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Mayor Jesse Robredo may now get a new recognition, perhaps a more realistic and truthful one this time — an acting award. Wednesday evening, September 20, as he reacted on TV on the reported impending recall of NBI Regional Director Ricardo Diaz to the NBI Central Office where he had previously been assigned Robredo sounded like the city government would collapse with Diaz’ departure. He bewailed that the campaign against illegal drugs which he said was gaining ground would be derailed as if the Naga City PNP is inutile and helpless and the city government itself is impotent without Diaz. Perhaps, they really are because media reports said the illegal drug suppliers Diaz’ group first pounced upon were just a stone’s throw from Robredo’s house and in all those more than ten years that he sat as mayor he saw nothing, heard nothing and smelled nothing. The question being asked is where are those culprits now? What has Robredo done with them? The whining Robredo talked like Diaz was assigned here for Naga City alone, forgetting that Naga City is just one of the seven cities and six provinces Diaz was supposed to serve and there is not even a whimper in any of those six provinces and six other cities under Diaz’ jurisdiction. Why? Because Bicol governors and other city mayors are less pretentious and not prone to untimely cheap political gimmicks like Robredo and will survive whoever sits as NBI regional director or any director for that matter.
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Transfer of officials and employees in our government system is routinary and should not be associated with politics. A transfer could be because of office policies. The official or employee concerned may have done good that he deserved to be promoted or he may have done something wrong for which he must atone. Diaz himself should have been circumspect enough not to have allowed himself to be drawn into Robredo’s nauseating political drama if he wanted more productive and less controversial years in government service. He should know that he is digging into a hole by getting himself mired in politics which is the last thing civil servants should do. In August while preparing for the previous issue of this paper I had a lengthy conversation with Director Diaz in his office. He gave me the impression that he was unhappy in his assignment here although he is a Bicolano from Calabanga. This was understandable because as head of the Interpol at the NBI Central Office he was on the limelight almost everyday, hugging the headlines as he handled sensational cases. Obviously, he had aspired to rise in the NBI ladder but he admitted that his misfortune was that he was closely identified with the late Director Reynaldo Wycoco and the new NBI Director would, of course, want his own men around him at the start. That could be the reason he was momentarily assigned to Bicol. Here, Diaz saw an opportunity to break the eerie silence of law enforcers and raided long suspected dens of drug suppliers. This is not really exceptional as it was a normal NBI operation although it proved that for a long time the city government had done nothing on the drug problem. Were not among those caught known Robredo political supporters? Could that be the reason that to avoid political backlash Robredo promptly hailed Diaz’ exploit? If he had not, the public would believe he had cuddled and tolerated some of the suspects identified with him. Well, that’s what some people think just same anyway.
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By the way, just last week I had a haircut in a downtown Naga City barbershop when a jueteng correador came in to announce in a very loud voice the winning numbers combination the day before. Then he went on to get bets from some jueteng enthusiasts around. “Not too loud”, a manicurist warned the loquacious correador. “Oh, they don’t mind, anyway”, the man retorted in an even louder voice, referring to the PNP, Robredo’s PNP in Naga City.Does Mayor Robredo also need Director Ric Diaz to go after the correador in his supposed jueteng-free Naga City? Or will he again invite Archbishop Oscar Cruz to lecture on jueteng? Oh yes, let’s have the award minted for the Best Actor of the decade. And why will an acting award be more realistic and truthful? Well, Robredo’s previous awards were anchored on the haze and maze of fictional accomplishments. The Metro Naga Development Council for instance. Even before it fizzled out it served no purpose at all as far as member municipalities were concerned but Robredo capitalized on that. His so-called people’s empowerment? That’s funny and institutions that commended him for that hoax were equally silly. Right within the City hall find out if they can speak out their minds. Robredo even has the gall to suppress genuine petitions of parents and teachers who asked for projects from outside source because Robredo failed to provide them. You can’t be wrong if you believe Robredo is the supreme authority on how to muzzle constituents.
