Effortlessly a dominant voice in the Legislative Body of Tagbilaran City, he embodies the personification of adeptness in his craft borne out of preparedness in his earlier exposures. As one of the top students of the University of the Philippines and the Ateneo de Manila University, he entered the political derby while waiting for the Bar results, and gained more ground when he passed with flying colors, which contributed to his victory as the Representative of the Third District of Bohol.

The idealism of youth was on his side, when he was declared one of the Most Outstanding Congressmen of the Philippines alongside the veterans in the legislative field. It was a one-term stint that changed his life for the better, making him an Ace in the legislative processes. His decision to be a part of the Baba Yap slate in the May election was a wise move, as proven by his winning as the Number One Councilor of Tagbilaran, paving the way for another chance at showcasing his prowess as the Majority Floor Leader of the 12th Sangguniang Panlungsod.

This interview with Atty. Adam Relson Lagrada Jala (ALJ) was made in “Nangutana Lang,” my 30-minute slot at DYRD-ZD last Tuesday, December 17, 2013. Compared to the last time I interviewed him months ago, Councilor Jala looked more confident and sounded more formidable. Sure signs that he is now a purpose-driven duck in his pond.

LMP: Unang pangutana, may Pasko ba ang City Hall?

ALJ: Yes, aduna kita'y merry nga Christmas. (Laughs) Kay sa special session namo gahapon, na-approve ang supplemental budget para sa pag-allocate ug Productivity Enhancement Incentive o bonus para sa mga City employees and officials.

LMP: Sa ato pa, ang katuyoan niini nga ang mga empleyado will become more productive.

ALJ: Well, that is the intent of the said appropriation. Usa kini ka bonus tungod kay productive sila for the year 2013.

LMP: Kining pagpasalamat tungod kay maayo ang performance. Duna ko'y nahibaw-an nga panultihon nga sa usa ka opisina, even in private enterprises, the usual case is, 80% of the job is done by 20% of the personnel. Mituo ba ka ana, Atty.?

ALJ: Wala ta masayod kon mao ba gyod na ang kamatuoran, nga 20% lang ang nagtrabaho sa atong mga empleyado sa gobyerno. I hope that is not the case. I hope that every employee is doing his or her duties and responsibilities because their salaries and bonuses come from the people.

LMP: Kon manghatag ug bonus, dili ba pareha ra tanan, whether they performed very well, or not so good, mao ra gihapon ang amount nga madawat. May we know Atty., kon pila ang inyong gi-allocate?

ALJ: We have allocated 42 million pesos for the bonuses of the City employees and officials.

LMP: Kining kwartaha, it's already there. Dili na ta kinahanglang mangutang.

ALJ: Yes. Actually, it comes from the savings of the City Government. Wala ta'y gi-augment nga funds, or project nga gikuhaan ug pundo. For example, ang pundo sa atong infrastructure project gikuhaan para i-bonus. Wala kana ato buhata. Ang allocation for bonuses gikan kini sa atong savings, isip pahinungod sa atong mga empleyado nga mao'y naghatag ug serbisyo para sa katawhan. With the hope nga, they will become more dedicated in providing services to the people in the years to come.

LMP: Usa ba sa mga hinungdan nga aduna ta'y savings, tungod kay duna'y mga pwesto nga wala i-fill-up?

ALJ: Naa'y ingon ana nga situation, pero dili lang kana ang naka-contribute sa maong savings.

LMP: For all intents and purposes, atong masulti karon nga as far as financing is concerned, City Hall is okay, wala'y problema?

ALJ: Okay ang atong City Hall with regards to funds. Aduna kita'y appropriationordinance nga upcoming that is worth 500 million pesos for 2014, plus the proposed budget. Wala mi-decline ang atong pondo, in fact, mi-increase pa kini.

LMP: Apil ba sa maong budget ang pagpaayo sa City Hall?

ALJ: Ang plano gyod is to spend a part of our calamity fund para niana. Right now, wala pa nato mahibaw-i kon pila gyod ang atong magasto. Ang atong City Engineer is still in the process of proposing, and continually assessing kon unsa'y mas maayong buhaton, i-rehabilitate ba or mobalhin sa laing lugar.

