I wish the new city council...

There are times when the urge to sip good coffee would bring me even to expensive spots I’d rather stay away from. Yes, the other day I was enjoying my favorite coffee in a corner of plush shop when a gentleman smiled at me as if indicating his intention to approach. The expensive shirt he was wearing somehow suggested that he belonged to a league beyond mine. Bourgeoisie.

Just the same, because he disarmed me with his apparent friendliness, I returned the warm gesture and soon enough, he extended his hand to me in friendship.  Mr. Severino was his name and mentioned that he was just waiting for his order to be served.  Would I wish to share with him a space? Surely.

My newfound friend was a non-Cebuano by roots.  He asserted though that he, like many among us who have earned our spurs here, should be considered blue-bloodied Cebuanos by choice.  Proceeding from that introduction, Mr. Severino immensely flattered me with his claim of never missing my column.  I thought only my neighbor, Sir Ladie Dioko, would care to read my write-ups (nagsabot mi nga mobasa ko sa iyang article ug siya sa akong sinuwat aron seguro nga dunay reader!)

In the early part of our talk, he went farther back with an Aesop fable on the black crow being easily coaxed to singing by flatterers and lose, in the course, the food on its beak.  Having used that tale in few occasions myself, I assured Mr. Severino that I was familiar with it. Indeed, his message was very well taken.  We were to strike a friendship without either of us harboring a sinister thought.

Having cleared the air for wholesome exchange of ideas, my new acquaintance spoke of a feeling of disappointment.  He confirmed to have read one column of mine about then candidate for Cebu City councilor, Atty. Fritz V.  Quinanola.  This non-Cebuano, was disappointed that Atty. Quinanola did not get the support of the Cebuanos.  While to Mr. Severino, it was democracy at work, it was, more importantly, a terrible democratic mistake. He lamented that in a democracy, many good leaders are swept aside by a torrent of emotion.

Without patronizing him, I gave Mr. Severino my unqualified attention. Convinced that he was a real pro, I desired to explore the basis of his disappointment. He obliged speaking almost in superlatives. Pointing out that his candidate ranked higher than most of the people seeking position in the city government in educational achievement and experience in public service, he claimed that we voted unintelligently resulting in our failure to harness the talent of the former general.

Mr. Severino pleasantly surprised me with a litany of specific good things to do which he said he would have brought to Atty. Quinanola had the latter been elected.  Of his number of ideas, the issue of peace and order sounded most interesting.  For example, he would have wanted a focus on the program of police visibility more thoroughly.  He recalled that the city administration spent a huge sum of money to train men and purchase equipment when, sometime ago, it launched a “cop-on-a-bike program”.  Mr. Severino asked:  What happened to the program? Where had the training of the men gone?  Or where are the bikes now?

It did not take a long time for Mr. Severino to state what I thought was coming.  Indeed, he would want, most of all, a responsible official, perhaps, like a city councilor, to start any investigation on the killing spree carried out by vigilantes.  Lives were lost to murderers roaming our streets.  If we were to claim a place in the civilized world, we should be vigorous in the search for the vigilantes, and let justice be done though the heavens fall.

My friend Fritz might not have won in the elections, but Mr. Severino need not fret.  Who knows among those elected, one may have the wisdom to uphold the rule of law and run after those whose hands desecrated the primacy of human life.  Right, Mr. Severino?