Churchill Aguilar  REP. Rufus Rodriguez has officially expressed his intention to run for mayor in Cagayan de Oro. His entry to the mayoral race will surely change the landscape of our local politics. For some, his move is perceived to be the answer of the Kagay-anon’s clamor for a new color to rise and put an end to the tug-of-war of power between the purple and the yellow. I have yet to know his platforms but from how we have seen him perform over the years as representative of the 2nd District, his outlook is the balance of soft infra and hard infra. If Oca was known for the classrooms and roads he built while Dongkoy was known for his love for the poor people, Rufus’s charisma would be the combination of both––a development that is sensitive to the poor. Another angle which I find Rufus to have an edge with (although it is not an assurance) is that among the three, he and only he is a native of Cagayan de Oro. Birth of origin may look like an issue of paper only but for someone who has moved from place to place, the love of home is like blood––always thicker than water. A true Kagay-anon would never allow politics to come before the welfare of his people-his brothers and sisters. Although I am not saying that it is the ultimate measure but it can be a valid forecast. I still would not know with certainty how Rufus will perform as a mayor, I can only hope for the better. One thing is for sure, I would be as vigilant in tracking his programs as I am with Oca and Dongkoy. I would either be a fan who would cheer for his future achievements or a critic who would question his every move. In fairness to Oca and Dongkoy, they have been remarkable leaders in their respective terms despite the circus. It’s just that politics and bickering got the better of them that they ended up playing a tug-of-war which resulted in a gridlock at the cost of the Kagay-anons. Rufus has been a veteran politician, too, so I would suspect that he too would have skeletons in his closet. His name was even dragged in the PDAF scandal of which he categorically denied. But just looking at how our city was run over the last six years, I would say it would not hurt to try a new color. He may just be the game changer we have long been waiting for––the one that can bring inclusive economic growth, sensitive to the poor and the marginalized.