Axes

Serious but unsubstantiated accusations have been made recently by Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo against Ateneo de Naga University in the course of his resignation as member of the university's Board of Trustees.

In his letter addressed to the Chairman of the Board, Atty. Monico Jacob, Mayor Robredo wrote that the reason for his resignation was he "believe[d] the University ha[d] allowed itself to be used by certain parties who have an axe to grind against [him] and [his] administration." Prompted by this belief, Mayor Robredo said that "[he] cannot continue serving a University that has failed to uphold the values of truth, integrity and fairness."

It is worth recalling that the Ateneo de Naga University has taken a critical stand against Mayor Robredo's administration owing to the policies and views of the latter regarding the celebration of the Peñafrancia Fiesta. This stance of the University stemmed from its response to the call of Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi of Caceres for a communal discernment on the appropriate manner of celebrating the devotion to INA, which had been noticeably exploited for commercial gains by various sectors. Among them, the City government.

Quite apparently, the popular Naga City mayor had taken much exception to the critiques emanating from the said university-criticisms which now include the lack of real transparency in the City government's operations, its adherence to patronage politics, and its hoarding of power-that he tendered his resignation from the Board.

Of course, resigning from Board membership is Mayor Robredo's prerogative; in fact, it is arguable that judging from his absence from their meetings for almost the last two years (as evinced by the minutes of the Board's meetings) he has de facto ceased to be a Board member. But to cast aspersions on an institution and its personnel without substantiation in order to justify one's resignation is beyond anyone's prerogative. It reeks of arrogance.  It courts possible "trouble in court" even.

In the said resignation letter, Mayor Robredo alleged that the University personalities who organized the University's Regional Convention on Decoding Philippine Politics "ha[ve] unfairly focused on the city government, with the intention of casting it in a bad light." As proof of this allegation, he offers the program of the said regional convention but elaborates no further regarding the warrant of his supposed "evidence." The program containing the lectures during the convention is proof enough, the mayor seems to say, that University personnel intended to cast the city government "in a bad light."

A terribly troubling and unsubstantiated accusation hurled by Mayor Robredo was that he and his administration "had been demonized" in the classes held at the University. Not only did he not identify which classes in the University were these, which as a consequence, indicted every class held there; but neither did he name the supposed "concerned Ateneo faculty and students" who asked him why he was being "demonized," which effectively rendered his accusation as one based on hearsay.

More damning yet was the mayor's allegation-again unsubstantiated-that "[m]alicious lies have been spread by the same personalities such as my alleged plan to perpetuate myself in power --by fielding my wife for the mayoralty race in Naga." Mayor Robredo never mentioned when, where, and how the spreading of the alleged "malicious lies" took place, but simply asserted this to have occurred and that it is to be accepted as true by Chairman Jacob, by the Board members, and since his letter has been made public, by everyone. Without any proofs and supporting evidences, Mayor Robredo undertook to defame Ateneo de Naga University and its personnel who are known to be critical of his administration.

Many a traditional politician or trapo remain demagogues and drunk with power that any criticism directed to them would only be viewed as axes being ground against them. Many a trapo scoff at discussions of public policy which often imperil their vested interests. Many a trapo ignore critical engagements with citizens who are not beholden to them.

Of late, Mayor Robredo has been no different from them.