The Iloilo River

Hole of Justice

by Peter G. Jimenea

The Barbecue Park

Pres. Noynoy Aquino should take note of the recent spat between Roy Fanunal, a restaurant owner with establishment alongside the Iloilo river bank, and Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog. This is a step forward for the latter's sincere desire to clear the river banks with eyesores.

It is the restoration of the once clean and beautiful Iloilo River in the name of environment protection. But by skipping the Barbecue Park, a restaurant owned by a Chinese which is just across the street and even occupying more space of the river bank, connotes a selective approach to prosecution.

Mayor Mabilog could start up from that Chinese eatery which over the years had been the cause of public consternation for its continued expansion along the riverside. But if city officials cannot stop the guy when he was still a private citizen, how much more today that he is now a city councilor?

Perhaps brilliant city councilor-lawyers like Plaridel Nava, Joshua Alim and Leonel Geroche with smooth mastery of the law can cite to us the persuasive reasons on why Mayor Mabilog's persecution of Fanunal and protecting Councilor Yee is the right thing to do.

If ever the mayor feels that by doing so there is a violation of inter-parliamentary courtesy, they can go back to the constitutional principle of separation of powers in this case. There are counter arguments against this order as a matter of course but meantime, they must set aside the good views of the mayor they refuse to share.

Should Mayor Mabilog dish out the usual line of his predecessor that we'll study it first or we will deal on that later, it is a glaring proof of camaraderie that goes with the saying, what are we in power for? But victims know they only overtly professed what they covertly undertake from the public's irreverent gaze.

The high-profile campaign of Mabilog to get rid of nuisance and eyesores at the river banks only shows a working-mayor far different from his predecessor who has done nothing but confined on studying the problem that comes into his office.

We just hope that as Mabilog now eagerly waded into the areas of private life and private enterprise, there will be more enthusiasm than embarrassment as his aggressive tactics and public performance connotes a high level of hostility.

His sudden intervention to stop the ongoing filling up of the area around the establishment of Fanunal beneath the river showed us the determination of a local executive to protect the environment which no government official has boldly did before.

Mayor Mabilog's sincere sentiment and determination to restore the beauty and the once cleanliness of the Iloilo River is sending us a strong signal that he is bound to preserve the city government property and it should stay with the government and not handed to businessmen.

Thus, the trouble between him and businessman Fanunal, so far has shown that he is a man – hinting a grim possibility of a secret compromise in exchange for you know what, otherwise, the only ones who get screwed in the end are the Ilonggos as usual.

Sad to say, his attention is centered only on the establishment of Fanunal, skipping the Barbecue Park of Councilor Yee. The controversy of this Barbecue Park that has consumed the city for years, was as it turned out, not good for other businessmen and to the Ilonggos as well.

This is not what we think how mayor should dispense justice. By ruling out the business establishment of Councilor Yee from the others who have committed a violation is selective approach to prosecution. To skip Barbecue Park from those to be demolished, instead of using it as an example to obviate consequences, is designing his own downfall.

The mayor should know that the media is behind him in this war against the unscrupulous businessmen whose establishments are encroaching the Iloilo River banks. Despite his harsh words against the press people, the latter would still join the fray because the prize at stake in this war is worthy of the battle they are fighting for!

Your honor for such commitment is per bene meritus, very well deserved. But si ves pacem, para bellum – if you want peace, be prepared for war.