MANILA, Philippines — The 82-year-old mayor has a simple question to those who are in favor of the reproductive health (RH) and responsible parenthood (RP) bills: “Why are we all here, in this room?”

Mayor Fred Lim seems to think that if our parents had used contraceptives, none of us would have been present at a function room of the Sofitel for another session of “Bulong Pulungan” last Tuesday. And if the state can “interfere” in “private matters between husband and wife,” how soon will it be before a “representative” of the government goes into the bedroom of a just-wed couple to tell them what to do? Mayor, you have read Orwell?

He is also against sex education for grade school kids “because it’s too soon” for them to discover sex. Mayor, for one who has intimations of Big Brother in the bridal chamber, you are so naïve!

But that’s how we like our mayor, a straight talker.

He has tossed to DoJ the issue of the city council passing an ordinance to exempt Smart from paying machinery, equipment, and franchise tax. He has asked GSIS to let Manila students use the Metropolitan Theater before it totally turns to dust.

He monitored the first day of school last Monday and was satisfied. Come on, Your Honor, wouldn’t things have been easier for the teachers if they had fewer students to handle?