An offer she
could not refuse

One cannot blame the mayors of cities all over the country for being alarmed. Not only alarmed, but one can even say they are grieving, the way they have decided to wear black armbands while airing their objection. The conversion last year of no less than 16 towns into cities was already cause for apprehension, since it has affected the amount of internal revenue allocation, or IRA, they are supposed to receive this year. As the acting governor said it, Negros Occidental alone stands to lose some P500 million, which is the amount to be lopped off from the shares of its cities.

* * *

The entry of 16 more was worrisome enough, but now the chief executives of all cities are threatened with the impending conversion of 27 more towns into IRA-sharing cities, too! How much more will that cut from the already reduced shares of the old cities? But Congress does not seem to have realized the implications of its rat-tat-tat approval of bills. Maybe some congressmen or women just wanted to have a landmark bill filed, and become the hero of the aspiring towns. That is why they are cutting corners in deliberating over House Bill No. 24.

* * *

We call it cutting corners because all the previously existing cities had to work hard to earn their cityhood. They had to comply with the constitutional requirements of having an annual income of at least P100,000 million, population of 150,000 and land area of 100 square kilometers. These are also contained in Republic Act 9009, which the proponents of HB 24 want to amend. And the amendment would give cities to all provinces without one, or convert any provincial capital which is only a municipality into a city. I hear, though, that Congress is now willing to re-study HB 24, so existing cities will not have to fly flags at half-mast or wear black armbands anymore.

* * *

Malacañang has preempted any gossip that may come out about the President's stay in Dubai by announcing that, although President Arroyo stayed in the Burj al-Arab Hotel, reputed to be the best in the world, and in a $15,000 a day suite, the Philippines did not have to pay a single centavo for it. He said this is because the Emir of Dubai himself footed the bill. Well, I can believe that, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye must be telling the truth this time because that is supposed to be the tradition among Middle East countries. I understand that the host would be slighted if his hospitality is not accepted.

* * *

During a state visit of the President to Kuwait sometime in the 1990s we media people found ourselves met at the airport by the Press official of the Kuwaiti government and whisked off to a classy hotel. We huddled with each other, whispering that there was no way we could afford the rates that we saw in their elegant brochures. The official must have noticed, because he promptly explained that we were guests of His Majesty and he would be insulted if we refused his hospitality. After another huddle, we decided to accept His Majesty's hospitality, while heaving sighs of relief that we would not have to use up our meager dollars.

* * *

Later another official came to tell us that we could order our meals and whatever we need, still with the compliments of His Majesty. The boys joked that they may order beer, but that got a frown from our patron. Indeed, I noted that during the “Happy Hour” in the hotel restaurant, all the men were drinking only what looked like orange juice. Well, the girls had simple needs, what they quickly took advantage of only were the laundry services that we didn't dare avail of in the other hotels. Later, we heard from other media persons who had covered state visits in other Middle East Countries that they even had gifts from the Emirs when they left. Gifts of jewelry they could not refuse, you know, at the risk of offending His Majesty. Alas, our batch was not so lucky, but at least, we left with clean laundry.

* * *

One can only sympathize with the new Comelec Chairman who surely has a very big job cut out for him. But people associated with Malacañang seem to have high hopes reposed in Chairman Jose Melo. Even Vice President Noli de Castro almost ran out of clichés to praise him, calling him “a breath of fresh air”, “a shot in the arm”, who with “his unblemished record” will “take the helm” of the Commission on Election.*

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