SO, THE mayor of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur who many think could be a potential suspect in the killing of Tres de Mayo, Digos City Barangay Captain Oscar “Dodo” Bucol had once a kind of business relationship with the victim?
According to Mayor Nelson “Tata” Sala of Sta. Cruz, Bucol was once his trusted man at the prime of his operating a franchise of the Small Town Lottery (STL) in the Davao Region. He disclosed this “relationship” during an interview with Davao media where this paper was represented.
The mayor, however, failed to mention what happened to his and Kapitan Bucol’s gambling business relation. There was no mention of any souring of relation or parting of ways in an otherwise lucrative gambling business.
Of course, Mayor Sala was emphatic in saying that he has nothing to do with Bucol’s slay. Well the people of Digos have to give the mayor of their neighboring municipality the benefit of doubt. They’ll just have to wait where the evidence or statements of witnesses will lead the investigation toward.
Personally, however, we think that whatever will be the final outcome of this incident, politics will definitely manage to show its ugly head. Mark our words.
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Is the Davao City Transport Modernization Program a means appropriate and beneficial to the city’s population?
Some say, especially the commuters, it is a well-thought of intervention to help the riding public that are much more in number than those having the luxury of owning private vehicles.
There are, however, some significant numbers who believe that the introduction by the local government of the program and deploying the buses to densely populated destinations will negatively affect those engaged in transport business and those who are presently owning franchises for public utility vehicles like jeeps.
It can be recalled that about a week or so ago, there were those who conducted rallies that included members of known leftist groups, to protest the launching of the transport modernization program.
The protesters claim that other than depriving public utility vehicle franchise owners of their lifeblood, as many will opt to take the free ride offered by the buses of the city government.
Also those who are driving passenger jeeps will suddenly find themselves jobless as the likelihood is that franchise owners will pull out their units for being unprofitable.
Frankly, we do not have any idea whether or not these problems attendant to the transport modernization program have been anticipated by the local government officials, especially those from the executive and legislative departments.
If they have anticipated these problems, have our policymakers readied the mitigating measures to assuage the fears of those who will be affected?
Say, what solution can the city government offer to provide jobs to public utility jeep drivers who will lose their livelihood when the operators will pull out their units from the roads or routes “invaded” by the buses of the city government?
What measure is the city preparing to help PUJ operators pay the amortization of their units acquired through credit? Has the local government conducted dialogues with banks and other financing institutions to prevent immediate unit foreclosures?
Yes, this program by the City Government of Davao will be to the advantage of the much bigger number of commuters compared to those who will suffer as consequence of this development scheme.
But is such major improvement in the delivery of social services to the residents of the city fair enough when measures to improve the lot of those adversely affected are not clearly in place?
