Exposure of an evil motive

Motive, if I may be allowed to paraphrase a work the eminent late Justice Manuel V. Moran, lies in the deepest recesses of the human mind. It has no form and takes no shape. While a part of a person's mental process, it obviously, has no physical existence. Hence, it is most difficult to discern what motives found the actions of men.

However, as it often happens, it is man himself who exposes his thoughts. The most profound of his thoughts manifests in his writings. For instance, the late Don Vicente Gullas exhorts, in his book The Art of Living Well, the youth to lead virtuous lives. To him, "there are no crown bearers in heaven who were not cross-bearers on earth".

Sometimes, man allows his fellow beings a glimpse of his motives by ascribing them to other men. He speaks adroitly of his own motives as those of others. What he fails to realize is that by trying to tack some thoughts to other men, he only is giving shape to his own thoughts.

Let us apply these ideas to present day events.

Many months ago, the news that Hon. Gabriel Leyson, was thinking of contesting the mayoralty of Talisay City came as a surprise to the voters of Cebu City. To many, it was an unexpected move. He raised many eyebrows then. It was not easy to comprehend why he would make such a move. To recall, Hon. Leyson became a Cebu City councilor in 1992 and he topped the 1995 polls, as a re-electionist. The natural direction would be for him to aim to become Cebu City Mayor which he did in 1998.

When Hon. Leyson eventually registered as a voter of Talisay City, those who initially thought that his earlier announcement was only to spite Congressman Eduardo Gullas had to look for some explanation. While everybody believed that His Honor Mayor Tomas R. Osmeña made the decision for Hon. Leyson, to aspire for the position of Talisay City chief executive, no one could fathom the motives of our mayor.

Indeed, men sometimes ascribe their thoughts to other men. Recently, Mayor Osmeña, perhaps rattled by the idea that former Congressman Jose R. Gullas might run for Cebu City mayor, expressed the motives of Sir Dodong. According to our mayor, Sir Dodong has plans to annex the SRP to Talisay City.

How could our mayor see the motive of Sir Dodong when, according to Justice Moran, it is supposed to be hidden in the deepest recesses of the Gullas' mind? No, Mayor Osmeña could not see the shape of Sir Dodong's mental process. Our mayor only expressed in clear language what he was hiding in his mind. Mayor Osmeña, by sending Hon. Leyson to do battle for mayor of Talisay City, must have conjured in his mind that should Hon. Leyson succeed, they would do what they failed to accomplish through such other means as an action in the court of law.

As I see it, the motive to launch the candidacy of Hon. Leyson as mayor of our neighboring city, is not anchored on public service. In fact, by transferring his residence to Talisay City while a councilor of Cebu, he in effect he turned his back to his oath. I am sorry to say it is a more brutal way. It was a betrayal on the part of Hon. Leyson to switch loyalties. If serving the public was upper most in his mind, he should have instead poised himself to run as our city mayor.

It is sad that former Representative Gullas has not even announced that he would contest the Cebu City mayoralty. He would offer a good contest to Mayor Osmeña. But it is still sadder that our mayor, by proposing a Trojan horse in Hon. Leyson, has ascribed the evil thought of stabbing the back of Talisay city residents to an innocent man like Sir Dodong.

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