Two former vice mayors on Dongkoy’s bid: Not a threat to Uy

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent .

TWO former vice mayors of the city yesterday greeted with raised eyebrows ex-mayor Vicente Emano’s decision to be the running mate of former Agriculture undersecretary Jose Gabriel La Viña.

One called Emano’s surprising decision as “panakipbutas” and a “face-saving” mechanism while another said the former mayor would likely step aside and give way to another candidate or face the prospects of defeat in the 2019 elections.

Former vice mayor and congressman Erasmo Damasing Jr. said Emano poses no threat to the reelection bid of Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin Uy given the latter’s record when he was elected vice mayor during the Jaraula administration.

Damasing said Emano opted to run for vice mayor because his daughter, Councilor Nadya Elipe, did not want to challenge Uy’s reelection bid.

“Panakipbutas na lang nang iyang kandidatora. Si Emano ra sab baya ang nag-ingon nga tungod kay si Nadya wala modayon sa pagka-vice mayor, siya nalang ang midagan. Sa laktud nga pagkasulti, face-saving na lang nang iya,” Damasing said.

Another former vice mayor, Antonio Soriano, said unseating Uy would not be a walk in the park for the aging Emano.

“Si Emano, traditional, samtang si Kikang (Uy) millennial politician. Ang mga tawo mas mopabor gyud sa binag-o kay sa kinara-an,” said Soriano.

Like Damasing, Soriano said Emano’s candidacy poses no threat to Uy in that the Padayon Pilipino-Centrist Democratic Party  is seen to have a relatively weak standard bearer.

He said it would have been much better if Emano  filed his candidacy for mayor and got La Viña as his running mate. “Mas maayo pag si Dongkoy ang midagan pagka mayor ug si La Viña ang nag bise, mas kusog pa.”

Uy, according to Soriano, is drawing more strength from his father Rep. Rolando Uy of the city’s 1st District and their ally, reelectionist Mayor Oscar Moreno.

“Sa akong experience sa politics, kon kusog ang ulo, madala ang iyang kauban. Ma-o na ang plastada sa grupo ni Mayor  Moreno, nga  iyang madala si Kikang sa kakusog,” Soriano said.

But he said the Emano candidacy could be a mere “front,” pointing out that it is possible for him to step aside and give way to another vice mayoral candidate before year-end.

“Duna pa may  substitution. Sa akong tan-aw, pag-abot sa insaktong panahon, magpapuli ra gihapon na si Emano sa iyang kandidatora,” Soriano said.