick faced) and �oportonista� (opportunists). "Pag lansad ninyo, miingon mo nga mosilbi mo. Wa mo moingon nga molansad mo para ka-biyahe mo ug libre. Kon duna moy delicadeza, di mo angay mokuyog," he told the SP members.
He also lambasted the SP for disapproving the city�s economic amelioration measure when the bill was subjected for review. The disapproval, he said, contradicts the claim of provincial officials that the province and the city are partners. "Kon naay problema, tawag mo nako. Pero kon grasya, kalimtan na lang ko," he said. He said �no more partnership this time. You work on your own, we will also work on our own.�
He specifically hit first district solon lawyers Felix Uy and Jose Veloso and Eufracio Mascarinas for not standing for the cause of the city hall employees. He also hit Federated Association of Barangay Councils President Brigido Imboy for not standing for the cause of the barangay officials. �Ayaw na lang ug kuyog, suroy-suroy na lang sa mga barangay,� he told Imboy.
Lim also questioned why General Services Office (GSO) chief Engr. Edwin Vallejos was included as �logistics officer� when the trip was supposed to be for free. He found it highly anomalous that Vallejos was included while the 3 children were not. �I want to show to the whole world, particularly the elected provincial officials, that we should prioritize our children. We have to put more value on our children,� he explained when asked why he took the cudgels for the 3 children.
�The technicality is secondary. What is important is the sincerity of the provincial officials to promote the rights of children,� he said. �Dili maayo ang inyong gibuhat, not only to the Loboc Childrens� Choir but also the city employees of Tagbilaran,� he said. The city mayor also justified the words used in his radio program. �Kanang baga�g nawong, figure of speech ra na. Paila ra na unsa ang klase sa kinaiya sa mga SP members. Dili na akusasyon, perception lang na,� he explained.
Meanwhile, city kagawad lawyer Danilo Bantugan thru text messages told the TIMES yesterday that the city economic amelioration ordinance mentioned by Lim refers to the fund releases given to the city employees last December. When the ordinance was submitted for review, he said, the SP disapproved it. Budget Officer Valer Orig recommended for the disapproval which recommendation was adopted by the SP. Bantugan said a mere amendment of the ordinance would solve the problem.
Meanwhile, a radio listener who requested anonymity said the verbal attacks of the city mayor were uncalled for. �Instead of attacking the SP, he should instead question the members of the city sanggunian what went wrong with the ordinance,� the source said. But that is not possible, he vouched for the performance of the city sanggunian, he said.
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