Hobbled SRP marketing

I think it was right for Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to withhold financial assistance from the Cebu Investment and Promotions Center (CIPC) until the internal conflict that brought about the mass resignation of its board of directors is resolved.

It would have been better if the City Council dominated by the Bando Osmena-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) had allowed former directors to appear before the council to shed light on their mass resignation as it could have prevented personalities from blaming each other.

But I suspect that the council refused to heed the call of Team Rama Councilor Hanz Abella because information may surface that would not be in the interest of the BO-PK and its leader.

Hanz happens to be the vice chancellor of the University of Cebu, thus is close to one of the former CIPC directors Augusto Go.

I suspect that Councilor Abella knows the real score but was too polite to call for the resigned members of the board to reveal it to the council.

Now, granting without admitting that the mayor refused to release financial assistance to the CIPC, I humbly submit it is still within the power of the chief executive to release or not the amount. It is an executive function and that should be respected.

In the same manner, the city council should revoke its ordinance that prevents the mayor from negotiating, marketing and selling the South Road Properties (SRP) because it is owned by the people. As a matter of fact, the people are still paying off the loan that was taken to finance the establishment of the SRP.

The mayor is in a better position to negotiate, market and sell the SRP because he has the mandate and is accountable to the people. The council has the power to review and ratify any agreement. That arrangement is enshrined in our laws and jurisprudence and it must be respected by all.

Preventing the mayor from leading the negotiation for the sale of SRP lots in a way prevents the people from enjoying the fruits of the SRP. The council is insulting the intelligence of the people.

I think it is the right of the people to be properly represented by their mayor. After all, he has no track record of making money through commissions in the sale of the SRP.

* * *

I think Pope Francis is correct when he said that people who are considered sinners by Catholics should be allowed to enter the Church. The Gospel two Sundays ago was about the prodigal son whose father celebrated his return after years of waiting for the son who had left home and squandered his inheritance on women, gambling and drinking. The father was so elated to get his youngest son bank but disturbed his elder son, who complained about unfair treatment.

The elder brother was the one had stayed home with the father. Yet he never got so much as a goat or a celebration party from his father.

In that controversial interview Pope Francis gave to a magazine, he said the church should be more compassionate and lead homosexuals, abortionists and same-sex marriage advocates back to the Church.

I think we should pay more attention to sinners who need our help, than to those who go to daily Mass.

We shouldn’t give up on them. Now I understand the point of Pope Francis in reminding the Church of its role in the world: Not to condemn sinners but to bring them to the church to help them.