EDITORIAL - Genuine concerns, smart strategies

As the campaign swings into the homestretch, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza appears to be leaving her political opponents behind, at least as far as publicity mileage is concerned. And whoever is running her campaign strategies deserves much of the credit for that.

Initially, the diaper commercial controversy involving a spoof of what happened in Mactan between Lapu-Lapu and Magellan hundreds of years ago may look innocently enough as a legitimate attempt by Radaza to protect certain historical facts from distortion, even if only as a joke.

But then this was followed by an order of the mayor to stop a popular mini submarine underwater tour supposedly because the sub was caught on video hitting and damaging some coral formations.

Now, this move could very well be part of Radaza's genuine concern for the environment and its protection. But coming swiftly on the heels of her concern for historical faithfulness cannot but give rise to the possibility that this may also have something to do with May 13.

This is not to say that Radaza should not have done what she did. While there are those who may disagree with her recent moves, there is nothing at all to prove what she did was wrong. The logical inclination, therefore, is that she did the right thing. And we agree with that.

Nevertheless, set against a political background, the twin moves become too good to be true when considering the fact that they reaped for Radaza tremendous political mileage however anyone would look at it.

In other words, what the mayor did were brilliant moves that vastly improved her chances at winning. Even if she was guided by genuine concerns other than politics, the political windfall is something nobody can ignore.

It now looks as if her political strategists are winning the game for her. The diaper ad and mini sub tour were matters that could have passed quietly as normal course in an ordinary day in the life of the mayor. When it blew up in the media, you know Radaza has the smarter guys.