Dongkoy’s gambit

Bencyrus Ellorin

ONE of the dominant community news last week was the disappearance from office of a controversial Capitol personality.

On the day the news broke out, Gov. Bambi Emano replaced his provincial administrator. There was no elaborate explanation on the departure of the very powerful lawyer Maricar San Jose.

Sources told me that the reason why she had to go was to appease key supporters of the Padayon who have grievances with how the lawyer cum former girlfriend of the governor has been throwing her weight around Capitol and in Misamis Oriental’s political circles. The operation to have her go, I was told was no other than the “Alas” of Padayon. With her out of Bambi’s frame, disgruntled Padayon supporters are expected to come back to support the younger Emano’s reelection bid against the surging candidacy of former vice governor Julio Uy.

Social media may have given away the controversial official. Another source showed me a timeline of somebody who looked familiar in the freezing land of Maple trees. Her timeline shoutout: “Silence is the most powerful scream.”

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The yellow vs violet tussle is escalating in Gingoog City where the violet majority in the City Council is following the tact of their counterpart in Cagayan de Oro City.

Mayor Marie Guingona’s administration is now operating on the reenacted 2015 budget after the City Council led by Vice Mayor Eric Canosa dilly dallied on approving the P700-million 2016 budget. Despite appeals from the lady mayor, the City Council has been dribbling the budget without showing any intention of shooting it soon. The result could be dire as key projects that would serve mostly the marginalized, hinterland barangays would be delayed.

It’s the same with Mayor Oscar Moreno’s proposed P4.8-billion budget. In 2014, a crucial farm-to-market road worth over P100 million from the Department of Agriculture was shelved because the City Council led by Vice Mayor Ian Acenas did not authorize Mayor Moreno to give a P12-million counterpart from the local government unit. This was and is still is a monumental disservice to the people in the rural areas courtesy of the violet City Council.

In Gingoog, the City Council is delaying the implementation of farm-to-market road projects funded under the World Bank-funded Philippine Rural Development Project. Vice Mayor Canosa and his violet cohorts refuse to approve an appropriate authorization for Mayor Guingona to release a project equity, among others.

In Feb. 3, Mayors Moreno and Guingona were seen together in Barangay Kalipay, Gingoog City. The Cagayan de Oro mayor was visiting with “Daang Matuwid” standard bearer Mar Roxas for a multisectoral meeting that coincided with the first day of the two-day Serbisyo Caravan.

Mayor Moreno was obviously missed by the Gingoognons who hugged and cheered him, thanking him for authoring the law that created the Kalipay National High School years ago.

Like Mayor Moreno who has staved off everything thrown to distabilize his administration and even unseat him, Mayor Guingona has shown resilience. Unfettered by a contrarian City Council, she moved to mobilize 31 national government agencies to deliver basic services to around 25,000 Gingoognons.

Soon, the people will make these anti-development politicians account for their disservice.

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I was up close to Mar Roxas when he climbed the stage in Kalipay. He was obviously moved by the very warm welcome of Gingoognons, especially the Higaonons of Kalipay–his eyes were misty. It was understandable after getting a beating in social media and in surveys.

With the formal start of the campaign period for national candidates, Mar’s chances of winning the May polls becomes more possible, especially now that he is statistically tied at second place with Vice President Jojo Binay and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

E-mail: bency.ellorin@gmail.com