Suspension prior to election, a blessing in disguise

I have too high a respect for the Office of the Ombudsman and too strong a faith in the regularity of official functions that I refuse to believe speculations that Mayor Mike Rama's preventive suspension was and still is the persecution against a Duterte loyalist, the same way they did to Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and to former secretary Harry Roque, and the vice president herself.

It’s my humble view that the six-month preventive suspension for a few City Hall employees who failed to get their salaries on time was too harsh, and could even be considered cruel and oppressive. The Bohol governor and a number of mayors there were also suspended for the controversial constructions in the heart of the Chocolate Hills. But their suspensions were reportedly shortened or immediately lifted. To my mind, their guilt was more serious and the consequences of their acts created more far-reaching damage. Maybe it was just coincidental that said officials aligned themselves with the party in power.

It has always been my sincere view that the six-month suspension of Mayor Mike, a few months prior to the elections of 2025 is quite unkind, to say the least. He isn’t being accused of destroying the environment or of any act of graft or corruption. He is being faulted because a few City Hall employees failed to receive their salaries on time. He is being punished for the act or negligence of his subordinates. He wasn’t even made aware of such a problem. With all the gargantuan and multitudes of problems and issues being brought to his desk every day, he wasn’t supposed to micromanage the affairs of all the departments in the city government. That is the reason why there is a city administrator. That was his job. That was the job offered to me when Mike first became mayor. But I refused because at my age I would not want to be saddled with mundane and routine matters but focus on the academe, writing, lecturing, and touring the world.

Having stated all the foregoing, I take a more positive view that the suspension of Mayor Mike is turning out to be a blessing in disguise. First, it removed from him the heavy burden of governance, administration, and management of city affairs and allowed him so much time and space to take care of his health, have quality moments with his wife and three children, travel around the city and province of Cebu, the country, and the world, and enjoy life after so many years dedicated to taking care of others. Second, the burden of responsibility has been shifted to the vice mayor who has legitimate ambitions to occupy that office someday.

Third, the blame and bashing by critics and political enemies on the problems of garbage, traffic, floods, and the conflicts among people and units in the city are now transferred to the vice mayor now acting mayor. God has saved the duly-elected mayor from the stress and tension brought about by many cases of lazy, recalcitrant, and inept subordinates, and the harsh and unfair criticism hurled by politically-motivated detractors and perennial bashers. Fourth, the suspended mayor has enough time to rebuild the party, to conduct loyalty tests among fake supporters and weed out the party of planted saboteurs and paid infiltrators and most importantly, to rebuild the party organizations down to the precinct levels. This suspension is turning out to be a gift from the Lord,

Sixth, because of his suspension, the mayor has discovered the true colors of his former allies who have been entrusted power and have for the fastest time overruled all the mayor's decisions, replaced his people, and spoke openly against him. This suspension has revealed the Judases who betrayed him and the Pontius Pilates, his fake friends who washed their hands and refused to stand up for him in the hour of most difficulties. Seventh, the suspended mayor has discovered who are the true professionals among the employees in the city government who are very partisan for or against him, and who are instant balimbings who, like chameleons, change colors for convenience and for self-interest.

I am happy for suspended Mayor Mike Rama. The punishment imposed on him is turning out to be a blessing that makes him a happier and a better person, a more devoted Catholic, and a more loving husband, father, and friend. Indeed, God works in mysterious ways.