someone in Talisay City loves me

I just hung up the phone after several minutes of talking to our mayor. He called to ask if I wanted some news. Wow! But not really. Alright he gave one “news,” the ones we normally call “laway-laway” or PR's. You think he is good, think again!

The moment our editor announced that this mayor was calling me I was like, “not again!” Okay, I was mean but let’s see who’s meaner.

I already interviewed him (via phone) before he called me up. Had I a choice I would not have wanted to ask for his side. That would not be fair, our ed said (he was really right). But I don’t really like talking to him. First, he gives us sermons (he’s a very well-known Catholic faith defender) every time we come to him for his reactions on certain issues, if not he feeds us PR’s (that is fine but only during “rainy days”), and he never fails to “remind” me (and to tell the people around) of the past stories I wrote which he undyingly believes were fabricated (media people don’t expect to get congratulations from politicians, whom they just exposed for their bad deals). Because of these three especially the last, I always try my damnedest best not to interview him even if he becomes my only hope, what for? I’ve got other sources of news.

But, tonight as luck would have it, I was forced to contact him to get his side of the story where his son was involved.

The story…his son was seen more than once driving the city’s new ambulance. This son even parked (according to reliable sources) it in a barangay (of that same city), which is known for its popular merchandise, shabu. This mayor’s son is also known for his being a shabu user (to put it simply).

And since this son could not be reached as he was still in that ambulance I got the mayor’s side in his stead. He said he ordered his son to have the vehicle road-tested. But when I inquired from the department assigned to take care of it I was told that the ambulance, which arrived several days ago, has long been road-tested. Hmm…

Yes, it’s very evident the mayor was tying to hide what his son was doing. He had done it before several times and I even wrote each one of it to his disgust.

So after my call I wrote the story. But minutes later he called me up, and there…after telling me about his PR he started his one-sided talk. That my story should not be published because it would implicate him. That I was hired by the Gullases (TF bigwigs) to destroy him. What?!!!

Firstly, the Gullases do not personally handpick the employees for their paper or for any of their companies. Secondly, these people he mentioned are the ones who put him to where he is now so why in heaven would they “destroy” someone that belongs in their camp. Lastly, I may not like him but I have no grudge against him (and how could a small-time reporter like me destroy someone as big as he is, hello mayor!).

I knew the story would implicate him, but it was not my intention. Well, his trying to cover what his son was doing, would certainly made an effect on his person, too. He chose to give his son, a sure pain in his ass, a free rein in the city hall and if he goes into a wrong direction he always comes to the rescue. That would have been alright had he not been the city's dad!

The one-sided talk, which lasted for almost 30 minutes (that was his load anyway…I mean the city’s. NOOO!), was all drama! He was berrating me for the story he had not read as it had to come out the next day (tomorrow). He might have gotten the impression that it would definitely "kill" him. And the "culprit" is me, again!

He told me I was never been a fair reporter, a subjective reporter I was, he said. Okay that is your opinion mayor, I told him. But nah, I was close to pressing the end call button of the phone.

He said he was just "saddened" by my story but he was already fuming mad while saying so many things against me. Might as well sue him. But no, I understand that politicians don't actually have balls.

And here's the excerpt of that conversation...

Mayor: "There's no story in that."
Me: "Well, he was seen parking the ambulance in barangay Tanke."
Mayor: "Lies! There are so many people who are trying to put me down. And you are one of them!"
Me: "Of course not mayor."
Mayor: "You always fabricate your stories!!!"
Me: "That's your opinion mayor."
Mayor: "I know the Gullas hired you to destroy me!"
Me: "I don't think so mayor." (ano 'ko powerful!)
Mayor: "Asa kaha kang espirituha dapita."
Me: "Ok." (ngek!) "Uhm, mayor, I will write that story (the PR) some other time."
Mayor: "You can also write that story (the cause of his ire) if you like!"
Me: "I already did!" (but I did not tell him that.)
*click

Shit!