MAYORALTY bet 1st District Rep. Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy skipped the candidates' forum, ‘Pag-ila 2022,’ at the Jesuit-run Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan Wednesday afternoon.
Uy followed the move of his son, 1st District congressional bet Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin ‘Kikang’ Uy, who also did not attend the forum organized by the civil society group Lihuk Movement, the Commission on Elections (Comelec), and the National Movement for Free Elections on April 13.
Only two candidates — former Phividec Industrial Authority Administrator Jose Gabriel ‘Pompee’ La Viña and businessman Adonis Ragasi — attended among the eight candidates running for mayor of Cagayan de Oro City.
However, both candidates did not rebut each other on their respective responses to the questions posed. This resulted in an anticlimax to the earlier lively exchange of the vice mayoral bets.
There was no available information at the forum venue as to the whereabouts of the other mayoral candidates or the reason for their absence.
Uy did not give any reason why he was not attending the forum but his staff said the congressman is trying to avoid a verbal confrontation among his rivals.
The absence of Uy thrusts to the forefront the environmental problems related to quarrying as his rivals took advantage of his absence.
First to throw potshots was La Viña’s running mate, Councilor Jocelyn Rodriguez who accused her opponent, Councilor Edna Dahino of destroying the Iponan River.
Environmental problems related to quarrying were brought to the forefront by the opposition candidates against the administration party, One MisOr One CDO.
Cagayan de Oro vice mayoral candidate of the Centrist Democratic Party accused her opponent, Dahino, and two other councilors, of owning quarry concessions along Iponan River, an environmentally critical tributary in Cagayan de Oro.
“How could these public officials be into quarrying destroying the environment,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said the quarry operations have resulted in yearly flash floods that impacted the lives of the residents living at the banks of the Iponan River.
“Their quarry operations have so degraded the river that its water is always brown all year round,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said that if she wins, she would impose a total ban on quarrying operations in the Iponan River.
La Viña said quarrying destroyed the watersheds along the Iponan River and resulted in the yearly flooding of the lowlands.
“Illegal quarrying should be stopped immediately,” he said.
Dahino did not answer the accusations of Rodriguez but said quarrying operators pay their business taxes and follow the regulations prescribed by government agencies.
She said quarry operations should continue but should be strictly regulated.
“The development of Cagayan de Oro needs these sand and gravel to produce cement to build our city,” Dahino said. (With reports from Pat Jared V. Pangantihon)
