By CONG B. CORRALES Associate Editor, LITO RULONA and NITZ ARANCON Correspondents BITCH-SLAPPINGS and “action-packed” entertainment characterized yesterday’s final debate among mayoral and vice mayoral candidates here. The approximately four-hour public debate however offered Cagayanons a rare glimpse of how the politicians think and behave, and how they react under pressure like scarred gladiators in an arena. The three presidential debates paled in comparison. They started out the debates swinging, and the crowd of about 4,000 loved every minute of the event. The “silence” card of the organizers did nothing to stop the crowd from heckling the candidates on stage. Like the Three Stooges, former mayor Vicente Emano acted out like the bully Moe, Mayor Oscar Moreno behaved like the wimped out Curly, and 2nd District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez the eager-beaver Larry. Right off the bat, the three had a shtick on what chair to use. Emano complained that the chair was too high for him. Moreno first offered his chair, then Rodriguez came over to Emano and offered his. This exchange drew a loud guffaw from the audience. Emano stood his ground that the city was at its greatest during his 15-year administration, and that only he could make it great again. “You can just drop this two candidates,” Emano told the rowdy crowd. Emano appeared restless and was pacing on the stage whenever he answered questions. He couldn’t finish his rebuttals most of time since he would pace towards Moreno’s place in the center stage before he would give his answer. His voice was wavering and he was barely comprehensible. Rodriguez, for his part, belittled Emano’s 15 years of “achievements.” “If the tax collection during your (Emano) time was good, why does the city have so many outstanding debts?” asked Rodriguez rhetorically. Called by Moreno a “sirok” (eager-beaver), Rodriguez was so hyped in answering the questions. He echoed the slogan of presidential frontrunner Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s “tapang at puso.” As for Moreno, he appeared weak when he started a litany of things he could have done had the city council not blocked his programs. The debate organizers fielded six thematic questions: environment and health, urban planning, traffic management, taxation, and drugs, and crime. The crowd started to heckle Moreno when he became predictable in his answers to tough questions--he repeatedly blamed the city council for all of city hall’s shortcomings. The crowd started booing Moreno when he blamed the legislative body from the third question and onwards. On several occasions, Moreno was on the defensive as Emano and Rodriguez ganged up on him. His two challengers confronted him about the peace and order problem, the controversial Ajinomoto-city hall tax settlement, his administration’s failure to close the city dump and make use of a Pagatpat property to open a new one, and the alleged overpriced classrooms, an accusation the reelectionist mayor strongly denied. Emano was not spared by his two political opponents who pointed out that his administration failed to address the same concerns during his 15-year watch. The controversial Telepono sa Barangay program and city hall’s deal with Scantel, the multimillion-peso loans he secured during his administration, and controversial infrastructure projects, among others, hounded Emano. Rodriguez, in contrast, outlined his programs and even gave details which at times, sounded too ambitious. Emano and Moreno, for their part, were busy bitch-slapping each other for the most part of the debate. Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas and his challengers Joaquin Rainier Uy and Councilor Roger Abaday after their debate at the Atrium of Limketkai center. (photos  by nitz arancon)

Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas and his challengers Joaquin Rainier Uy and Councilor Roger Abaday after their debate at the Atrium of Limketkai center.(photos  by nitz arancon)

Wager

Earlier, Moreno’s running mate Joaquin Rainer Uy shone during the vice mayoral debate, showing that his being a son of a congressman is not his only asset. Uy engaged Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas, and muted the city’s second highest official with a dare in connection with the controversial “piso-piso” land distribution program implemented by city hall during the Emano administration. He asked why the Emano administration failed to give “piso-piso” beneficiaries genuine land titles during its 15-year rule. In contrast, he said, the Moreno administration was able to distribute land titles to over 800 relocation program beneficiaries in just three years. Acenas did not answer Uy’s question and instead mocked the Moreno administration’s land distribution program, saying the land titles remained under the name of city hall. “Nanghatag lagi ug titulo, apan ngalan man gihapon sa city hall,” said Acenas. Acenas’s response prompted Uy to make a wager: if he (Uy) shows documentary evidence that the the Moreno administration made sure that lots are now owned by beneficiaries, the vice mayor should withdraw from the race. Uy said he would withdraw if Acenas proves him wrong. Uy’s wager shut Acenas up. Councilor Roger Abaday, another vice mayoral candidate, said he agreed with Uy. “I second the motion of Kikang (Uy).” Abaday said the Centrist Democratic Party (CDP) plans to step up city hall’s land banking program so as to ensure decent housing for the poor.