Arrogance



Heavily armed security guards of the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) gestures for members of the Iloilo media to get out of the building and blocked them from accompanying Atty. Gerry Sumaculub, chief sheriff, to serve the temporary restraining order Wednesday afternoon.  (Photo by Tara Yap)


By Francis Allan L. Angelo
The Daily Guardian/November 25, 2010
YESTERDAY’S display of arrogance by the management of Metro Iloilo Water District towards legitimate media practitioners is an insult to democracy and a big slap on the Aquino administration which acknowledges the public as its boss.



TDG photographer-reporter Tara Yap, Bombo Radyo’s John Talento, Aksyon Radyo’s Febe Morales, and ABS-CBN’s John Mark Guda with cameraman Stephen Somcio were there to gather news, not to oust any director or manager of MIWD.

Preventing them from documenting the service of a court order smacks of conceit and contravenes the policy of transparency that we expect from public entities like MIWD.

It seems that the management team headed by Engr. Le Jayme Jalbuena is suffering from double standard of public service.

Last week, the management team worked overtime on a holiday to invite the media and announce the ouster of the MIWD board of directors and the installation of an interim board.

Only the members of the Javelosa-led board were barred from entering the MIWD premises which was built using public funds.

After the court overturned the ouster of the Javelosa board, the MIWD management suddenly became reclusive and refused to let the media get inside their office.

Maybe Jalbuena thinks that his office is the extension of his home.

I’m sorry, sir, because the comfortable swivel chair you’re sitting on and the air-conditioning system that keeps you cool were bought using public funds. Ditto with your salaries and benefits.

The act of the MIWD management to bar the media from entering their office to cover a significant event that affects public welfare only shows what kind of public servants they are.

The management team violated the constitutional right of the people to information and the freedom of the press.

The management also violated civil service rules on transparent governance and faithful service to their employers – the public.

We don’t mind if you require us to register or wear visitor’s ID when we enter your premises. After all, we will not shirk from security measures you impose because we are not terrorists. We are journalists.

But to prevent us from entering a government office so we can gather information for public consumption is like martial rule. Are the Ampatuans already in MIWD?

The action of the MIWD management trampled our right to know what is happening in government offices and the conduct of civil servants who fatten themselves with public funds.

This incident should solidify the ranks of the Iloilo media lest it will happen again with impunity.

We call on the Civil Service Commission and the Commission on Human Rights to look into this matter and impose disciplinary actions on people responsible for this brouhaha.

President Aquino said in his inaugural speech: “Kayo ang boss ko (You are my boss).”

I wonder if MIWD managers think of themselves as gods.