My response to the DILG letter

Leopoldo Pol Gravador

Dept. of Interior and Local Gov't

Dumaguete City

Dear Mr. Gravador:

Please allow me to clarify.

First. When I write my opinion and my thoughts, those are merely what they are--- an ordinary citizen’s opinion. I pay my taxes to the government. These taxes go to salaries of government officials like you. So I sincerely believe I have earned the right to comment on the affairs of state.

Second. When I write my thoughts and opinion and argue and debate, I do not look into the personalities and the people who advance contrary opinions or arguments. I only look at the substance of the arguments.

Third. You have an impeccable set of credentials and I believe you are probably one of the most qualified officials in the DILG. Your son Waldemar too (who is a very good friend), has such sterling resume that easily qualifies him certainly to be congressman, senator and even president of the republic one day. And that would be a good thing. But you and your son’s credentials are not the issue. The issue I raised was that the opinion that the ex officio hold over membership in the sanggunian by the liga president is elective, runs afoul to the constitutional principle that sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them. To me, such an opinion is like a square peg placed on a round hole. To me, it doesn’t fit. To me, it’s incongruous.

Fourth. Nobody ever said or published that you could be liable as co-conspirator. I think it would be too presumptuous for you to claim you are the sole and only DILG officer in the land.

Fifth. I am flattered that you read my blog. For the longest time, I thought only two people read them--- me and my wife. Unfortunately, you misquoted me (wittingly or unwittingly). I never wrote “people from city hall helped draft the opinion of the DILG Operations Officer.”
My blog states: “Personally I can't even rule out the possibility that people from city hall "helped" draft the opinion of the DILG operations officer.” (You subtracted my sentence making out a whole different meaning)
What I blogged was that I cannot remove the lingering disturbances from my mind about the possibility that people from city hall "helped" draft the opinion of the DILG operations officer.”
It is a possibility that still occupies my mind to this day. I laid the basis for my suspicions in my blog. (By the way, not to advertise but for those who care, my blog is at http://jaydejaresco.blogspot.com)
So I never made any accusatory statement.
As you can see, your mis-quote and what was actually published and written are worlds apart. So there is really no basis to feel insulted.
Whether you deliberately mis-quoted me in your letter or not, only you and God know.

Sixth. I agree with you that knowledge of the law is not the monopoly of lawyers. The fact that it was your opinion (and not the DILG region’s) that was published speaks volumes of how highly regarded your opinions are by the Negros Chronicle. It’s just that other people have a contrary opinion.

Finally. Please rest assured that my contrary opinion to yours is not an indictment of your other past opinions and your highly regarded credentials.

Thank you and more power.

Jay Dejaresco