"Urging resolution," a product of mediocrity

I have the opportunity of getting a copy of the Agenda of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Cebu City every time it holds a session. This way, I come to know what issues are tackled by our councilors to merit their monthly salary of sixty thousand pesos, an amount in round figure. In all candidness, it has almost become my habit to scrutinize all the items in the said agenda probably with the same fervor that I had when I was a member of that assembly more than two decades ago.

Starting with the first regular session in this second year of the 2013-2016 term of our councilors, I will take note of one particular form of their resolutions that, to me, does not approach any known standard of  substantive legislation. I will report every now and then, in this column, whatever I may find. The kind of resolution that I am talking about is that which urges this or that government agency to do something. For lack of a classification under which it may be categorized, let me just call it as "urging resolution."

For a more vivid idea what this "urging resolution" is all about, I will give you an example. In the June 18, 2014 session of the city council, there was included in its agenda the following resolution: "A resolution urging the Department of Labor and Employment to intensify their advocacy and campaign against discrimination by employers who impose age limit on billboards and advertisements for job vacancies where age is not a paramount consideration since such practice violates the right of labor to equal employment opportunities and the right against employment discrimination; and likewise urging DOLE to incorporate in their jobs fair public information campaign on Constitutionally-protected rights of workers to promote awareness of these rights to both job applicants and employers." (underscoring, mine)

For a number of reasons, it took me more than one reading to get the gist of the measure. One, I was distracted by the breach of grammar. It seemed to me that the author did not do his best to avoid grammatical lapses, forgetting perhaps, that this document may be read by future generations. Two, the title of that resolution was kilometric. It tried to give a full index of its contents, something that the learned Sen. Vicente J. Francisco, frowned upon.

Anyway, by passing that resolution, the collective voice of the best minds in our city supported the author's URGING the DOLE to intensify their, meaning, the DOLE'S, advocacy against discrimination. The sponsor of the resolution assumed that there was a problem of discrimination but he did not say clearly why, what it was and against whom was such discrimination practiced. The author's ambiguity led me to think that he did not know what should really be done. After all, it was not his advocacy nor that of the city council.

As it came about, the council saw something that appeared to be a problem but since the councilors believed that it was not their problem, it was likewise not their duty to find any remedy to it. That was why they simply wanted the DOLE to address it.

The word urge, a dictionary definition reveals, means "to force or impel in an indicated direction."  There is little doubt that it is when one occupies a higher rank that he can urge another to perform an act. In our social order, subordinates can only request their superiors to do what is to be done. This must be the ascendancy that the Sanggunian felt over the DOLE when it passed that resolution. Differently said, the council must have believed that the DOLE was its subordinate.

This aura of superiority may and can lead to an undesirable situation. Suppose the DOLE does not give a hoot to the urging of the city council and completely ignores it, what happens? Nothing. The council, despite its feeling of upmanship, is not the boss of DOLE.

In the end, the resolution we are talking about, and others of same nature, are but products of mediocrity. They accomplish nothing substantial. The paper on which it is printed and the time allocated for its discussion are wasted. So must a part of the councilors' salary be. End.

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