UNDOC’s protest

Yesterday, the United Negros Drivers and Operators Center (UNDOC) pushed through with their protest caravan in the city despite appeals from the city mayor to defer their action until Sunday or Friday.

UNDOC Secretary general Diego Malacad refused to defer the rally claiming that it could contravene his announcement that the UNDOC was going to rally yesterday.

“It will not solve anything,” was his retort as he walked out of a meeting with several transport organizations such as FEBACDA headed by Beth Katalbas.

Anyway, the meeting started off with Mayor Monico Puentevella acknowledging that the extension by 30 days of the traffic experiment was his “Aux Fault” if any.

The implementers were headed by BTAO Reynaldo Ebreo.

Katalbas pointed out that her entire group will not participate in the protest as she accepted the explanation by City Legal Officer Rayfrando Diaz that what had been submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan is still subject to revision and final examination by the group that he had created.

“I have already the draft of what transpired during the hearing last week and recorded meticulously what were objected to and accepted by the various transport groups,” said Atty. Diaz. In short, he added that as soon as he has finally consulted the groups on the final version, he will submit the report to the SP for its approval.

When asked by Mayor Puentevella what would result from the postponement for a few of days of the proposed rally by UNDOC, Malacad said, it would not solve anything since it would retain Ebreo in the saddle. Apparently, he has his eyes trained in Ebreo all the time.

Since he was asked by Monico to explain to the UNDOC members, that it was the mayor who had asked for a temporary deferment of the rally, Malacad stressed that it do not solve anything. “Ebreo will remain still,” he said.

He strode out of the conference hall with two aides.

Several other transport members, including the Villamonte and several other big ones remained, unwilling to participate in the protest. They know that the mayor was still insisting that the 30-day extension period was part of the test-run and that their recommendations would be incorporated in the final versions.

“I must listen to the opinions of all the drivers. He also added that he was prepared to relinquish his position after the protest.”

But the chairman remained impervious. He also added that he is prepared to relinquish his post after the protest.

What sort of riled the mayor was that Malacad has included the problem of the terminal in his protest. But the mayor pointed out that this is covered by a legal contract that the city just could not give the owner his walking papers without risking the possibility of getting himself hailed to court by the Ombudsman.

Malacad also charged he boycotted the hearing conducted by Barangay Captain Noli Villarosa and Councilor Wilson Gamboa because it would be useless since the BTAO had already come up with the recommendation without consulting them.

***

Meanwhile, my attention was caught by the report that the Dumaguete Press walked out on DOE Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla and several other officials of the energy commission.

The reason for the walkout was that local mediamen no longer had the chance to ask questions from the Energy secretary as Manila meadiamen had hogged the microphones.

That’s something that often riles local newsman – they just don’t have the chance to ask questions from national officials during press interviews with national government officials.

That’s not the first time that has happened. The same issue was reportedly reported in Davao City when Mindanao newsmen fumed off their failure to ask President Benigno Aquino III questions about Mindanao’s situation and possible development in the locality. The reason was national mediamen had cornered Aquino on the MT and the LRT issues which they don’t give a damn about.

That always seems to be a common problem between local and Manila newsmen. The national officials should also consider that their visit to the outlying area of the country to mean that the rural folk are just as interested in learning everything about what is happening in the Metropolis.

In the past, I, a national newsman, personally felt aggrieved over the unequal treatment of provincial newsmen.

National officials should first consider that when they visit the provinces, they should first get themselves interviewed by local reporters. Later, they can have all the times with the national media. Which is not true in the case of local newsmen who only have a very limited time with them.

Just food for thought for our national officials.*

back to top