Well friends, seems like all that criticism directed against the plan by the Baguio City Council to buy cars had some effect. Mayor Peter Rey Bautista vetoed the plan but only because “the phrase ‘car plan’ in the resolution is inappropriate”. Read Vincent Cabreza’s report here.
Dude, what kind of silliness is behind that “I’m vetoing it because the term used is technically not correct” thing? Iyan ang sabi nilang hiding behind technicalities.
You veto it because it is the right thing to do. You veto it because there are more important things to spend that money on. You veto it because you want to set an example that Baguio city officials are not the kind of officials who are taken in by materialism and you don’t want them to imbibe that false belief that public officials will look presentable and respectable only if they have a car.
Also, the Mayor seems to be of the same mind as the councilors that they, Baguio City officials, need cars. We’re really not convinced that there’s a need for it.
You need something you can use to visit your constituents? Buy bicycles. If an official doesn’t know how to ride a bike, buy one that has a sidecar and let another councilor do the cycling. As The Nashman pointed out in his comments here, the Prince of the Netherlands cycles to work. Why can’t Baguio officials do that and set an example for the rest of the country to follow?
Oh, it’s not safe to ride a bike in Baguio? Fix it, pare. That’s what you are in power for. Pass regulations that would reserve some lanes for people who want to bike.
What? You’re too embarrassed to go meet the President (who was not voted President) with your bicycle? Well, snap out of that traditional “I must have a car to be respectable” mold of thinking. It doesn’t make you less of a human being if you are a public official without a car.
Oh you need a car to go to Manila or Subic or Clark? Take the bus, that’s why they are there. If you want to travel in relative comfort, Victory Liner has special buses which travels faster; it has more spacious leg rooms and a comfort room too. But you can travel like the rest of us by taking the non-special ones.
Note: Despite our quibbles with the Mayor’s reason for his veto. Let’s still give him credit for vetoing the plan.
Update: Read Jack Cariño’s take on this latest development.
Related posts:
How to spend P20 million
How to spend P20 million, II
INFO SOURCE: Inquirer/Vincent Cabreza.
Methinks Bautista is just washing his hands off the whole situation, insisting ‘he could not have been party to it because he was abroad’ while Weygan insists that he knew about it all along, hence the P4.6M allocation for Bautista’s vehicles.
That his veto was forthcoming because of the furor on- and offline, merely for political survival was predicted.
Now, if we had only raised a similar hue and cry over Domogan’s flyover! We wouldn’t be stuck with that wretched sight.
Things to watch:
1. Rodez’s proposal for a market at Burnham Park.
2. Farinas’ ‘development’ of Botanical Garden.
3. Farinas’ satellite markets (‘talipapas’)
4. Php400M landscaping and tree-planting for Burnham Park with a few offices for park personnel.
5. Bautista’s Php12M ‘collapsible’ parking building on Burnham Park (er, why do they not require the large schools to build parking building themselves since these are the main sources of human and vehicular traffic in the CBD for students, professors and staff?)
6. Bautista’s badly-implemented and intented ‘No Segregation-No Collection’ garbage policy that was timed suspiciously with his declaration of a shift of focus from tourism to ‘education.’
Actually, these are larger concerns that actually affect EVERY Baguio resident and visitor compared to the greedy move of the councilors to issue themselves cars.
Baguio, gising!
“Dude, what kind of silliness is behind that “I’m vetoing it because the term used is technically not correct” thing? Iyan ang sabi nilang hiding behind technicalities.”
Kayo naman, parang di pa sanay kay “MR. CLEAN”, este, “MAYOR CLEAN” who always wants to be perceived as goody-goody. Look at his record, always —as Lisa puts it—-“washing his hands off”. Remember the Casino ordinance the council passed and he extricated himself from the controversy with that “presiding officer” excuse? What about the Jadewell issue–didn’t Peter distance himself from Mayor Yaranon who relentlessy pursued the case? But in the end, when it was clear Jadewell was on its way out and Mayor Yaranon conveniently eased off the mayorship, here comes Mayor Goody-Goody Peter passing off the Jadewell victory has his. Hmmmmm. At the height of the Baguio Basura issue, what did he do? Fly to the US and Canada. Sabagay, he could say that his trip was productive and is back in Baguio with an idea from Canada to solve the garbage woes: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view_article.php?article_id=103458. Hay naku, doesn’t he realize he can’t just borrow an idea that works elsewhere and expect it to work in Baguio? There are demographics and attitudes to deal with. Why doesn’t he let his University of Baguio be the venue of a pilot project (para naman mas may katuturan ang mga researches nila sa UB) to see if this borrowed idea works, before implementing it large-scale? DAPAT kasi ‘yun ang ginawa nila muna even before implementing that city-wide garbage segregation scheme. As for the councilors’ CAR PLAN, pautangan na lang kaya sila ng UB? O, additional business pa yan para sa mga Bautista.
Hi Baguio Insider,
That was what I felt too, i.e., that he was trying to wash his hands off. And between him and Weygan, mas maniniwala ako kay Weygan. Thanks for alerting us on those things to watch para tignan talaga natin. That collapsible parking is interesting. Thanks.
Hi Anonymous,
Hehe, ganoon ba? Didn’t know he has a history of playing it safe. Di mas exciting pala ang pag-monitor natin sa kanyang administration to see the flip-flops. Thanks.
Yehey! It’s still a victory for people who are against “the car plan”. I just goes to show that if we make enough noise it makes a difference.
Keep on the look out for more anomalies Bill and Baguio Insider then let us know about it.
Christmas na naman, at naalala ba ninyo ang flipflop ni Meyor noong nakaraang taon?
Sabay-sabay tayong kumanta: “Let it snow…let it snow…let it snow.”
Idagdag na rin natin na ang prospective partner niya sa Snow Venture ay mga Koreano.
Yes, Bill, SIMPLE LANG…bilangin ang flip-flops ni Bautista!