JUNKING IS THE GAME

A resident political follower of the Acains here who do not like named, recently said that there will be junking of the local administration line-up of Mayor Gogoy. This is because, he said, of the mayor's sister joining the race for the municipal council positions next year and under their affiliate party, the NP. Adding to this, he continued, the independents that are actually pro-Acain, will also vie for that. The result, he also said, in their campaign sorties, candidates will say to voters, "bahala na kinsa inyong botaran mayor, siguroa lang ko." And in the last hour, he added, they will resort to single voting, meaning only one councilor in their ballot will they write. That would be their own names.

TWENTY EIGHT RUNNERS VIE LOCAL POSTS

For the 2013 automated local election here, twenty eight filed their certificates of candidacies, says Municipal Election Officer Dina Cabunoc. Last Friday, before 4:30pm when the last filers came the count was 28 all. Two for mayor, two also for vice mayor and 24 for municipal councilors. Of the councilors, nine of the admin (NP), eight of the opposition (LP), and seven are running as independents. For Mayor are Gogoy Acain, the encumvent (NP) and Francis Balabat (LP), the challenger. For the Vice Mayor, Bemvem Sayre (NP), and Cesar Orquillas (LP). For the 8 seats of the municipal council or Sangguniang Bayan; In alphabethical order; Acain, Eusebio J. (I), Acain, Roxanne J.(NP), Balabat, Susan A.(NP), Buhian, Manuel C.(I), Carbonilla Carryl Mae T.(NP), Dacu, Mary Joy Q.(LP), Echavez, Ceferino P.(LP), Echavez, Manuel E.(LP), Echavez Peter C.(I), Galaroza, Gabriel Q.(I), Galarroza, Renato T.(NP). Gambe, Pepito W.(LP), Go, Eddie P.(I), Go, Jeffrey L.(LP), Jarales, Michael Van V.(NP), Lagas, Asterio Q.(LP), Maghuyop, Dandy T.(LP), Melendez, Dag L.(LP), Pacana, Gaspar C.(I), Ratunil, Marlou M.(NP), Ubagan, Demosthenes A.(I), Waslo, Eusebio S.(NP), Zalsos, Farley P.(NP). The face-off here next year is between the “grand old parties”, the Nationalista and Liberal, with the Independents that are easily to align when the going get tough.

Sweet-Second Time Around

Although the application here is political, this time is another tangle for the mayoralty seat of the municipality of Initao. Retired army colonel Fancis Balabat is again, as he did 2005, going to try to beat and unseat the now mayor by succession Enerito J. Acain V, for his wife Alen, the first woman mayor of Initao, fled to the U.S. To evade arrest. Francis was defeated then and of this return bout he is hopeful to even the score. If this was boxing, he was defeated once through unanimous decision when he got knocked down 2005, came back for SB 2007, knocked down again but not out, for here he comes in the ring for another try! He must have done his roadwork and proper conditioning from his nutritionist and coaches that strategies and tactics for this venture would work as these should and must. In boxing, jabs and power punches for the stats must count a convincing win, but this is politics. The reality is not that way. One gets knocked out if and when the wind is not favorable. As the challenger, his strategic and tactical moves must be workable to alter the wind thus result in the favorable outcome of this fight. After all, as a sage saying goes, “It's not how hard you do it, but it's how smart you do it”, to win this game. Gogoy is no game, he is one political Goliath. It takes one political David to defeat him.