LMP: Kining gitawag nato nga calamity fund, budgeted ba gyod na every year?

ALJ: Yes, there is an amount stipulated for that.

LMP: Kon wala'y calamity, unsa man ang mahitabo? Would it be a part of the savings?

ALJ: Naa'y mga conditions before nato ma-tap ang atong calamity fund.

LMP: Sa pagkakaron, anaa kamo sa APC, ug akong namatikdan nga medyo guot gyod. Pero despite aning limited ang space, ang atong function sa governance wala maadilantar.

ALJ: Yes, continue ang atong delivery of services sa operation sa atong City Hall.

LMP: Asa man mo mag-session?

ALJ: Depende kon asa nga lugar nga among mapilian. There is no specific place tungod aning nahitabo nga ang atong session hall, naapil sa pagkaguba. Right now, ang office sa Sangguniang Panglungsod is temporarily relocated diha sa building ni Jorge Lao sa Dampas.

LMP: Naghisgot na man kita ug funding Atty., daghan kaayo kita'g mga proyekto, mga gastuhanan, pero kuwang ang i-gasto. So, it is a question of sourcing. Akong nabasahan sa usa sa atong mga local newspapers nga naghisgot, nga sa miaging administrasyon, may mga establishment nga way kolekta tungod kay way permit to operate. Therefore, walay buhis nga nakolekta tungod kay, in a sense, they did not exist. Sa akong tan-aw, naa man gihapon na sila; pero kon ang administrasyon karon ninyo ni Baba Yap, mo-insister pagkolekta, mahimo ba na?

ALJ: Of course, pwede na. In fact, duna'y mga surcharges ana, o penalties kon dugay na nga wala magbayad ug buhis. Duna na'y action niana, duna'y gi-refer nga bag-ong resolution, which grants the Mayor the authority to compromise tax liability. Meaning, pwedeng maka-negotiate ang Mayor, with regards to the penalties of a certain establishment. So, there is really a move to go after niadtong wala magbayad ug buhis. In fact, duna ko'y bag-o nga resolution with regards to City Square, through the investigation of the Committee on Public Accountability, nakita didto nga aduna sila'y mga taxes nga unpaid.

LMP: And this can be collected?

ALJ: Yes. Naa na kana sa report sa Committee on Public Accountability, and it was recommended that the Mayor must collect and impose penalties on the non-payment of these taxes. We are still studying that matter, ug amo pa kanang i-evaluate further, and be in consultation with the Office of the Mayor with regards to the course of action.

LMP: Naghisgot man ta ug Sangguniang Panlungsod, nga naghatag sa katungod sa Mayor, sa iyang angay nga buhaton, like sa tax, moratorium, or whatever you call it. Pero sa atong nahibaw-an sa miaging semana, mora'g gibakwi sa Sangguniang Panlungsod ang katungod sa Mayor pag-appoint sa mga consultants. What is the status as of now? Mao ba kini gihapon o nausab na ang kamada?

ALJ: As of now, mao gihapon kay wala pa man na ma-lift ang suspension, ug wala pa gi-withdraw ang resolution. Wala pa sila'y action with regards to my resolution, revoking the said decision sa pagbakwi sa authority sa atong Mayor.

LMP: Is that not supposed to be the responsibility of the Executive Department?

ALJ: Yes, that is an executive function. Mao bitaw na ang akong gisulti sa among session nga invalid ang maong resolution kay encroaching upon executive functions. Dili unta na mao ang duty o function sa SP. The SP only has the power of the purse sa pag-allocate ug pundo. But with regards to identifying the services to be delivered, ug ang mga personnel nga mo- perform niining maong mga serbisyo, that is an executive function.

LMP: Nganong nilusot man ni, is it a question of tyranny of number?

ALJ: Well, ingon ana ang nahitabo, tungod kay at that time, gitayming pod sa minority ang pagpasa sa maong resolusyon nga kulang ang among grupo, kay ni-end na ang term ni Hon. Faro Cabalit last December 1. Hopefully the situation will be repaired upon taking up my resolution sa pag-revoke sa ilang decision.

