Mayor Vi not affected by anti-Vilma billboards

Lipa City – "What do you expect? It’s election time?"

This was the reaction of Mayor Vilma Santos-Recto on the billboard announcements put up all over the city insinuating that she is not capable of running the city as a full time mayor.

The billboards, which read "Wanted: full-time mayor" and with a silhouette of a man against a big clock as backdrop, was put up all over the city.

Mayor Vi was criticized by her detractors for coming to the office only on Monday morning for the opening flag ceremony and returning to the city hall again on Friday afternoon for the closing flag ceremony.

"There is no such thing as after the flag ceremony I leave," the mayor clarified. "First of all, Monday is people’s day and that is the only time ang mga tao walang (that people have no) appointment," Mayor Vi said.

"The people troop here every Monday and are served on a first come, first serve basis," she added.

"Secondly, its been open to the public that my first priority is my family. I make it a point to have time for them always," she added."Thirdly my career only comes in as my last priority. I can sacrifice my career. Until now wala pa akong pelikula (I have no movies yet), but definitely I cannot sacrifice my family," she said.

Vilma said that the importance she is giving to her family is the same commitment she is giving to her constituents.

"Now if they’re using the issue of me being not a full time mayor of this city because I give time to my family, I can’t do anything that would satisfy them," she stressed.

Mayor Vi added that if she’s not in Lipa, she’s in Manila making transactions with national government agencies. "I’m not promising anything, but as far as I’m concerned, I’ll just do my best and God will do the rest," she added.

Asked why Senator Ralph Recto is included in a campaign billboard in front of the city hall even if he is not running for any position, the mayor said that everybody knows that her husband is her political adviser and "it only shows the partnership between the national and the local government."