RUFUS’S BETS. Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of the city’s 2nd District raises the hands of his candidates for various positions in the city during the Centrist Democratic Party’s convention in Nazareth last weekend. From left: James Judith, Adonis Gumahad, Teodulfo Lao, Enrico Salcedo, Aaron Neri, Omar Labuntog, Maximo Rodriguez Jr., Rufus Rodriguez, Roger Abaday, Alejandro Abellera, Elmer dela Rosa, Gil Banaag, Hilario Roy Raagas, Roque Marban, and Meleneo Navarro. (PHOTO BY NITZ ARANCON)
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By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

POLITICAL dynasty applies to the Dutertes of Davao and the Romualdos in Camiguin but not the Rodriguezes in Cagayan de Oro.

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This was the gist of Rep. Rufus Rodriguez’s explanation when he was pressed for comment on whether or not he thought that his decision to field his younger brother Maximo Jr. as a congressional bet here is tantamount to establishing a political dynasty in the city.

Rodriguez said his group, the Centrist Democratic Party (CDP), is strongly opposed to political dynasties but sees the decision to field him and his brother as mayoral and congressional bets, respectively, as acceptable.

The outgoing representative of the city’s 2nd District invoked the so-called  “constituency rule” in explaining why their case, technically, cannot be considered a political dynasty.

The CDP, he said, doesn’t allow members of the same family to run for public office in areas where the voters are the same.

Rodriguez said Maximo Jr. was accepted as a “guest candidate” by the CDP because he would only seek votes from the city’s 2nd District, and not the 1st District unlike him who would campaign for votes from the two districts.

“Ang mobotar ni Maxie ang mga taga 2nd District ra man. Dili man  makabotar kaniya ang taga 1st District, and so, walay political  dynasty ana kay na-a man diha ang constituency rule, kay dili man tanang tawo sa Cagayan de Oro makaboto kaniya,” said Rodriguez.

However, Rodriguez, who would run for mayor, would be seeking votes, too, in the 2nd District where his brother would be running for congressman.

The congressman cited Camiguin province and Davao City where, he said, political dynasties exist based on the CDP definition.

In Camiguin, he said, members of the Rumualdo family who are in power received votes from the same constituents.

Rodriguez said the same is true in Davao City where the Duterte family controls the local executive and legislative branches.

He said the Romualdo and Duterte political dynasties are unacceptable to the CDP.

On Saturday, Rodriguez raised the hand of his brother as CDP’s bet for the congressional seat in the 2nd District, a position the elder Rodriguez would be vacating next year.

The younger Rodriguez is presently a congressman, representing the party-list Abante Mindanao (Abamin). Their younger sister Jocelyn is the barangay chairperson of voteich Nazareth.

Three of the Rodriguez family’s political allies––councilors Roger Abaday and Teodulfo Lao Jr., and lawyer James Judith––said they remained strongly opposed to political dynasties, one of the 2013 issues they raised against erstwhile mayor Vicente Emano whose brother, children, and other relatives hold powerful positions in the city and Misamis Oriental.

But now, they said, there is no way to prevent politicians from establishing political dynasties because there is no law that defines and bans this.

“Kon na-a nay bala-od, ako na  mismo ang mo-advise ni Congressman Rufus nga likayan na kanang dynasty,” Lao said.

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