It was just before 2:00 p.m. last Monday when I arrived at the City Hall for the City Council session. We in the media were invited as resource persons regarding the body’s investigation on the alleged conflict of interest supposedly committed by Dexter See of Herald Express. Leading the charge was Councilor Jose Molintas. He came prepared as expected of a veteran practicing lawyer. Well, am sure all the councilors would be well prepared whenever they are leading an investigation, but there is always that advantage of a seasoned practicing lawyer.
Dexter See came up with a plausible defense. Well, anybody with common sense knows what a conflict of interest is when he sees one. And he was up against a seasoned lawyer, as all the other councilor lawyers are. They know what credible pieces of evidence are. As what the vice mayor emphasized, “we were not born yesterday.”
There might soon be talk of being caught in a political cross-fire but the charging councilors saw a vulnerable spot and they went for it hard. That spot should have been taken care of in the first place. Sadly, it was not.
There is what is called prudence or caution being the better part of valor.
We live in interesting times. Let us see who will blink. The charging councilors or Dexter See and the Herald Express.
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I can vouch for what Vice Mayor Olowan said about his being fair to the media. But, APO VICE MAYOR, good intentions can be sabotaged somewhere.
On his way to the front as he is the head of the body, thus, the presiding officer, I asked, “So what’s the plan?” He knew what I was driving at, the coming elections. He said, nothing concrete yet. Did I hear him right?
Another councilor passed by and we shook hands and I asked the same question, “What is the plan?” He said, I will be aligned with Congressman Mark Go” who is presumably running for mayor against the incumbent.
Then I asked, “Who will be his congressman? Former Mayor and Congressman Domogan? Or the wife, Mrs. Go?
The answer, “Nothing final yet.”
The way I see things, if there will be another credible mayoralty candidate against the incumbent, Vice Mayor Olowan might throw his hat also in the ring. That will make it a three-way fight. If that happens, the Vice Mayor will have a good chance.**APP
