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There is an ongoing drama in the city and province these days.

Board member Ae Damalerio delivered a privilege speech about the perennial drainage problem in the city.

Mayor Dan Lim felt there was politics involved and said so in his Mayor’s Report.

His statements also found enough space in the local weeklies.

But kagawad Dandan Bantugan did more than that.

Aside from delivering his own privilege speech, he also set a condition – unless BM Ae Damalerio would ask for an apology, he would ask the city sanggunian thru a resolution that Damalerio would be declared persona non grata.

That serious, eh, kagawad?

* * *

When asked if his colleagues are with him in his “cause,” kagawad Bantugan said he was just exercising a personal privilege.

No need to consult my colleagues, he told me over the radio.

Copy that. As if he needed to remind me that the sanggunian is a collegial body.

The majority decides and sets the rules.

But I noticed that he set a condition. That “forgiveness” thing or a declaration of persona non grata.

This suggests that he needs the support of his colleagues if only to add “teeth” to his threat against Damalerio.

What will become of him if his colleagues will reject his request overwhelmingly?

What will become of him if instead of supporting him, his colleagues will support BM Damalerio?

So I don’t think he was telling the truth when he told me he needed no prior consultation with his colleagues when he delivered his speech against BM Damalerio.

Unless of course, he was just grandstanding.

Meaning, he was only after pogi points. And had no intention whatsoever of seeking positive result from his very colorful privilege speech.

I hope he’s not.

* * *

Anyway, even if he is serious in seeking positive action from his colleagues – by going with him in his “war” against BM Damalerio – there are already several of his colleagues who believe there was nothing wrong in Damalerio’s privilege speech.

Kagawad Edi Borja said he believes Damalerio was just exercising his democratic rights.

Vice Mayor Toto Veloso echoed the same sentiment.

And kagawad Mariquit Oppus shared the same opinion.

Another colleague who requested anonymity said majority of his colleagues think there was nothing wrong in Damalerio’s privilege speech.

If this is the scenario, then it follows that Dandan Bantugan is doing this solo.

And he is the only one in the sanggunian who felt he is the one being alluded to by Damalerio.

* * *

Anyway, even Vice Mayor Toto Veloso doesn’t have any idea what will happen during the meeting called upon for the purpose.

Kagawad Bantugan seeks an apology from BM Damalerio.

But BM Damalerio says there is no need to apologize because he committed no wrong.

If they want to do that, go ahead. That is their right. And he added something.

Bason ug ilang buhaton na – to declare him as persona non grata – unya masulbad nang problema sa drainage sa siyudad.

Ouch!

As in, tit for tat.

How will it end?

That’s Dandan’s game. If he insists in his plan to pass a resolution declaring Ae Damalerio as persona non grata, it remains to be seen if he will get the necessary support from majority of his colleagues.

But as I make this piece, I already got the statement from some kagawads that they would not support such resolution.

* * *

Anyway, Dandan has a point.

And his colleagues agree with him.

Ae Damalerio should have sought their comments first before “hitting” them in his privilege speech.

“He made it appear nga wa mi gihimo bahin sa drainage problem sa syudad. Naa ra ba. Duha god ka resolusyon among gipasa para aning problemaha. Unya ingnon mi niya nga wa mi gihimo,” a kagawad told me last Friday.

“Ikaduha, kining drainage problem sa syudad dili ni madali-dali ug sulbad. Nagkinahanglan ni ug dakong pagtuon ug puhunan. Nalipay bitaw mi nga duna nay resulta ang pagtuon ni Engr. Cecil Corloncito kay malihok na gyod ning problema nga dugay na man ni kaayo,” the kagawad continued.

* * *

But the same kagawad does not believe Dandan’s “persona non grata” gimmick has merit.

“We should be careful with this remedy. Dili ni sayon-sayonon lang pagpagawas sa sanggunian. Nagpagawas na bitaw ang sanggunian sa una ug resolusyon batok sa Oceanjet. Unya, unsa may nahimo adto. Kon paundayonan ning ka Dandan nga gipangayo, ma-mora na lang ni ug lima singko,” the kagawad explained.

* * *

I concur.

I think this “persona non grata” declaration is reserved for very serious offenses.

