T Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim yesterday warned city residents that an emerging pattern of harassment will be more harmful to them than to him.  “In their effort to get me, they will not hesitate to make life miserable for the people of Tagbilaran,” the mayor declared yesterday. Lim said that with the elections less than a year away, the efforts to destroy him politically have taken an “ugly turn”. The mayor revealed that this was obvious in the treatment he has been getting from the Commission on Audit (COA). “They seem to get angrier because until this time they have not uncovered anything that would benefit them politically,” he added. Lim said that practically all city expenditures are being subjected to very stringent measures. “It's like saying do not disburse funds or we will file charges against you,” he added.
The mayor said the objective is obviously to prevent him from implementing pro-people projects that would result to more positive response from the people.

Lim however declared that after the noise over the so-called unliquidated cash disbursements, his critics now want to stop his projects. At the same time, the mayor pointed out that the law enforcement agency is practically going after him. “In the previous elections, they alleged wrongdoing with the intelligence fund,” he recalled. The next thing they did was to put a police chief who was not his choice. Last month, Lim said they pulled out all the police officers as they city was preparing for the fiesta. “Obviously, they wanted the peace and order to deteriorate so they will against use it against me,” the mayor lamented. The latest was the raid conducted on Mansasa Barangay Captain Manolo Blanco for his involvement in illegal gambling. “He is willing to face the charges against him in court so I won't touch on that,” the mayor stressed.

However, Lim said it is obvious that powerful hands orchestrated the arrest which came at a time when Blanco was attending to his wife who suffered a miscarriage at a private hospital in the city. Lim noted that he can take care of himself and that he will be able to feed his family even if he quits from public service. “I would be willing to give way if this is the price of peace and harmony in the city,” he added. The mayor however added that he is concerned about the poor and the rest of the citizenry if they are left in the hands of politicians whose only expertise is destroying people. Asked to name those behind what he called the pattern of harassment, the mayor responded with a question. “Who has the power to order higher officials in the COA and the PNP to make life difficult for me?” he asked.