Baguio mourns 2 ex-mayors who steered city thru crises

In a span of six days, Baguio City lost its mayor who dealt with the impact of the 1990 killer earthquake, and another official who rallied residents when the summer capital was gripped by the meningococcemia scare in the early 2000.

Jaime Bugnosen succumbed to a lingering illness on May 9, three days after his 91st birthday. Braulio Yaranon, 90, died of pneumonia on Monday.

Both officials were members of the city council from 1963 to 1967, when Yaranon, a lawyer, was elected vice mayor while Bugnosen, a certified public accountant, served his first term as councilor.

Unseated

Bugnosen was part of the council until 1971 and was reelected as councilor in 1980. He became vice mayor in 1988 and mayor in 1989 when faith healer Ramon Labo Jr. was unseated due to his Australian citizenship.

Bugnosen was mayor when northern Luzon was devastated by the July 16, 1990 earthquake, which killed and injured more than 1,000 residents and tourists.

He led officials, businessmen and members of nongovernment organizations and civic groups in crafting a restoration plan for Baguio.

Political comeback

Yaranon served Baguio as city secretary in 1955 and councilor before he was named regional trial court judge. On his retirement as judge in 2001, he made a political comeback and won as councilor.

At 77, Yaranon, was elected mayor in 2004, defeating reelectionist Bernardo Vergara on a platform of clean government and environment.

He was mayor when an outbreak of what was then an uncommon strain of meningococcemia struck Baguio, killing at least 19 patients and threatening Baguio tourism.

Relentless crusader

He was a relentless crusader, condemning business and public projects that affected the city’s pine tree cover. His term, however, was cut briefly because of his campaign against a street parking contract that was approved by a previous administration.

The Supreme Court suspended Yaranon for a year for committing grave misconduct, oppressive acts and abuse of authority for stopping the operations of a pay-parking company. —KARLSTON LAPNITEN