It’s not just for any “run-of-the-mill” offenses. Otherwise, the efficacy of the declaration would be diluted exponentially.

And I don’t think Damalerio has committed a very serious offense.

It must be stressed that he is also a taxpayer, just like you and me. He pays his taxes to the city and the national government.

Naturally, he expects that the government will reciprocate his support for governmental operations through the delivery of basic services.

So if Damalerio feels there is failure on the part of the city to deliver its due on the drainage problem, who can deny him his fundamental right to complain?

* * *

Well, I hope Dandan will just let this thing pass.

I also hope cooler heads in the sanggunian will try to patch things up. No need to exacerbate the situation by feeding more fuel to the fire.

If Dandan flares up every time he feels somebody is making wrong allusions and insinuations, I think that’s a minus to his supposedly wholesome public image.

And even if Ae Damalerio goofs, and goofed badly, and admits it openly, who can honestly say that he is immune from committing blunders one way or the other.

Not me, and certainly not Dandan.

We are all sinners, you and me.

We should remember that.

* * *

The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) in Jagna town is making a lot of money from terminal fees being collected from passengers passing through Jagna port.

Nobody is excused; the fee is strictly imposed and collected from every passenger.

So what do you expect after being made to pay 11.50?

Because the port premises is open to the blistering heat of the sun, naturally, one would expect to be comfortable inside the terminal building.

The terminal building is like an oasis in the middle of the desert.

But what do you see once you get inside the building?

* * *

There is a sophisticated-looking X-Ray machine that screens both passengers and cargoes.

But the good impression stops right there and then.

The screening is so slow, one wonders if the personnel manning the X-Ray machine knows what he is doing.

After a while, one retrieves his cargo and proceeds inside. And what do you see?

* * *

After the painfully slow X-Ray screening, the passenger is confronted with a very grim scenario right inside the terminal building.

The passengers are packed like sardines. There are air-conditioning units, yes, but they are not functioning.

So the terminal building is like a pogon, an oven or even a small furnace.

The passengers are sweating. Nobody is smiling. Simply because they are not comfortable.

I suppose they would rather stay outside than inside. At least, there is fresh air outside. But inside the terminal, well, its torture time.

In other words, the passengers are shortchanged of their 11.50 terminal fee

They are paying for something that they don’t receive in return.

In other words, the passengers are robbed of their comfort and convenience.

* * *

The PPA people know this predicament.

When I confronted one of them about this very lamentable situation, he just looked at me as if I uttered something vulgar and terribly embarrassing, and just shrugged his shoulders.

He even made it appear as if he was slighted that I disclosed this to him when I ought not to voice it.

As in, ayaw lang ug saba.

Para asa man diay ang inyong gikolekta nga terminal fee nga di man mo kahatag ug husto nga serbisyo sa mga pasahero, was my question.

And his answer was apt enough – wa mi mahimo ana!

* * *

So we spent much of our time outside the terminal fee-cum-furnace.

Time for boarding came, we joined the long line of passengers. It was no joke considering the naked heat of the sun. And the dust, goodness, it was terrible.

At least, they segregated the “boys” from the “girls.” The only sensible action so far.

But the rest, it was nothing but a big joke.

You know why?

We were again subjected to another screening before boarding the vessel. This time, it was dog screening.

So the X-Ray screening was not enough, I wondered aloud. Nobody answered.

Apparently, it was not.

* * *

It is hard to imagine a supposedly “tourist-friendly” port to employ such cruel practices.

Apart from the obnoxious terminal fee, and the torture chamber they call terminal building, there is also another fee called local government’s fee of 2 pesos per, regardless of sex and age of course.

Nobody explains why this amount is collected. It seems this amount is collected just for the sake of raising money.

But I noticed that they don’t bother to issue a receipt of sorts. No ticket, no nothing.

So if this is legitimate collection, how do the Jagnaanons know how much was collected?

How do they account for the day’s or week’s collection, by honesty alone?

That’s the big laugh.

I hope Jagna Mayor Eksam Lloren will somehow manage to read this and give us some explanation.

I also hope the PPA people in Jagna port will also manage to learn about this.

More when we return, stay tuned for more. Comments, suggestions, write to salvadiputado@yahoo.com