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Politicking at Tagbilaran City Hall

By Jorge Cabalit
Bohol Chronicle


Some casual employees of the City Government complained that they were directed to secure the signatures of at least 20 registered voters in their localities. The act of compelling these casual employees to get the signatures of at least 20 registered voters is a violation of the Omnibus Election Code and the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees.

Until now, the committee on appropriation and accounts and personnel and reorganization of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Tagbilaran, tasked to investigate these complaints, have not come out with the results of their investigation.

The gathering of signatures by every casual employee will mean thousands of signatures of registered voters in the hands of the Office of the City Mayor. These signatures can easily be copied during the voting on election day. The gathering of some signatures would lend support to the allegations that some signatures of the voters in the ballots in the previous election were done by one or two persons.

The officials and employees causing the gathering of these signatures are degrading the Office of the City Mayor.

* * * * *

The Barangay of Cabawan has been neglected by the present city administration. The sad state of the barangay hall is a testament of the neglect of the barangay. Comparing the state of the barangay hall, we would lament the fact that the City Government has constructed a new City Government Center to the chagrin of the barangay folk of Cabawan. Blame it on politics. The barangay captain of Cabawan does not belong to the political camp of the city mayor.

Too much politics is destroying the city government. No city government employees can be promoted unless they promise some favors to the city mayor. Persons staying at government lands are threatened by the city mayor with ejection unless they support the political camp of the city mayor. - 2004 Column Archive

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