He's Better Missed than Damned

Hole of Justice

By Peter G. Jimenea

Better missed than damned

This writer can’t believe that there are candidates who resort to lies if only to put down an opponent. The remark thrown by the administration stalwarts against their popular opponent is full of absurdity.

Mr. Rommel Ynion, a candidate of the united opposition for mayor of the city, has suddenly become a marked target. The administration claimed that the loafs of bread given by the man to the poor are expired stocks.

The nebulizers given by the man to the sick and needy were also taunted by them as unpaid medical supply and will be repossessed by the drug company soon. But no drug dealer or city resident has ever come out to assert the truth of their accusation. So where’s the proof?

They misconstrued the generosity of Ynion as political strategy to advance his candidacy. But even before the man declared his intention to run, he had been doing this benevolence to the poor for free.

His critics just embarked on where did he get the money for this kindness. But does it matter to the recipients? Even the late Cardinal Jaime Sin said he will receive the money from all sources as long as it benefits the lowly people.

Too much negative tirades against the man had been thrown by the underlings of the administration, yet, it resonates well with the thinking of the people that the issues against him lacked substance or devoid of emotion. Worse, the more they do it, the more it back-lashed to them.

This is not what we think a good campaigning is all about. Why don’t they stick to their program of government? They should have considered first the hidden stinks in their closet before they nitpick with the affair of this man. The truth is, these leaders have even left their posts in disarray!

In fact, a local newspaper of wide circulation had published a news item that from 2001 to 2009, the city government has a P8.5 billion expenditure that the Commission on Audit (COA) can hardly reconcile according to report. My God, this P8.5B is your money, my money, our money or the taxpayers’ money!

Worse, another newspaper also reported that the relocation site for squatters at San Isidro, Jaro, owned by Marilyn Inocencio, was first assessed at P2.7M. But it was later purchased in less than a month by the city government for P63.2 million. Then who shared the largesee of the loot?

What happened to the P137M city government housing project of 413 houses for the poor City Hall employees is another mess. I learned that the money for the project was almost spent, yet, not even a single house was built from that project and you know what that means.

Going back to Ynion, he may have already spent millions for this kindness to the poor people of Iloilo City. But it was his money, not taxpayers’ money, so what’s there for them to worry about? The difference in our perception is that theirs is not what we think it is!

The unsubstantiated accusation against Ynion has slowly failed to get public attention. Jurisprudence says; “falsus in uno falsus in omnibus” – that he who has lied about one thing is most likely to lie about everything. (Ramos vs. CA, 188 SCRA 450)

A clamor for change is now snowballing, giving us a strong signal that the people are already fed up with the unfulfilled promises of the administration. As noted, every time the people ask for commendable services from these leaders, they always end-up badly disillusioned. True, for a good leader he is…..see the title!