Oca for laughs

SO WHAT’S wrong with Mayor Oca?
So what’s wrong with him? Returned I the query of a coffee confederate at Starbucks Marquee Mall.
He showed me Monday’s issue of Sun-Star Pampanga which bannered Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez, as League of Cities of the Philippines president, endorsing recounted-out-in-2007 and avalanched-in-2010 Eddie T. Panlilio to a post at the Department of the Interior and Local Governments.
Sheer speculation on Rodriguez’s part to claim in the news story that “Malacañang would surely want the services of Panlilio as his efforts and sacrifices in public governance would not be wasted.”
Pure conjecture for Rodriguez too to utter: “Maybe he can join Jesse Robredo at the DILG or the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. I think he could handle being appointed to such positions.”
Strong conviction though for Rodriguez to commit his “support (to) any move to appoint Panlilio to a government position (as) he believes in the ability of Panlilio in handling grassroots concerns as well as social programs.”
So what’s wrong with Mayor Oca endorsing Panlilio to the DILG or to any appointive position in government?
Nothing. So what’s wrong with being comical ala Dolphy? Or being satirical ala Mister Shooli?
Sorry, but that’s how Rodriguez – in this instance, at least – appears to me.
For how could Rodriguez ever be considered serious in talking of Panlilio’s “efforts and sacrifices in public governance” empowering him to “handle being appointed” to the DILG? Absolute nullity there.
As a matter of course, Rodriguez should be one of, if not the, last to talk about Panlilio’s public governance “ability.”
For one, Rodriguez knows only too well how his beloved confederates in the Institute for Solidarity in Asia gave up on Panlilio right after their very first meeting on the prospect of enrolling Panlilio’s Capitol in the Public Governance System that Rodriguez embraced like a most prized mistress, his city having been institutionalized in the system.
More important in this issue at hand, Rodriguez seems to have easily forgotten, and readily forgiven, lapses of the then-Governor Panlilio and his putative provincial administrator in inter-local government protocol, if not basic good manners, that personally impacted on him.
On September 26, 2008, we discussed here how Panlilio practically lambasted Rodriguez for giving a rally permit to the dismissed quarrymen of the Biyaya a Luluguran at Sisikapan (Balas) task force at the Arnedo Park fronting the Capitol.
Panlilio’s letter to Rodriguez which we liberally quoted here then oozed with bile, to say the least. A sampling:
“For more than a year in office now, I have considered you and your city as my friend. You have in the past expressed your support to my administration. For this, I am deeply grateful and appreciative…However, recent events confound me on the extent of the said expression of support…
“The Macario Arnedo Park is within the Capitol compound and is owned by the provincial government of Pampanga. The Capitol compound might be located within your city but administration and governance over it is lodged within the provincial government.
“Granting arguendo that its declaration as freedom park is legally tenable, a permit is not necessary for people to hold a rally or express their grievances…(the provincial government) asserting that permits should not be issued by your (Rodriguez’s) office to any applicant who wish (sic) to make use of the Macario Arnedo Park for whatever purpose they intend to utilize it…
“The rallyists are very noisy and their streamers are libelous and defamatory. Their sound system should be toned down and their defamatory and libelous streamers should be put down by your office being the one who allowed them to do so…I expect your prompt response to this simple request.”
Ain’t that an insult to the intelligence, if not the person, of Rodriguez?
Even more biting insults on Rodriguez coming from Panlilio’s Capitol we discussed here on March 17, 2009 under the head Dabu on top to wit:
PUTATIVE SHE may be as provincial administrator, Atty. Vivian Dabu is de facto governor of the province of Pampanga. No, make that on top of the governor, her authority already abutting on the enforcement of justice.
She accuses: “... the trucks of your office were hauling and transporting quarry materials, without permit, receipt or even tarpaulin securely covering their contents.”
She lectures: “Please be reminded that your office or your people are not above the law. The Philippine Mining Act specifically requires that permit must be secured prior to extraction and/or hauling of quarrying materials. Based on our records, your office did not secure any permit for extraction and/or hauling. In fact, in no instance did your office inform the provincial government thereof... Also transport without receipt of quarry materials is being penalized under Ordinance 1-93.”
She enjoins, but with corresponding judgment : “Lastly, may we invite you and your representative for a meeting on 13 March 2009 at 9:00 a.m. at the office of the undersigned for us to discuss the settlement of your violations.”
So was Dabu, as instanced above, communicating with a lowly subordinate?
No, she was writing to the Honorable Oscar S. Rodriguez, three-term congressman of the 3rd District of Pampanga, currently on his second term as mayor of the City of San Fernando, and, 3rd runner-up in the World Mayor search a few years back.
With that letter dated March 9, 2009, Dabu has overinflated her stature as provincial administrator – putative at that – and arrogated unto herself that of the governor, reducing Rodriguez – duly elected and mandated by the people – to the lowly level of a government clerk.
So what’s wrong with Mayor Oca endorsing Panlilio to a DILG post despite these insults to his persona, despite these clear manifestation – on Panlilio’s part – of ignorance, if not incompetence, in simple administrative matters?
Nothing. If Rodriguez is doing neither a Dolphy nor a Mister Shooli, then he must be doing a Kristo, not necessarily in a Lenten senakulo, of turning the other cheek, of loving those who insult him.
No, I don’t believe Rodriguez is ripe for dotage.