Mayor hits critics for "zigzag governance"

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said his proactive, participatory and people-oriented governance and his open door policy in the city government should not be branded as “zigzag governance” by those who have no first-hand experience of administering the various affairs of the local government.

            

“We strictly adhered to the prescribed rules and procedures of the bureaucracy in our more than two decades in public service and the people of Baguio as well as our visitors are fully aware of our brand and style of leadership, thus, it is unfair for our neophyte rivals to claim that we had been practicing zigzag governance,” Domogan said,

The mayor added he should not been a recipient of the prestigious Lingkod Bayan award being given by the Civil Service Commission if he had been practicing zigzag governance.

            

He added, the city government should not had been given numerous citations and recognitions if local officials and employees did not follow the prescribed rules, regulations and procedures in the discharge of their respective functions as public servants.

            

“We pity our rivals because they talk a lot as if they are the most perfect individuals in our city today but it seems what they are saying are in contrast with their actuations, thus, the people of Baguio should be aware of a grand design of purported public servants just to put us down,” the local chief executive said.

The city’s electorate, especially the young ones, he added, should scrutinize private and public lives of those presenting themselves for elective positions and they will see for themselves the reality of the people aspiring to serve them.

           

According to him, governance could be likened to a road where one must perfectly negotiate the curves and if he fails to do so, he will surely encounter accidents that would inflict injuries to himself and others that are affected.

            

“In public service, we have to follow the prescribed rules without deviating from them so how can people or our critics claim that we had been practicing zigzag governance,” Domogan said.

He added motherhood statements of his rivals are  designed to mislead the city’s electorate into believing all what they are alleging just for them to be elected into office and deprive the people of Baguio the service that they deserve from seasoned, tried and tested public servants.

          

“Empty cans always create a lot of noise,” was Domogan’s description on those who continue to discredit his over two decades of dedicated service to the people of Baguio as he appealed to the people to intelligently scrutinize the values and behavior of all those aspiring for elective positions in the city so that they will be guided once they go to their respective precincts and cast their votes on Monday, May 13, 2013.

            

Considering that the election of new set of public officials is part of the exercise of democracy, Domogan said he respects the views of the people on how they had been administering the affairs of the city but to lie about it just to gain sympathy should not be tolerated by the people because those who are lying have no place in the field of public service as they stand to be practitioners of zigzag governance.

            

“Those pointing an accusing finger against us are not aware that their three fingers are pointing at them, Domogan said, claiming that it is easy to accuse a person but it is difficult for them to prove such allegations.