HE has chosen to be a magnet for criticisms on the Fernandez administration and it seems he’s been successful at it. Proof of this is a so-called “white paper” on his alleged sins, excesses and well, handicaps that circulated at City Hall last week, a dissertation authored anonymously to make lesser men cringe and crawl under.

But City Legal Officer George Mejia, combative as they come, only seems a bit uneasy over the cowardly expose on his persona. A former judge himself, he must know how to roll with the punches, overt physical threats (in the past) included. Any quick survey at City Hall certainly will show many employees do not cotton to his style of people management and inter-personal dealings especially with subordinates but that’s him. You can’t turn oranges into apples whatever you do.

We’re quite sure the Fernandezes, Mayor Alipio and son Administrator Alvin, have full trust in his capabilities or he wouldn’t have been there with them at the opening of their administration. He may not be winnable in a popular election but we know he’s there for a purpose for his “masters.”

Whether the charges are worth the paper these were written on or whether they’re out and out black propaganda merely intended to get back at this public official for whatever offenses he might have done on his phantom attackers, the fact stands out that the city mayor needs to now take a direct, if discreet, hand in nipping the budding “revolt” within.

No, we do not urge an immediate and summary punitive action on the legal officer, far from it. For all we know, he could easily invoke as did someone at the Senate hearings, “executive privilege” for his official actions and only his superiors can judge if that is proper.

What we hope to see in this is a little fatherly or fraternal tap on the shoulder of Mejia for him to take a more modest posturing in discharging his functions – without surrendering at all his principles. Previous city attorneys have done that, going low-key, soft-spoken, supremely unprovocative in going about their duties.

We all need gentle reminders from people we work for. If the public sees none such reminder is being exerted by whomever is in a position to give it, the impression won’t be pleasant at all. Next time, the “white papers” could go progressively uglier.