My Flyers Which I Got for Free
“Tobit, sikat ka na, may mga flyers na kumakalat sa munisipyo na naka-print screen ang facebook profile mo.”
Those words were my friends’ morning greeting to me when I entered our office. I actually don’t know what to feel since the scenario was still so vague as it also made me think if I had done anything wrong, since my conscience clearly says that there is none. They then explained to me that it was about my facebook post saying “Joric, humanda ka. Nakikita mo ba tong mga papel na to? Para sa’yo to. It’s Payback time” while flashing an angry face and a bunch of papers on my hand. I then started to become conscious of how I looked on that picture more than the thought of ‘what’s the big deal out of that post?’ It is simply because, I know that what I posted was the truth. The ‘bunch of papers’ on my hand is the compilation of all the administrative complaints filed by the people against our municipal mayor and that indeed is really, ‘payback time’.
I apologize if the language I used in that post is in anyway foul or obscene. I was angry then, very much angry. And who would not be?
The Complaints that gained Complaints
Earlier that day, I was tasked to compile all the complaint materials to be filed by our barangay against the municipal mayor. It was a task I’d been wanting to do for so long since what we had experienced from the municipal mayor is something that we should not be quiet about. As I gather them and as I stare at these facts, I began to feel this anger.
Here are the lists of the complaints and I want you to judge as objective as you can, if the actions done by the municipal mayor was morally right or wrong, politically correct or wrong or simply, just or unjust.
a.) The Taking Over of the Liga ng mga Barangay Office at the Municipal Hall
Having been elected as the Liga president, Barangay Chairperson Joselito Calderon, a known oppositionist, becomes an automatic ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Bayan. Immediately after the election for the said post dated December 7, 2010, Mayor Gacula, through the building administrator Eleno Tolentino, declared that the ABC office would now be used by the Municipal Health Clinic. This became an issue in the Sangguniang Bayan as Vice Mayor Janet Mercado stated in one of her privilege speeches, the unfairness of this act as she also questioned the grounds for this decision. The Sangguniang Barangay also wrote a letter to Mayor Gacula and to Mr. Tolentino to ask for the ABC office’s ownership. The office of the mayor through Mr. Tolentino reiterated their decision of not having the ABC office in the municipal hall.
The Sangguniang Barangay went to the MLGOO-DILG officer, Ms. Myrnalyn Tomas to seek assistance regarding this case. She told us that Mayor Gacula called to inform her that he will be transferring the DILG office to the supposedly office of the ABC. She said that she declined the offer, only to find out the following day that they are already transferring their things to the said office.
b.) The Forced Take Over of the Barangay Health Center
A few days after the first incidence, December 23, 2010, Municipal Health Officer Dr. Gerardo Camba together with at least 20 police swat headed by Taytay PNP Chief Col. Arthuro Masungsong went to the barangay to get the supplies, equipments, furniture and medicines without prior notice or even a letter to the barangay that they will be doing such act. The team, headed by Dr. Camba said that it was an order coming from Mayor Gacula and that they have the right to collect those properties since the health center itself belongs to the “municipality”. Concerned citizens of the barangay barricaded the truck that contains the collected properties as a sign of their protest for this action, but due to the police swat that was present, Dr. Camba’s team proceeded with the command to get all these properties (See amateur video documentation of the incident at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSi-gSSFSEc&feature=player_embedded). To date it has been found out that these properties were transferred after a month, at the vicinity of Benjamin B. Esguerra Memorial National High School. The municipal government said that it is now the location for the new barangay health center, which gained criticisms from the people since the new location is not easily accessible and is not physically conducive for proper health care service. A lot of complaints also arise due to the fact that this new health center was not able to provide vaccination to some children.
To date, the Sangguniang Barangay has been able to provide quality health care services through the outpouring help of volunteer nurses and doctors.
c.) Forceful Take Over of Purok Halls and Barangay Annexes and Issues of Political Harassment
Early January of this year, Mayor Gacula issued certifications in the area of Lupang Arenda of this barangay, stating that certain properties such as the basketball court, day care center and barangay outpost and annexes are owned by the municipal government of Taytay since it was constructed under his administration. This certifications disabled the barangay employees to enter their work places since majority of these offices were padlocked.
Due to this claim, an incident happened on the 25th day of the same month wherein the Secretary of the barangay, Mr. Danilo Paz was forcefully arrested while he was inside the halls of Purok 1, Lupang Arenda. Sec Danny is already 65 years old and he was accused and initially charged with trespassing, resisting arrest and insubordination among others for being inside a hall that the municipal mayor claims to be his.
d.) The Establishment of a Questionable Executive Order: An Abuse of Authority
The Sangguniang Baragay received a letter dated May 25 of this year to inform the barangay of an executive order he had ordered to create the TASK FORCE ALARM (Alliance of Lupang Arenda Reinforcement Movers) and CDPSO (Community Development and Public Safety Office). The EO has been created, according to Mayor Gacula, “to act as the enforcement arm of the municipality’s peace keeping power” in the area, thus duplicating the task of the barangay’s security enforcement in Lupang Arenda as it also becomes disadvantageous to the municipal government since the appointment of their assigned people would require budget for honorariums and other physical structures needed. More importantly, this act has created social boundaries and confusion among the citizens in Lupang Arenda. According to the purok chairpersons assigned at Lupang Arenda, the task force ALARM also enabled Mayor Gacula to assign Purok Chairpersons, by-passing their roles as assigned by the barangay. ALARM appointed Chairperson Avelino De Las Alas also assigned these certain “Coordinators” per purok that duplicates the duties of the purok Chairpersons assigned by the barangay.
In the same letter dated May 25, Mayor Gacula demanded that the barangay should vacate the Arenda extension hall so that it may be used by the Task Force ALARM. He even claimed in the same letter that that barangay extension hall is the property of the “municipality”. The Sangguniang Barangay immediately responded to oppose the demand letter with evidences that the barangay has been paying for the electricity bill of the said extension hall for the past years. To date, the barangay has not yet received any response from the side of the Mayor.
For once may I remind you, our dear public officials, that the municipality you are referring to is not just you— it includes US, the people you are supposed to be serving. The money used to build those government properties were hard earned money of the tax payers and you have no right to claim it and name it after yourselves.
These are just few of the many things Barangay Sta. Ana has been hurdling in its less than a year of service. This is what you get when you go against the flow, when you try so hard to stick with your principle and when you value the truth more than the frills you may have if you dared to live with lies.
A lot of people are telling me to stop doing this— to stop throwing statements against the administration, to stop tweeting against them, to stop telling these things to the people. I actually thought that they do not believe me but it surprised me when they told me that they are just afraid of the possible consequences of stating the truth and so they choose to remain silent about it.
I was not born yet when martial law was imposed in this country but we had been discussing it since grade school. My elementary teachers also told us that “History repeats itself”, I did not understand it then not until now that I see history happening again. This time, I hope that we won’t be needing a Ninoy to offer his life to break the chain, I am simply just hoping, for all good people to come together, to speak out, to be vigilant and to do something for the better good.
Sawa na akong marinig sa mga tao na, “naiipit ako”, “natatakot akong mawalan ng trabaho”, “wala akong magawa”, “hayaan na lang natin sila” and so on and so forth. If you know what is right, then you shall do your best to do it. No what if’s, No buts.
“For evil to triumph is for the good people to do nothing.”
11:48 AM
JAMES EGO
