EDITORIAL - Answers needed, not excuses

For a man who owns a school, is the number one Cebu City councilor, and who now wants to be elected a congressman, it is as pathetic as it is shocking for Bebot Abellanosa to be exposed as someone who cannot argue a simple case.

A school owner is supposed to be learned. A number one councilor is supposed to be someone people look up to with high expectations. And an aspiring congressman is supposed to be able to argue and defend — vital requirements in the art of legislation.

But Abellanosa could think of no better means to argue the questions about propriety and conflict of interest that now hound him than to brand the questions as politically motivated. He is not answering the questions. He is merely expressing an opinion about them.

As the character of Jack Nicholson in “As Good As It Gets” said: “I am drowning here, and you are just describing the water.” Abellanosa needs to do something about the questions, like answering them, for instance.

Abellanosa owns the school where many city scholars paid for by city taxes are enrolled, through the good graces of a scholarship committee that he himself heads. Granting the questions smack of politics, they do not detract from the fact that there is indeed conflict of interest.

So either Abellanosa moves to eliminate the circumstances that mire him in such conflict — resign as member of the committee, or pull his school out of the picture altogether — or face the questions squarely.

If Abellanosa wants to be a congressman, it will not do to argue cases limply and lamely. He cannot sweep important questions under the rug just because he thinks them to be politically motivated.

And why would Abellanosa complain about political motivation? If he wants to be a member of Congress, he has to start learning to face political challenges instead of running away from them. Did he ever think Congress was a walk in the park? It’s a snake pit in there, sir.

Everything in politics is motivated by, well, politics. And in Congress, it is already bigtime, not the pablum that the city council has become. If all that Abellanosa can utter in Congress is “politically motivated” then he better quit before the s..t hits the fan.