BY ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
BACOLOD City’s Mayor Albee Benitez (BCGC) is under a state of “communication shambles”.
He was forced to make certain clarifications-slash-corrections on some “off-key” pronouncements. Quite taxing, really!
Mayor Albee, on Nov. 29, declared he’ll be the “spokesman” for his administration.
Such a declaration spelled varied interpretations.
“It shows that the mayor has completely ‘no trust’ with the communications people surrounding him,” theorized by a Political Science professor.
Acting as spokesman for himself and his administration is a tedious job for a chief executive of a controversy-ridden highly-urbanized city like Bacolod. But if this is the way to avoid future information glitches, then such could be obliging for the greenhorn mayor.
Just a throwback, before reaching his first 100 days in office Mayor Albee’s administration was rocked by communication mix-ups. Such were highlighted by three instances – “AstraZenica brouhaha”, “figures troubles” on the remaining city budget, and the Al – Junji strife over the worsening traffic in the city.
Even the exit of city information officer Agnes Lira-Jundos – for still unclear reasons – is a mystery.
Here are the recent notable “off-keys” in the city mayor’s public relations (PR) piano.
OFF-KEY NO. 1
On Nov. 18 he declared that around 1,500 job order (JO) workers sans appointments will receive nothing from the city.
“If you aren’t officially appointed for a three-month period, we will now consider you volunteers…do not expect to be paid,” the mayor said, referring to his “new found” supporters-turned-undocumented JO workers.
Such a statement was a javelin that pierced the workers’ hearts. Local political analysts perceived such as an “indirect political suicide” pronouncement.
Thus, on Nov. 28, a “contrast” happened. City Administrator Pacifico Maghari III announced: “We are now reviewing what’s left of the city government’s budget that can be used to pay volunteers who actually worked.”
OFF-KEY NO. 2
The City Public Information Office, on Nov. 19, via BCD PIO Facebook (FB) account, issued a press release regarding employees’ extra-bonus this December.
“Employees – regular, casual and retirable – will receive a minimum of P47,517 to a maximum of P148,891 before the year ends,” a portion of the press release read.
It sounded great, thus “ginpatihan…ginlauman”.
But wait, there was confusion highlighting the so-called “percent error calculation”.
Extra-bonus ain’t computed via percentage formula. It’s given in a uniform amount regardless of the worker’s salary grade/position. Thus, a clarification followed.
OFF-KEY NO. 3
Atty. Bong Dilag is “spokesman no more”.
On Tuesday, Nov. 29, per Secretary to the Mayor (STTM) Joseph Chiu, Atty. Bong already tendered his resignation as executive assistant/spokesman.
Atty. Bong, Chiu added, cited health reasons as basis for his “unexpected resignation”.
But why Chiu and not Atty. Bong broke the news? Where’s Atty. Bong?
Quite intriguing that the spokesman could not verbalize his very own resignation.
Now, there’s a “darkest cloud” enveloping his resignation.
Agnes’ and Atty. Bong’s puzzling disembarkation from Mayor Albee’s political ship indicates a PR crisis. Both were in-charge of the mayor’s publicity and promotion.
The mayor now acting as spokesman for himself reminds me of a statement from American author and activist Glennon Doyle: “Be messy and complicated and afraid and show up anyway.”/PN
