The Ocon-hate bandwagon

Cong Corrales .

THIS will be my second column on Councilor Zaldy Ocon. But this will be the first time for me to name him. This column, however, is not an attempt to ride the Ocon-hate bandwagon.

The first time I alluded a column to the councilor cum radio anchor was when he dismissed a friend’s explanation on air because my friend “sounded gay.” My friend happens to be the information officer of Northern Mindanao’s social welfare office.

My friend was trying to explain the delay in the payout of a dole-out program of the social welfare office. However, Ocon interrupted him by commenting that my friend sounded gay. It was uncalled for.

This incident was brought up again during Cagayan de Oro Press Club’s lecture series on ethics in commemoration of the Press Freedom Week in May this year. The discussant reminded the participants that you should not discriminate people based on their belief, race or gender preference or orientation.

In January last year, the Office of the Ombudsman slapped Ocon with a six-month suspension for slapping a traffic enforcer.

There have also been many photos of his “parking skills” on social media. He has the penchant for parking on entrances for people with disability, double parking at the public market, and parking on a no-parking zone.

The last part was why he was confronted by the traffic aide where Ocon’s response was slapping the guy silly.

Ocon also hogged the headlines when his pick-up truck figured in an accident near Gingoog City where it was discovered to have carried sizeable board feet of illegal hardwood. He wasn’t in the truck when the accident happened but he admitted to owning the truck and its hot cargo.

A competing radio station also has a beef against Ocon. He defended Kapa Community Ministry International Inc. when a radio announcer of that competing radio station figured in an entrapment operation by the NBI for allegedly extorting money from Kapa ring master Joel Apolinario.

Earlier this month, Ocon berated former mayor Reuben Canoy in the lobby of a Canoy-owned hotel. A video clip of part of the incident has since gone viral on social media.

There is a signature campaign going on at the Press Freedom Monument that is calling for the “removal” of Ocon from the city council. The campaign spokesperson even went as far as to call for Ocon to leave the city and go back to Davao where he supposedly comes from.

I’ll be stating the obvious when I say that Ocon has attitudinal problems. I would not be surprised if a lot more people will come out to say that they have been wronged by Ocon, too.

Look, I agree that Ocon’s behavior is reprehensible. What he did to Ninong Reuben was uncalled for. As a public official, he should be held to account.

But you cannot banish him from the city for that. Just as I cannot banish you from the city for laughing and clapping your hands at every rape joke of the President.

It’s called right to domicile, you double-standard “righteous” people. Pfft.