LMP: Kanus-a nato ni maresulbar? Would that be until the next session?

ALJ: I believe, ma-resolve ni after the approval of the 2014 budget, kay apil na man ana ang appropriations for contractual and consultants. Didto na pod nato ni i-deliberate, kay ang pag-allocate ug pundo para sa contractual, is already an authority to the Mayor to enter into contract of services. Hopefully, ma-repair na when we approve the 2014 budget, which is an appropriation ordinance.

LMP: Pagkakaron, ibutang lang nato, the appointments have not been done. Akong nahibaw-an nga duna'y mga contractual worker nga kinahanglanon kaayo. Wala ba maadilantar negatively ang functioning sa governance because of that?

ALJ: Wala kaayo nila mahapsay ang ilang resolution, and they hastily approved it. Without considering kung unsa'y mahitabo, kon mawad-an ta ug day care workers, city-paid public school teachers, ug mga doctors nga naghatag ug basic services sa atong katawhan. Ang negative consequence gyod sa ilang gibuhat is that, na-delay ug na-hamper ang pag-deliver sa mga basic services. Nawad-an ug katungod ang atong Mayor sa iyang mga functions sa pag-implement sa iyang mga programa alang sa katawhan.

LMP: Mahitabo pa ba na sa ubang umaabot nga mga adlaw, nga because of number mapugos ang Sangguniang Panlungsod, to propose and pass a resolution even if it is against a lot of tenets?

ALJ: Ang ato unta, dili na lang ta mamolitika with regards to the delivery of basic services sa katawhan. In fact, during the deliberation, miingon ko nga pwede ba natong i-defer, aron ma-comprehensively discussed further ang maong resolution kay adunay mga negative consequences. Apan wala mosugot ang mayoriya niadtong panahona, ug ila gyod nga gidali-dali ug pasar.

LMP: Pagkakaron, when we talk about balance of power, ibutang lang nato, if the people at the Sanggunian will vote within partylines, ang Liberal has 3, the group of former Mayor Dan Lim, which is Bag-Ong Bol-anon has 4. But pagkakaron, with the ascendance of the new ABC President, your group with Baba Yap has 5. So, therefore dili mahitabo nga ma- outsmarted ang lima.

ALJ: Well, naa gihpo'y possibility kay kon lima ra mi, unya naa'y duha ug upat sa pikas, kon magtapo sila mahimo silang unom. But hopefully, we should go beyond partylines and political affiliations. Dapat gyod unta tan-awon ang issue kon unsa gyod ang mkahatag ug kaayuhan sa katawhan. Dili lang nato tan-awon kon kauban mo sa Mayor or dili mo kauban. Atong hatagan ug pagsalig ang atong Mayor, with regards to the programs and delivery of basic services. Ang problema kon mag-sige ta ug lisod-lisod sa atong Mayor, maapektuhan pod ang pag-implement sa mga programa. Akong panghinaut ug awhag sa atong mga kauban sa Sangguniang Panlungsod nga unta, let us go beyond party affiliations, ug tan-awon gyod ang usa ka resolusyon o ordinansa, para sa general welfare sa katawhan. The Sanggunian should always be non-partisan, and it is a collegial body nga mo-decide on the merits of the issue and the matter to be discussed.

Never a man who hits people below the belt. Honorable Adam Jala is a trustworthy exponent of statesmanship in and out of the session hall. His biggest advantage is he knows the codes of ethical standards, and the laws that bind all, aside from the fact that he does his homework. Not a young man in a hurry, but somebody who takes his strides with utmost care. Not a do-or-die maverick out to devastate, but a dignified decision-maker who respects the opinion of his colleagues and the public he serves. In the interviews I made among the candidates for the City Council before and after the May election (including those running for Mayor and Vice Mayor), everybody said the same line – that his/her goal is the good of the people. Who among them now have just proven that many politicians are liars?

(Website: www.loypalapos.com ; email: loy.pal@gmail.com ; cellphone: 09981701129)