‘Hapsay, kaabag’

Bencyrus Ellorin .

IT is just a matter of time the city’s airwaves and “socmed” space will be free from acrid, foul language from the supposed educated and leaders championing change.

In the run up to the local campaign, Mayor Oscar S. Moreno, according to polls, is enjoying more than 70 points against a rival who is stuck in a single digit since the filing of election candidacies on October last year.

It is understandable as the people of Cagayan de Oro are a discerning lot. They do not only hear, they listen, and most importantly, they feel the love and care of City Hall.

With nothing but vile, the contender of the opposition has been reduced to shouting, shouting and shouting.

He may have bought all the available blocktime on radio. Spent millions on Facebook promotion and boosting, Google adsense and troll farms. But nothing substitutes for experience. Virtual reality is not reality.

People have experienced the difference now. As one taxi driver puts it, buta ra gyud di makakita sa kalambuan sa syudad. Of course, he was talking figuratively, even the differently abled persons have benefited from the city’s social and welfare services.

Let this man shout. He shouts in his radio program, he shouts in their pulong pulong, he shouts at his staff over anything like that missing megaphone. Tao lang po, said another observer. When you have only the campaign staff and carry on crowd, you need to shout so people in their houses will hear, yes hear, maybe disturbed from watching Probinsyano or Halik, but listening?

The only challenge now for the camp of Mayor Moreno is to deliver further the message to the people, to make clearer the election proposition.

From what I noticed, the proposition is that the choices in this election is not diverse. In fact, from top, down there is only one choice. Of course, I am biased.

I foresee the 45-day local campaign period as an exposition, a celebration, of the accomplishments of the Moreno administration. It could also be a time for visioning the short term, at least, development of the city.

The other side on the other hand can up its ante and bring in more bags of tricks. Nothing to be underestimated, but methinks, the people themselves know what to do when shove comes to a push.

A clean sweep for the Team OKKA? Maybe, why not?

Hapsay ang dakbayan kung kaabag ang tanan indeed sounds like a good proposition.

(The writer is a former journalist. He now does PR consultancy and community development work as head of the Pinoy Aksyon for Governance and the Environment.)