Mayor on the dot for start of rites

This has reference to the news item titled “Caloocan declares Bonifacio a son of the city.” (Inquirer, 12/1/11)

Aside from correcting the erroneous report on the sequence of events, my main objective in writing this letter is to rectify the report that “the program at the Bonifacio monument was supposed to start at 7 a.m., but Mayor ‘Recom’ Echiverri showed up a few minutes past 8 a.m., keeping a crowd (which included) students waiting for over an hour.”

During our consultative meeting on Nov. 23 with the National Historical Commission headed by Director Ludovico Badoy, it was agreed that programs for Bonifacio’s 148th birth anniversary should start at 8 a.m. The mayor was there on time for the flag-raising which was to start at 8 a.m., and not at 7 a.m. as reported by Niña Calleja in the Inquirer. He was subjected to ambush media interviews, which caused a few minutes’ delay in the start of the ceremony. But the mayor was there to faithfully and fully discharge his functions as one of the principal public figures in the Bonifacio Day celebration.

Those behind the story must at least apologize for the false report. In the interest of responsible journalism, they should have exercised prudence and verified the information before releasing the story, which put a person in a bad light and exposed him to public ridicule, hatred, scorn and contempt.

—MARYLOU N. SAN BUENAVENTURA,

officer in charge,

Cultural Affairs and Tourism Office,

Office of the Mayor,

City of Caloocan,

A. Mabini Street,  Caloocan City Hall