Between few votes and a greater mass

I remember having written that the campaign for the May 2013 elections unofficially started sometime in mid May 2012, one year earlier with “pulong-pulongs” conducted by opposing political teams three times a week. For a moment, I thought that having just completed the tedious process, we would enjoy a well-deserved rest. How wrong I was!

The honorable chieftain of Barangay Mabolo, Capt. Rey Ompoc, has never ceased thinking and doing politics. My Golly! It is very frustrating to accept that politics of the non-productive genre can, perhaps, be his only area of activity. This supposition sits on the strength of the information that unlike most other barangay captains, he has no known profession to practice nor business to attend to.

How did I discover this political passion of Capt. Ompoc? C. Mina Street, is located in Barangay Mabolo, The barangay hall is erected on the corner of this street and M.J. Cuenco Avenues. Going eastward, C. Mina St. is, unfortunately, almost less than one half of its true width because people have appropriated some of its portions in many ingenious ways. (If there is anyone who accuses me of making an overstatement, let him visit the place anytime of the day, whether rainy or otherwise, and he will surely find a validation of this claim of mine). Capt. Ompoc either simply tolerates this road intrusion out of his ignorance of how to promote public welfare or he is beholden to these intruders.

For the record, years ago, during the administration, as city mayor, of the honorable South district Cong. Tomas R. Osmeña, he ordered the demolition of the structures that were illegally constructed on portions of C. Mina Street. For inexplicable reasons, the captain was nowhere to be found when the mayor's order was implemented. Just the same, that effort resulted into the return of the road to the public. But, not long after the city's move, people began again to convert the road to their own use. That is the condition at present.

What kind of use am I talking about? At times of the day, some businessmen place dining tables on the road and top these with large umbrellas. A friend calls these enterprises collapsible restaurants. Others have extended their establishments by actually erecting concrete and steel posts on the road and putting awnings on them. Still others have converted the street as their permanent parking slots and a place to stock pile their large speakers.

When I approached a barangay kagawad to look at the situation, he only shrugged his shoulders because he did not want to paint a bad image of his chief. At the same time, he pointed in the direction of the captain as if to suggest to me to ask Capt. Ompoc, to address the concern. I would have wanted to do just as the kagawad hinted, but because it was in the campaign period, I believed it was more prudent to wait until after the elections.

True enough, as soon as the electoral dust settled, I asked Mabolo Kagawad, the honorable Raul Cosido, what he could do to help save C. Mina Street from its usurpers. He acknowledged the problem. In fact, he claimed it has become even more urgent to remove the illegal structures because the barangay just inaugurated its emergency response unit near the dead end of this particular road and these road occupants expose to unnecessary risks the barangay's emergency responding agents.

Kagawad Cosido said that, in their Sanggunian Barangay session, they discussed a resolution seeking the voluntary act of the settlers to remove their illegal constructions themselves. The process was perceived to be less burdensome. At that time, Capt. Ompoc, obligated himself to undertake the task of talking to these concerned entrepreneurs, a still more humane approach.

Hold your breath! There is no visible sign that the onslaught of illegal settlers is coming to an end. It looks like Capt. Ompoc, continues to spread his protective wings over few individuals for no other apparent motive than in anticipation of their votes in October. He does not know that because his act prejudices a greater mass, it tends to boomerang on him. God help him.

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