By Butch Bagabuyo

SO, the city council has allowed the city mayor to accept new applicants for the use of the 2nd floor of the Carmen market on the ground that the present occupant is deemed to have violated the terms and conditions of the contract with the city government.

I am not a bar topnotcher nor would I ever pretend to be one. Neither is anyone there in the city council. But I got a grade of 85.25 in the Bar exams plus more than 30 years of continuing and unceasing litigation work. It is, therefore, my sincerest hope and prayer that this announcement by the city council is not true because it would make, as far as this writer is concerned, all the lawyers of the Padayon Pilipino either stupid or coward (I refrained from using the phrase “they have no balls” for obvious reasons) to tell their boss, whoever he/she/it may be that there is no vacancy in the 2nd floor of the Carmen market, the alleged violation of the terms and conditions notwithstanding.

All the lawyers in the city council ought to know that ours is a government of laws and not of women, men or gay, and shortcuts are taboo in a democratic country. Neither the city mayor nor the city council owns the city. Both the city mayor and the city council are only the servants of the people regardless of how the psychopants address their boss and his, her, its gender (with a high-five and a raised eyebrow, hmmm!).

Go to court, stupid! Wa ka kyapi!

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I’m totally ignorant on whether or not the members of the Padayon Pilipino really know by heart that the Philippines is a country of laws and not of women, men or even gay. How I wish God created Adam, Eve, Vicenta and/or Benji! Hehehe!

And now that President Obama of the US of A has already declared that America is open to marriage of the same sex, it is this writer’s humble submission that it has become a must for every government functionary to honestly declare under oath his/her/its gender if only to ensure that media, women, men and gay, be shielded from being accused of gender bias which is common now a days.

I have no doubt whatsoever that Gov. Oca Moreno is a he. But honestly, I do not know nor am I willing to second guess the gender of the mayor of the City of Cagayan de Oro for lack of evidence on the matter, no more no less! Remember, we should never judge a book by its cover. Right, sir, madam or whatever?

As an ordinary citizen, I am duty bound to love all our city officials, so much so that I don’t want anyone of them to be afflicted with cancer caused by incessant smoking even on public places or going to jail for not following the laws of our country on smoking on public places.

Smoking is dangerous to one’s health. No doubt about it. According to science, it causes cancer. As a Christian, I am deeply troubled that no one seems to care for the welfare of our one and only Mayor Dongkoy Emano. I am sure his half-brother, Dr. Emano, a well-respected medical practitioner with oozing charisma, knows that at the rate the mayor smokes daily even in public places, he might be trying to kill himself. And I would not be surprised if some in the opposition, those who are afflicted with wrong religiousity, would be doing a novena on bended knees all the way to the altar and begging that the mayor continually disregard the law against smoking in public places. (Joke, joke, joke!)

But is the mayor really hopelessly hard-headed that he/she/it would not even listen to his/her/its loved ones? Or does it mean that no one really cares? I doubt it! By the way, has anyone already stated as a matter of fact, with factual and/or documentary evidence, Mayor Emano’s gender? Hmmm!

I was shocked when Anderson Cooper of CNN admitted that he is a she or is it gay? Which is which? Please help this writer! No malice intended; in fact, honor is protected, it being sublime!

(Butch Z. Bagabuyo is a former senior state prosecutor. The views of the writer are exclusively his own. Text/call 0918-803-0197 or e-mail to bagabuyos@yahoo.com)