Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Friday attributed the reported rowdy behavior of San Juan residents during the city’s “Wattah, Wattah” festival to the “failure of leadership.”
“As a former Mayor who conceptualized, organized, and arranged the San Juan Fiesta, I am truly saddened that it has returned to its former chaotic state, with participants lacking discipline. San Juaneños are not like this,” Ejercito said in a statement.
“Perhaps there was a lack of preparation and reminders. Before, I personally had those who caused disturbances and sprayed water on people going to work arrested. The spirit of the San Juan Fiesta has been wasted. This is a failure of leadership,” he added.
The city’s festival was heavily criticized after some of the festival’s participants were seen throwing pails of water at commuters and motorists.
In a viral video on social media, a group of participants were seen stopping vehicles to spray water at the commuters, who were visibly wearing school uniforms and office attires.
Sabotage?
Ejercito refuted San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora’s allegation that “outsiders” may have a hand in the chaotic turn of events during the festival.
“[It was a] product of his imagination to cover up for the lapses of his leadership. Who would even sabotage it? Nobody in his right mind will sabotage fiesta much more their own kababayans,” he said.
He urged the local chief executive to “stop looking for others to blame” for his supposed failure in the city’s festival.
“It's really a failure. Looking for others to blame to cover up. That's laughable; no one in San Juan would believe that,” the senator said.
According to Ejercito, who served as the Mayor of San Juan for three consecutive terms from 2001 to 2010, the conduct of the festival under his administration was orderly.
“Under my administration and Mayor Guia’s, there were hardly any incidents during the fiesta. Everything was under control. It was only now that there was trouble again,” he stressed.
He noted that during his term as the city mayor, rules and parameters to prevent the chaotic water dousing tradition were established.
“We limited the time and prohibited dousing passersby and those going to work,” he said.
“We created a unique theme, songs, dances, and identity for the Fiesta to make it more organized, enjoyable, and most importantly, free from chaos,” he added.