Let me warn those of you who are just starting to read this column today that it dwells on a very trivial matter. Only a minute administrative function of the offices of the city mayor and vice mayor is involved here. As such, it does not deserve even your most fleeting attention. If you have something else to do, I suggest that you attend to it, no matter how insignificant it seems to be, for you might, indeed, achieve something more substantive from it than spend few precious moments going over this article.
Having said that caveat, let me tell you a story.
Last Tuesday, the good member of the Sanggunian Panlungsod of Cebu City from Lahug. Hon. Mary Ann de los Santos asked me to go to her city hall office for some official matter. It was to be the first time I visited a city councilor's office since my lady held such position a decade ago. Not being familiar with the new set up, I requested for help from the security, who directed me to the third floor.
The first thing I noticed upon reaching the councilor's office was a piece of small-sized bond paper tacked to the door. It had the name of Hon Mary de los Santos, printed on it to indicate that I was at the right place. Before I entered the room, I looked around and realized that it served also as my office in the late 80s.
So, I decided to pace the walkway to relive that feeling when serving the city. I even went down to the second floor and walked along the corridor in response to a creeping nostalgia. There was one door for each city councilor, like old times. But unlike old times, I noticed a gross discrimination. The markers for the other councilors were, rather, are, exquisitely made of expensive-looking metal on which their names were (are) laboriously written. The metal was (is) screwed on carefully crafted wooden backboard whose paint job was (again, is) excellent.
The city councilors of this premier city of the south truly deserve a dignified aura which a good office projects. First impression is, an adage says, lasting. An impressive marker identifying the name of the councilor who occupies the office very well introduces a visitor to the councilor.
Unfortunately, those distinct, impressive and exquisite markers were only placed on the offices of the councilors belonging to the group called BOPK. That the city administration of His Honor Mayor Michael L. Rama and the honorable Vice Mayor Edgardo C. Labella seems to have sanctioned this is arguably perceptible, if not obvious. The inescapable projection is that these councilors are first class members of the Sanggunian Panlungsod of Cebu City.
On the other hand, any ordinary citizen can have his name computer-printed on a small-sized bond paper and tack it on a door to announce that it is his office. This apparently happened to the city councilors belonging to Team Rama. The city does not appear to treat the offices of these Team Rama councilors with respect. Differently said, the city discriminates against them and considers them second class. If the Sanggunian Panlungsod, as a local legislative body, is separate from the office of the mayor, then these councilors are theoretically subordinates to the vice mayor. Following that line of thought, the vice mayor must have tolerated this underhanded treatment of minority councilors.
Truth to tell, I, as a city voter, felt offended. But, in the flux of things, I imagined that the vice mayor must have simply overlooked the situation. Hoping to rectify this unacceptable disparity of treatment between BOPK and Team Rama councilors, I went to his office and without mincing words, expressed my indignation. The vice mayor was responsive. He called on some subordinates to explain why those things were. Two ladies appeared. When I asked them why only bond paper markers were placed on the office doors of Hon. Abella et al, their answer was "it is not easy". To me it was an arrogant answer by an incompetent employee.
I could not be appeased by such gross inefficiency. It has been five months since these councilors have been subjected to discriminatory treatment. If it has not been easy to show respect to our Sanggunian members, we can expect perhaps, five more months of this seeming insult.