On Goking and Baban

Churchill Aguillar

I RECENTLY read of the news that George Goking and Nixon Baban are running under the Liberal Party as city councilors in the 1st district and 2nd district, respectively. Both their names stood out as they were the only two politicians on the list who are an acquaintance due to previous projects I orchestrated with XU.

If I were to recall, when Fr. Eric Velandria, SJ, the then director of UN RCE asked me to orchestrate a run for a cause for Sendong survivors, my team of volunteers went out to seek support from all sectors of the community. It was then that I heard and met the two gentlemen. Mr. Goking who was not yet a politician then promptly gave his full support, both in finances and logistics. Mr. Baban on the other hand offered to make his office an outlet for registration actively promoted the run in social media.

To make the story short, the event became the biggest run ever recorded in the history of Mindanao. It was in fact more like a walk than a run as more than 12 thousand participants flocked the route to Rodelsa Circle. Their (Goking and Baban) active involvement with the run made me notice them and their advocacies.

I started to notice how Baban fearlessly lobbies his advocacy on environmental protection that he even filed cases against prominent politicians whom he thought had been negligent or have had abused their power to exploit our natural resources. Such passion is surely something needed in the city. The only irony is that one of his running mates is recently facing a probe on an alleged environmental issue, too. Perhaps the situation can test how much an advocate he is. Yet still, I would say his fire is very much needed in the long divided city council.

Goking on the other hand has become more than just an acquaintance. He supported all my projects after the sending run. In him, I saw a man who just enjoys getting involved in all civic activities––toiling without counting the cost. As a businessman he could have just focused on his business but he must really have a very big heart that he was always willing to extend his hand to help. At one point he invited to consult on me regarding how we can help the indigenous community who sought for his assistance. He even introduced me to their tribal leaders who offered to baptize me as one of theirs. Recently he is very active with the Red Cross as they save lives through their advocacy on bloodletting. Without a doubt, if he gets a seat at the city council he would be the most visible figure outside of the city hall and in small communities, and most likely, I would be there to support him too.

The likes of Goking and Baban are the kind of local leaders our city needs. Their track records have shown their passion for service. They have already helped in alleviating the welfare of Cagay-anons even before they became politicians. I can even say they have done more good in the last three years compared to the incumbent councilors, how much more if they are given a seat in the city council.