In a come from behind performance, businessman Mariano Uy last week pulled off what appeared to be a “lipat bahay” of his brainchild “Botika sa Katawhan” following his resignation as deputy mayor. In bundling up his favorite private initiative, Uy will transfer the address of his Botika from the City Hall vicinity to his residence in Booy district, this city. The stunning announcement of Uy punctuated an acrimonious misunderstanding with City Councilor Alexander Lim who is known to have no love lost with the philanthropic businessman. Lim is locked in a bitter squabble with Uy in a quarrel that was traced to questionable land transactions and ethnic politics of the Bohol Wisdom School. The city kagawad has been at the tail end of the barrage of attacks against Uy for his designation as deputy mayor and his operation of the Botika sa Katawhan.

In the first place, Lim questioned the designation of Uy as deputy mayor by former city mayor Dan Lim despite the fact that there is no law that authorizes such item and title in the city hall organization. Lim also blasted Uy for his operation of the Botika sa Barangay and questioned its operation and accountability to the city hall. But in tendering his resignation to Mayor Yap, Uy retaliated against Lim by making him as the only reason behind his decision to resign. “The recent developments, orchestrated solely by a member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, whose reputation for lack of integrity and low morals are of public knowledge have taken a toll on my personal and family life”, Uy said in his letter to Yap last Aug. 23. The previous city hall administration has designated Uy as deputy mayor and made him head the operation of the Botika sa Katawhan by giving free medicines. With the assumption of Mayor Yap last July, Uy’s designation was not recalled or renewed as it has been deemed co-terminus with city mayor Lim.

This is not the first time that the operation of the Botika sa Katawhan was questioned in the city sanggunian. Former city lawmakers Djingo Rama and Edgar Kapirig were among the city lawmakers who attempted to question its operation in the 10th Sangguning Panlungsod but they were unsuccessful at that time as former mayor Lim has full control of the sanggunian members. Attached to Uy’s resignation letter was a certification from OIC City Accountant Eleanor Beniga that Botika sa Katawhan and Uy that a search on our accounting database for check issuances starting the year 2006 yielded zero result. It also attached a letter from Dr. Edgardo A. Osea, M.D., a private medical practitioners in California, USA who has acknowledge Uy’s credibility and the Liga resolutions in 2007 supporting the operations of the Botika sa Katawhan. However, Uy told the city mayor of his proposal to transfer the site of the Botika sa Katawhan from the city hall grounds to his residence in Booy district “to prove that said institution can stand not only on its own ground, but also to show that the same has the noblest intention to server your constituents contract with what this SP member has perceived to be”.

OSEA’S LETTER

The resignation letter of Uy also attached a letter from Dr. Edgardo A. Osea, M.D., a private medical practitioner in California, USA who acknowledged Uy’s philanthropy dated last week. Dr. Osea has been a regular donor of medicines even prior to the inception of the Botika sa Katawhan and has become a regular donor of medicines. Osea said he has been informed that an individual has questioned Uy’s management of the Botika sa Katawhan and its procurement of donations. He said that every time Uy would ask for medicines and donations, he would do so in the spirit of our friendship and not under the guise of a public official or title. Osea declared that Uy is a man of utmost and uncompromisingly integrity and that he has his complete trust and confidence. Osea, who runs his owns Holy Trinity Clinic in Harbor City, California, claimed that he is very proud to be one of the main donors of the Botika sa Katawhan. Twice a year, Dr. Osea said that he would also order medicines for the Botika sa Katawhan from pharmaceutical companies and medical foundations in the US. Uy makes it a point to reimburse me for the monetary donations required to secure the medicines and their freight costs, for the eventual shipment to the Botika sa Katawhan. Osea said that as far as he knows, these reimbursements came from Uy’s personal pocket aside from the fact that he also solicited medicine donations from other physicians as well. Dr. Osea said hoped that his letter would clear up any malicious and misconceptions lobbed by any individual against Uy. Out of his love for Tagbilaran which benefitted from the Botika sa Katawhan since it dispenses free medicines to the residents, Uy should instead be commended rather than vilified for his passions, effecort and dedication to serve voluntarily the people of the city through his voluntary project.

LIGA RESOLUTIONS

Aside from Osea’s letter, Uy’s resignation has been supported by two resolutions of the Liga ng mga Barangays in 2007 supporting Uy and the operations of the Botika sa Katawhan. The twin resolutions came at a time that the Botika sa Katawhan sustained its first attack from Rama and Kapirig. Apparently, the resolutions came out at the time that Faro Cabalit was still part of the previous city hall administration and headed the Liga ng mga Barangay in 2007. However, the resolutions were signed by all the punong barangays in the city in 2007. The first resolution backed up the continued operation of the Botika sa Katawhan at the height that there was a call for its closure. It cited that the Botika sa Katawhan is Uy’s brainchild being a private sector initiative with minimum government support to address the need for medicines of indigent and poor citizens in the city. It said that the closure of the Botika sa Katawhan for whatever reason will surely be disadvantageous to the indigents and the poor in Tagbilaran.

The second resolution declared unconditional support for Uy as deputy mayor and as executive director of the Botika sa Katawhan. It pointed out that the unfounded and baseless attacks against Uy is intended to malign his person and defame his character. The Liga at that time declared that they know Uy to be a man of probity, integrity and dedication to civic duty and public service. The continuing assault on Uy is undeserved and unfortunate considering his selfless dedication and tireless efforts as a concerned citizen and a volunteer public servant serving without the benefit of remuneration. The resolution said that the Liga members had come out into the open to express their gratitude to Uy for all the sacrifices he has done not only as executive director of the Botikas sa Katawhan but also all his other contributions to the city and its people as a concerned citizen.