Egay Uy AMIDST conflicting accounts and reports as to the true state of health of former mayor Emano and the feng shui signs, the political climate in the city is very much alive with the filing of the certificates of candidacy of those who want to “serve the people.” After Rep. Rufus Rodriguez declared his intention to run for the mayoralty of the city, the camp of incumbent Mayor Oscar Moreno was stirred when several of his supporters either jumped ship or were shipped out. But Mayor Oca stood firm and unperturbed, saying he will continue to manage the city and become a politician again at some later time.  As he has declared, he is a manager now and a politician later.
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Many are asking about the true state of the former mayor’s health.  If he will continue to vie for the mayoralty, it would serve best those who will vote for him if his true state of health was made known.  Aside from other equally important factors, the people will be voting for somebody whom they expect to be their “public servant” up to the last minute of the political term. The former mayor was reported to have held his live radio program last Sunday at the ground floor of the radio station which is located in the upper floors of a building along Corrales Avenue.  But for what reasons, the reports do not say so. Congressman Rufus, on the other hand, is clearly the youngest among the three main contenders in next year’s local polls.  He belongs to Class 1971 of Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro.  I don’t know what his regimen is to keep himself fit but I know he is busy with his professional endeavors. And incumbent mayor Oca cannot just be brushed aside, health-wise, because as everyone may already know, he regularly plays basketball, and he is very much into the game, not just a token fifth man on the hard court.  Mayor Moreno is also a Xavier University alumnus.  He belongs to XUHS ’67.
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The other day, I chanced upon a fellow XUHS alumnus who told me, “Mag Rufus na ta.  Ayaw kahadlok!” My reply to him was a categorical, “Wala man ko mahadlok. Dili lang sa ko maghuna-huna anang politika kay busy pa kos trabaho.”  (Egay Uy is a lawyer, a city hall consultant, and is the chairman of Task Force Hapsay Dalan.)