Rufus needs no introduction

Herbie Gomez .

FORMER congressman Rufus Rodriguez has nothing to prove when it comes to his qualifications. He served as a member of the provincial board of Misamis Oriental for four years, vice governor for two years, dean of the College of Law of San Sebastian for eight years, immigration commissioner for three years, and representative of Cagayan de Oro’s 2nd District for three consecutive office terms. He is also the author of 47 publications, mostly lawbooks. A Xavier University law student says at least one of Rodriguez’s books, “Legal Research,” was a required reading in her class.

I doubt if there is anyone in Cagayan de Oro who can state without lying to himself that Rodriguez doesn’t meet the qualifications for the position of Cagayan de Oro representative, a position he already held for nine long years. Of course, Rodriguez is qualified.

In fact, Rodriguez doesn’t have to convince people that he is qualified because it cannot be denied and many Cagayanons already know that he is.

And so, if I were in the shoes of the former congressman, I would focus on strengthening my own political organization to make sure that it won’t conk in next year’s elections especially during the crucial hours of election day.

Neither can Rodriguez fully depend on other politicians’ organizations because aside from him being a potential threat to these groups in the 2022 elections or the election after that, the others would be very busy with their own political agenda and campaign in 2019.

Rodriguez’s opponent, Councilor Yan Lam “Alam” Lim, is an intellectual flyweight. He is a political or intellectual dwarf by comparison to Rodriguez. But it would be foolhardy for Rodriguez to underestimate Lim whose strength lies on his alleged experience in organizing a formidable network of numbers game lovers who are used to daily legwork and operating in the morning, afternoon and evening, seven days a week, except on Good Fridays and Black Saturdays. Seen in the context of Philippine elections, that kind of organization or network, if used in partisan politics, is every traditional politician’s wet dream.

And, so, again, it would be best if the ex-congressman focuses on his organization and in ridding it of any excess baggage rather than behaving like he is a newcomer who still needs introduction. He is, after all, Rufus Rodriguez… THE Rufus Rodriguez.

***

Post-All Souls’ Day thoughts. A preacher at my father-in-law’s wake asked me about where I think we will all be after we die.

His question was some sort of a follow through to a series of queries he asked about my “spirituality.”

First, he asked me about where I go to church. I told him I stopped doing that many years ago.

As I expected, he looked surprised and asked why. It’s because there is no more religious bone left in me, I said something to that effect, smiling.

“Do you pray? To whom do you pray?” he asked.

My quick reply: “I haven’t seriously done that in years either.”

I tried to avoid the subject because, based on experience, my honest answers about it almost always seem to irritate the inquirer even if that is not my intention. So, when the preacher introduced the subject on “Judgment Day” and asked where I think we will all be after we die, I politely cautioned that he may not like my answer. He was persistent.

I paused for a moment in order to think of a way to honestly answer his question but mindful that I am conversing with a man of faith.

My answer was that, in all honesty, I cannot claim to know anything about “Judgment Day” or if there is even such a thing, or about what happens to people after death and after decomposition although I can make an educated guess. In other words, my guess is as good as his guess.

Politely again, I asked the preacher to tell me his birth date. His answer was “Feb. 24, 1959.”

And then I asked: “Okay, where were you on Feb. 24, 1958?”

His reply: “Nowhere, I didn’t exist yet.”

There was a few seconds of silence. I think that got him thinking. By his own admission, there was a time he didn’t exist — and it wasn’t a problem for him at that time at all. Pastilan.