Iligan Mayor Regencio Repeats Campaign Promises
By Frank E. Dosdos, Jr.
Catapulted to the Chief Executive position in Iligan City, the former cop of very humble beginnings, repeated his campaign promises as he took his of Oath Office last Sunday at Anahaw Amphitheater, Buhanginan Hill.
Mayor Celso G. Regencia told a cheering crowd of thousands that the promises he made during the rigorous campaign was still very fresh in his mind..
First, he emphasized that he will tackle the assurance of peace and order and everything else will follow. People can sleep soundly and engage in gainful activities that someday no one in Iligan will miss a meal each day.
He said that he will achieve this through the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines as on that day he has ended his 30 years of service in the military and the police services and began his first day as a civilian in government.
Second, he will break the horns of those people who bring drugs that will,"destroy the youth who will replace us when we grow old and when we are gone from this earth."
He said that he was telling those people that their days are counted if they will not stop and change their ways.
Third, he wants to increase the quantity of medicines available in the City Hospital (Gregorio T. Lluch Memorial Hospital) because this is the clamor of the poor patients of the said institution.
He told the audience that he hopes the members of the Sangguniang Panglunsod will support his intentions as he also hope that medicines can be administered free at the City Hospital so that there will be no more people going around begging for help since they have no money to buy medicines for their patients.
Fourth, he will give enough attention to the Senior Citizens. They should be given enough attention for, "we would not be here standing if not because of them," he said.
He added that the Senior Citizens should see that there are leaders in the City Government who care for them especially in giving regular medical check-ups.
Fifth, he will give good service to the farmers by improving particularly the difficult sections of the roads to the hinterlands so that they would have no fear and hardships in bringing their products to the markets.
Sixth he will improve the Palao Market which has been neglected for a long time that even a municipality in Lanao del Norte has a better public market. Toward this end he expects the members of the Sangguniang Panlunsod to support him.
Seventh, he will look into what is delaying the water system improvement project and find solutions to hastened its completion so that the project can at last be useful to the people.
Eighth, he will look into what is delaying the completion of the Central Material Recovery Facility because he has heard that people in Barangay Santiago are planning to barricade the dump-site as they want it closed.
He closed his Inaugural Speech with a promise that the Celso Regencia that the people elected to father the City will not change. He welcomes everybody, Muslims, Lumads and Christians who wants to live peacefully in Iligan.and he will defend them against any molestation for he is willing to die for them if necessary.
He will remain easy to approach and easy to find. He will continue to live a simple life for he has no expenses to recover
and he is contented with everything that he had earned through sweat and blood sometimes.
His speech was punctuated several times with very loud applause. That portion where he said that he will defend the people and he is willing to die for them if necessary aroused a thunderous ovation of the people including those standing under the heat of the morning sun.
Regencia took his oath before Judge Albert Abragan together with Councilors Sammy Huertas and Emmanuel C. Salibay who ran under his ticket last May 13 and Simplicio N. Larrazabal, Jr., an Independent.
Vice Mayor Ruderick Marzo and Councilors Marlene Young, Ariel Anghay, Bayani Arreola, Roy Openiano, Frederick Siao, Michelle Sweet, Usafeno Obial took their oaths before Congressman Vicente F. Belmonte, Jr. at the City Plaza during the celebration of Araw Ng Iligan last June 16.
As of press time, nothing was heard of the oath taking of Councilors Providencio Abragan, Jr. and Alfredo A. Busico.
The audience noted that the Councilors belonging to the Liberal Party who had and have not taken their Oaths of Office were all conspicuously absent.
Regencia was handpicked by Congressman Belmonte and Mayor Cruz to be designated as the Iligan City Director of the Philippine National Police years ago.
After the middle of 2012, he confided to this writer that he was going to retire optionally and run for a political position
because he had served in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police long enough and he wants to live with his family especially that all his children are female.
Many were caught by surprise and thought he could easily become a Police General if he will not leave the PNP.
And people were even more surprised when he announced that he was running for Mayor.
He easily became an underdog against the well funded political machine of the Liberal Party which fielded Vice Mayor Henry C. Dy for Mayor.
Finally, he won by, in his own language, the will of God.
