Projecting a pro-poor image
Until now, the “former political has-been” has never refuted the information we revealed in our previous column about the butane canister refilling business owned by his ally, a businessman. His son, Miguel, is also reportedly a stakeholder of the business. The “former political has-been” is no longer holding his daily press conferences and has refused to answer questions from the media. Why? Because he cannot explain or deny it?
The police have filed cases for obstruction of justice, grave abuse of authority, violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act and ethical standards for public officials and employees before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for his intervention when three persons filling butane canisters with liquefied petroleum gas were caught. He personally went to the Parian Police Station and demanded that the three suspects be placed under his custody.
I got a copy of the CCTV footage taken in the police station. It showed what happened inside when the “former political has-been” intruded and until the three suspects got out of the detention cell.
The “former political has-been” personally went there because the three suspects were workers of Peter Osmeña Visitacion, owner of the butane refilling business and a business partner of his son. Visitacion is the head of City Hall’s Long Life Program.
It’s not true that he helped the suspects because they were poor. He had claimed that he “bends the law a little bit for poor people because of mercy.” But what mercy is he talking about? He went there because of a personal and business agenda.
What do you call a person who is protecting an illegal business? A coddler. Imagine a mayor protecting people involved in an illegal activity. Operating a butane refilling business is illegal as it violates Presidential Decree 1865. He has been running against businessmen who fail to pay the right taxes and those who fail to comply with environmental and sanitary permits. Yet he is protecting an illegal business because his son in involved.
If he is pro-poor, why is he is making the lives of the poor people miserable? He ordered the demolition of the structures of informal settlers in the riverside area of Mabolo where the mother of Barangay Captain Niña Mabatid also lives. Isn’t it anti-poor? He and Mabatid were friends but are now at odds with each other after Niña ran for president of the Association or Barangay Councils (ABC) in the city against his candidate, Kasambagan Barangay Captain Franklyn Ong. Now, he is still harassing Mabatid.
He issued an executive order on counterflowing, penalizing it by impounding the vehicle for one month. Isn’t that anti-poor? His crackdown on sidewalk vending is also anti-poor. Plastic.
I hope the Ombudsman will immediately act on the police’s complaint and impose the disciplinary action. He is no longer that influential after he received a tongue-lashing from President Rodrigo Duterte. That was very insulting and humiliating. Had that happened in Japan, the concerned official would have committed suicide. But because we are Filipinos known to have “thick faces,” he just ignored it.
If he is pro-poor, why is he is making the lives of the poor people miserable?