Bogo mayor clarifies ‘where is the provincial government?’ rant

Local

BOGO City Mayor Mayel Martinez has broken her silence over the online furor surrounding her earlier remarks on the provincial government’s earthquake response.

She clarified that her question was misunderstood and taken out of context.

“There is a huge difference between ‘Where is the Provincial Government?’ and ‘Where is the Governor?’ Go figure,” Martinez said on Thursday, Oct. 9.

In a Facebook post, the mayor explained that her statement referred to the institutional presence of the provincial government’s response teams on the ground, not to the absence of Governor Pamela Baricuatro herself.

“Karon adlawa ra gani mi giari sa PSWDO kay pagtawag namo sa iya that time ningon man nga niattend pa ug lubong. Naa ni screenshot ha ug gusto gyud mo ug proof,” she said. “Wala sad guy ni tim-aw nga PDRRMO diri on the ground.”

Martinez said it was only days after the disaster that the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) came to Bogo to gather data.

“Again, today nalang sad niari kay mangayo ug data. If they were present, di na ta sila need mangayo pa ug data because naa na unta sila ani,” she added.

She stressed that what the city needed at the height of the emergency were “skilled people with expertise in disaster response,” not simply aid teams.

“What we needed then were skilled people with expertise in disaster response para makatabang sa ICS (Incident Command System),” she said.

According to Martinez, the controversy began after Board Member Celestino “Tining” Martinez III’s privileged speech, where he asked, “Where is the provincial government?”

She said critics deliberately twisted the meaning of the question to attack them politically.

“Thus, the question, ‘Where is the provincial GOVERNMENT?’ Pero ang pagsabot nila kay ang pangutana, ‘Where was the Governor?’ Sayop ang pagsabot sa rhetorical question. Wrong construction, thus wrong answer,” the mayor said.

“But since it suits their narrative, mao ilahang sigehan ug pagawas sa media ron,” she added.

Martinez said she initially opted not to respond, but decided to clarify the issue after continued criticism. “Di naman ta ko mutingog but then again, di man sad sila moundang so again, giklaro lang nako,” she said.

She also urged the public to understand the context before drawing conclusions.

“Saba ang pangutana mga Besh para masakto ug di ma simang ang tubag, palihug,” she said, ending her post by thanking Rep. Duke Frasco for his support: “Thank you Cong. Duke Frasco for standing by and with us.”

Cebu 5th District Representative Duke Frasco earlier expressed support for Board Member Martinez and the people of Bogo City, commending them for “speaking the truth” about what he described as the “failure of leadership of the Provincial Government.”

“For choosing to speak the truth, Board Member Tining is now being bullied and attacked on social media by the usual mouthpieces and trolls of his subject,” Frasco said in a statement.

“Whenever one speaks up against the current Provincial leadership, the usual response is not to address the substance of the valid concerns, but to unleash personal attacks meant to intimidate and silence those who dare to tell the truth,” he added.

Frasco said the Capitol’s critics are often discredited instead of being engaged in factual discussion.

“This modus has become predictable: discredit, distract, and destroy anyone who dares to expose incompetence or demand accountability,” he said.

He warned that critics are “mocked and bullied” online to discourage others from speaking out.

“The truth should never bend to bullying nor be concealed at the cost of more people suffering. No amount of noise can silence those who speak for the people and stand for what is right,” Frasco said.

The issue stemmed from Board Member Tining Martinez’s privilege speech during the Provincial Board’s regular session on October 6, where he questioned the provincial government’s relief and recovery coordination nearly a week after the deadly earthquake.

“So, here now I must ask, where is the provincial government? What is happening?” he said.

Martinez, who represents quake-hit Bogo City, pointed out that while rescuers and volunteers worked tirelessly, local officials struggled to communicate with the Capitol.

He added that relief goods reportedly distributed directly to barangays without city coordination caused confusion on the ground.

“What is the plan moving forward? Where are we with our coordination with the LGUs? And if not, why?” he asked.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck northern Cebu on September 30 killed at least 70 people and injured nearly 600 others.

Bogo was among the hardest hit areas, with widespread structural damage and displaced residents still seeking assistance.(TGP)