Timing is what we all need

Butch Bagabuyo

“Timing is the trigger that unleashes the power to conquer.” – Donald G. Krause, The Art of War for executives

THE “Aldub nation’s” popular choice in Tagalog, “sa tamang panahon,” is now a vogue. The phrase serves as the catch-all answer to any difficult situation. But I would humbly submit that our Cebuano version of the same phrase is more in keeping with our belief that the presidency is providential.  In Cebuano we would say, “panahon ang mag igo” instead of “sa insaktong panahon.” Undoubtedly, the latter gives the authority to man rather than to time/God. Gets mo?

Truly in all elections in our country the result has always been dictated by time rather than by planning and perfect execution of the plan. In fact, I have always adopted the view that politics is an art rather than science. It being so, planning is out of the question. But preparation is.

Needless to stress, the People Power Peaceful Revolution of 1986 proves that money and power are subsumed by timing or, better still, by providence.

And if only to refresh our too short memories, allow me to bring us all back of the last local elections of 2013 with the caveat that “truths are blasphemies in the beginning” even as they appear as fictions rather than truths.

Here are the brutal facts:

Having narrowly escaped the “Klarex challenge” in the previous mayoral elections, former mayor and clearly ailing Dongkoy Emano wasted no time in drawing an elaborate plan to ensure landslide victory in the next local elections in 2013. He then summoned individually his mathematicians and a few trusted alalays, not spin doctors.

Take note that dictators always want their followers to believe that they are intellectuals. So, every time a meeting of leaders is deemed necessary, they always make a prior briefing from authorities on every facet of the matter at hand. But the guidance has to be confidential with a caveat that once the instructions are known by anybody else, the summoned alalay is doomed forever. And so it came to pass that all the barangay chairmen in the second district of our city were lured with the use of the “3Gs” to become Padayon Pilipino die-hards.

At the same time, knowing full well that the then 1st District Congressman Benjo Benaldo takes his words as impeccable laws to be implemented to its fullest, Emano created a fantasy designed to make his protégé assign to him the biggest slice of the congressman’s PDAF.

The rest is the hard downfall of poor Benjo even before the fight begun. Emano thought in vain then, as he is now repeating the same mistake, that the cliché “divide and conquer” is a hard and fast rule it being found in the Art of War by Sun Tzu. Like all hard-headed despots, they are convinced by their own folly that they are infallible so much so that when they commit a mistake the same is bound to be repeated, as what is happening today, because they are in constant hallucination. They always find somebody else to blame for their own stupidity.

For the benefit of all Kagay-anons who have already filed their certificates of candidacy, allow me to give out a few pointers. Take it or leave it.

• The revival of the Breakfast Club in our city is designed to give Kagay-anons of all walks in life the singular opportunity to know whom to vote for on May 9, 2016. Of course, everybody knows by now who is my personal choice for the mayorship of our city. Hence, it would be the height of stupidity if I would use the forum to advance the chances of my candidate. Let me expound a little.

During the time of Emano, some kind of a weekly and expensive people’s day was held during election period at enormous expense of the city’s resources. That was plain electioneering. Period. And in all those weekly fora, candidates other than the team of the incumbent city mayor were not welcome, and, in fact, barred. Yet every single centavo spent during those outings belongs to the poor people of our city. And the only reason why those gatherings were meant to be exclusive for the candidates of the administration and their supporters was to ensure that those who benefit from such gatherings would vote for the incumbents or the mayor’s candidates. Right? But not this time.

As the Plazans say, “Si Jess dili gyud parehas sa uban”– meaning, you may have the gold but because that is stolen from our government coffers, we have ways of making it boomerang, and imprisonment to the public official concerned. So, beware. All the eyes are on you. This is not Misamis Oriental. And our city is not only a City of Golden Friendship. It is also the home of brave intellectuals. We have proven that again in 2013 elections, hence, it would now be a walk in the park, as a matter of saying.

• Clearly, therefore, in any candidates’ fora such as if not, especially the Breakfast Club, the organizers have no other choice but to be fair to all the candidates despite their individual preferences. It would be self-defeating for any candidate worth his salt to avoid such splendid opportunity to excel. After all, the better aspirants would always want to be on the same stage with his competitors. Gets mo?
• Lastly, because elections in our city, as it is in all democratic countries, is an art, and definitely not science, timing is crucial–it could spell victory or defeat if not taken at the right moment.

To repeat what I’ve written, with the cooperation of media practitioners, yours truly deemed it best to revive our dignified and wellespected Breakfast Club. And God permitting, the revival starts on the last Saturday (28th) of November, this year, and every Saturday thereafter.

To ensure that the best in every candidate is made to shine in every edition of our Breakfast Club, opposing candidates are invited a week before the show. Further, as envisioned, each opposing candidate will be given five minutes to speak on matters closest to his heart. After which the opposing aspirant is similarly given the same time to expound on what he believes is best for our city and people. Thereafter, the moderator allows accredited members of media to respectfully ask, but not to debate with, the candidates on matters relevant to their speeches; both candidates shall have the same number of questions fielded from the accredited and duly recognized members of the Club. Then the moderator will speak on the burning issue(s) of the week. After which, the opposing candidates will give their respective comments on the matter followed by an open forum. The show shall be carried live on both radio and on cable TV even as news reporters, columnists and radio/TV hosts shall choose their wild on their respective entities.