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Mayor Leo Mendoza of San Andres, Catanduanes, is in hot water for threatening an employee of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) following an altercation inside the port agency office on Saturday.
On the viral video recorded by an individual that was sent to DAILY TRIBUNE, Mendoza could be heard shouting at a port security guard, “Kapag pinigilan mo ako, may mangyayari sa iyo (If you stop me, something will happen to you).”
Although the mayor was not seen in the video, the source identified the raging individual as Mendoza.
The mayor then asked the guard where he lived, to which the guard replied that he was not a resident of the area.
“Respestuhin mo ako, ako ang mayor dito. Sa local government pa rin ito (Respect me, I am the mayor here and this belongs to the local government),” he said.
In an interview with local media, the mayor insisted he did not threaten the guard or challenge him to a fight.
The altercation started after the mayor was not allowed entry to the San Andres Port where he is putting up a building for his business.
The PPA-Port Management Bicol responded, saying the mayor could not show proof the piece of land he wanted to occupy was owned by the local government.
With the brewing trouble, the PPA augmented its security force as of Tuesday.
Raffy Ayeng
Public information officers in state agencies hold great sway over their bosses, with some engaging in power plays to show one and all that they have their superiors on a leash and not the other way around.
One such PIO has been stopping newsmen from going directly to the boss by reminding them that they should first get a clearance from his office for an interview.
The presumptuous underling has made all interviews subject to his review and clearance, granting unto himself immense power and influence. Journalists, in turn, are incredulous as this is the first time the agency has required a clearance to interview its officials, thereby hindering the daily performance of their jobs of gathering news.
The former heads of the agency were very warm toward journalists since they knew the importance of transparency and the reporters’ right to information.
Another PIO chief had the gall to ask a journalist if he wanted to be paid for writing an article on his boss.
The surprised reporter retorted, “I am here for the story not for the money.”
But a minion of the PIO chief again asked the journalist, claiming the grease money was a suggestion by her boss.
To his credit, the media man rejected it and replied in a loud voice, “What are you saying? Why should you pay? Tell your boss that I am not here to be paid. I am here to get details for the article I need to write.”
These people should learn that being in the PR business is not about paying off people, lest their bosses get a raw deal due to their wrong handling.
Alvin Murcia
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