Feliciano cites lack of cooperation: flood czar quits

CEBU, Philippines — Retired General Melquiades “Mel” Feliciano has stepped down from his position as chief implementer of Cebu City Hall’s Task Force Gubat sa Baha primarily due to a “lack of cooperation” from some members.

Mayor Michael Rama also made the decision easier with a remark that made him lose his interest to stay.

In an interview with The Freeman yesterday, Feliciano admitted that the mayor has reached out to him after he stepped down from his position, but he already made up his mind.

"Ang lisod man gud, ang ubang mga tawo ba, less cooperation sa vision ni Mayor Mike. So, basin ma-failure na. Mas maayo na lang nga siguro nga uban nalang ang mag-lead. Dili man ko ganahan mo-fail," Feliciano said.

He also admitted that among the factors that prompted his decision was Rama's remarks to him, “Do your part if you want to keep the job”.

He said, though, that there could be a possibility that the mayor said these words as a "joke".

Feliciano said that after making the threat, the mayor called and reached out to him.

"Basin nakabalo na siya ba nga nangluod," he said.

Feliciano admitted the statement affected him because he is not a City Hall employee but someone who volunteered to help the city.

"Pro bono (Without remuneration) ra man ko, wala man koy salary…. Basin nasayop lang siya," he said.

Despite being called upon at a meeting to possibly discuss the matter, Feliciano said he was no longer keen on retaining his position at the Task Force.

Feliciano said he already stopped communicating with the Task Force Gubat sa Baha since Monday, and essentially, stopped performing his functions as chief implementer.

He set it straight that it was the mayor who asked for his help for the Task Force Gubat sa Baha and in the combat against the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Akong istoryahan si mayor kung magkita mi unya nga ihatag nalang sa lain. Ingnon na lang nako siya. Depende sa iyang desisyon, as far as kana siya, nawalaan nako’g interest," said Feliciano.

He reiterated that it was the lack of cooperation by Task Force members that really prompted him to step aside from the overseer position, as cooperation is vital to accomplishing any task.

"In the first place, di man na akoa, it's not my project, it's the mayor's project. So, I'm valuing the vision of the mayor. Unya kung di mo-cooperate, ma-fail ko, ma-fail tanan, pati si mayor failure pud," he said.

He also wanted it emphasized that he is quitting as Task Force Gubat sa Baha chief implementer and not his position as Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) board of directors chairman, to which Rama appointed him last Oct. 31.

It was in 2022 when Feliciano joined Rama’s administration after being appointed as Inter-Agency Task Force-Visayas deputy chief implementer of the Covid-19 campaign and as region’s vaccine czar.-- /RHM (CEBU NEWS)