Rex Gatchalian talks about life, public service after ‘Kentex’ incident

KUNG may isang life lesson na talagang tumimo at naghubog nang husto sa katauhan ni Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian bilang isang pi-nuno ng bayan, ito ay nang mapagitna siya sa kontrobersya dulot ng isang aksidente na kumitil sa buhay ng 72 katao.

Inamin ni Rex sa Bandera na ang 2015 Kentex Manufacturing fire na kumitil sa buhay ng 72 katao ang pinakamalaking pagsubok na sinuong niya bilang  alkalde.

“I can honestly tell you na it’s probably the most challenging part of my term. I don’t know (kung may mas hihigit pa) sana wala na in the next three years.”

Anya, ang insidenteng ito ang nagpabago sa kanyang pagtingin sa pagiging public servant.

“It defined me both as a person as a public servant and looking back at it, of course I regret that people died but that experience shaped the way the city or the country look at things.”

Si Gatchalian ay sinampahan ng kaso ng national government dahil sa pangyayaring ito.

“So I will never forget Kentex, I will never forget that Barangay because no. 1 like I said it defined how I look at public service. Tumibay ako dun kasi hindi pangkaraniwan na ihahabla ka ng pamahalaang nasyonal ng reckless imprudence resulting to homicide.

Hindi pangkaraniwan na gusto kang tanggalin ng Ombudsman then, without even hearing you out. Hindi pangkaraniwan na yung dating presidente ay magpi-press release at bibintangan ka on national TV. So tumibay-tibay kami lahat doon.”

Kinalaunan ibinasura ang mga kaso laban sa kanya.

Moral compass
Malaki rin anya ang epekto sa kanyang pamumuno ng pagiging Kristyano niya.

Nagpapasalamat anya siya sa kanyang mga magulang na pinalaki silang may takot sa Diyos.

“It’s a moral compass (pagiging Christian) and (it) gets me out of trouble, keeps me out of trouble. I think it comes to be part of your human nature already na wag ka magnanakaw, wag ka gagawa ng mali, na matakot ka sa Diyos, kung hindi ka takot sa tao matakot ka sa Diyos. But in my case, both.,” paliwanag niya.

“It also shapes me in trying to govern the city wherein, you always look at the human side of it. So not only does it keep you out of trouble it also makes you more of a human being in governing.”

Noong bata pa ay nagpagawa ng simbahan ang kanyang mga magulang sa likod ng kanilang pabrika at hanggang ngayon ay mayroon pa ring service na ginagawa rito.

“I’m happy to tell you that the factory might have closed down but the church is still alive. Now it’s a community church its called Jesus our Life Christian Church and it has a small school for the community also that is still alive, still running.”