Kaban ni D_BystandeR: ANG KULBAHINAM NGA KASIKAS SA PAMOLITIKA SA SUGBO

I shudder at the thought that Super Bob (Bobby Nalzaro) in his canine devotion to defend and promote Mayor Mike Rama's political career for whatever it takes, has practically transformed him to become a laughing stock for his undulating love to defend Rama at all costs. The issue is about the four BOPK "renegades" - Gerardo Carillo, Noel Wenceslao, Richard Osmena and Roberto Cabarrubias - who crossed party lines and opted to allow Mayor Mike Rama to sell SRP lots. Despite the fact that there is a special case originally attached to the sale of SRP, the recently approved council resolution which the 4 renegades favored to pass by affixing their signatures to make that bill win with the help of the original 5 members of the  Team Rama, authorizes Mayor Mike to sell SRP lots. It's a sad thing to note that these 4 BOPK renegades could not have won their respective seats in the city council if the city electorate did not envision the whole BOPK  group to staunchly defend and rally behind what Tommy O has stood for to defend the  interest of the city. But sad to say, and as  what Tommy has said of this "group of four," they are only after of their personal benefits and not the long-term welfare of the city.

Super Bob can open wide his mouth to praise the 4 BOPK renegades because of his longtime obsession to let Rama obtain the desired votes to make it a reality. And what is Super Bob's ultimate dream is to see to it that through Rama's authority to sell SRP lots, the political life of Rama is positively sustained because with SRP lots under his "thumb" he can make use of the huge financial benefits it gives his administration to pursue his personal political goals. But other observers who look at this sad turn of events are dismayed that what Tommy O has consistently "warned not to make a 'fire sale' out of SRP lots" could now become a possibility in the hands of Rama who thinks of nothing but his own political dreams to perpetuate his stay in the City Hall. But what made me dread about this from happening is the gruesome fact that Rama's "heart and propensity" is different from Tommy's, in the manner of how they visualize their true adherence to protect, safeguard, and promote the welfare of our poor city residents who are already pushed to the brink of dismay with the current repressive actions propagated by Rama against the poor. His recent actions where the poor are not allowed anymore to go back to their dwelling place after a fire conflagration is fast becoming a sure threat to possibly multiply the number of "informal settlers" in the city which the Rama administration is found to be wanting in terms of sincerity to help them. And it is in this regard that we can only cross our fingers and hope for the best, especially that it looks very convincingly true that what Rama is doing is practically in dire contradiction to what Pope Francis has earnestly campaigned in his broad fight against poverty to improve the lot of the poor in the whole world.

Footnote: This comment came out in connection with a Sunstar headline to a column of "Super Bob" entitled, "Time for the former mayor to shut up."