Arrogance is infectious

I have long perceived the arrogance of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña. When he allegedly tripped a barbecue vendor (was his name Willer Sanchez?) and reportedly stomped on the scattered food in the early years of his mayorship, I thought the justification that he was just tipsy could gloss over the arrogant label.

It was good to hear Osmeña somehow later befriended the vendor. How he did it was never publicized. If Sun Tzu were alive, could have learned from Osmeña’s caper and added a paragraph or two on the chapter about understanding the enemy.

Another incident I call an act of arrogance happened during an official City Hall function where Barangay Captain Jessie Jayme attended. When Osmeña saw Jayme, he reportedly shouted at him to “get out.” I was told Jayme was so humiliated he rushed to the elevator and did not know what else to do that the elevator went up and down three times before Jayme realized it. I learned though that this act earned the mayor a sanction from the Ombudsman and I also heard that in the last barangay election Osmeña reportedly supported Jayme.

There was a time when Osmeña blocked a gate of the basilica, he ordered bars welded there to prevent people from coming in as if he personally owned the church and could determine how it could be used. Whatever reason he had in interfering with freedom of religion could not shield him from the perception he was arrogant.

Is it possible that the arrogance of a superior could rub off on his subordinates? I hope psychologists or other professionals in related fields can educate me on this. Specifically, can it be scientifically explained that the perceived arrogance of Osmeña can trickle down to some Cebu City personnel, like the ones who distributed the cash assistance last Saturday in Barangay Kasambagan?

This was what happened. At 11: 45 a.m., my lady Carmen and I went to the covered court beside the Kasambagan barangay hall where the cash assistance for senior citizens was distributed. We went to the table assigned to traffic flow management. The people on that table met us with friendly smiles, gave us a sheet of paper where numbers were written and directed us to a table. I approached the woman assigned and handed over the paper earlier given to us and our identification cards.

The woman noticed the ID of Carmen was a photocopy of the original and told us that unless the original was shown, she would not give the cash assistance. I saw the smirk on her face and equated it with the perceived arrogance of Osmeña. Like Jayme, I felt embarrassed. The woman probably thought we were swindlers. Of course, we are old citizens and perhaps younger employees of the government do not respect seniors. If only to try to regain my sense of well-being, I introduced to the woman that I and my lady Carmen were, at some time in the past, Cebu City councilors, if our identification was questionable. But she would have none of that. She said something about a policy of not giving cash to anyone without the original ID. The manner she said it forced my lady to beg me to let it go. There was no point arguing with an arrogant worker who might have only copied her arrogance from an arrogant superior.