Why everyone wants to become vice governor

"If we open a quarrel between past and present, we shall find that we have lost the future." Winston Churchill

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Is year 2016 the right time to become vice governor of Iloilo province in the Philippines?
We suspect even former Philippine Coconut Administrator (PCA) administrator Oscar "Oca" Garin Sr. is itching to become vice governor.
His aim actually is to eventually capture capitol, the only tiara missing in his political resume. 
But the formidable Garins of Iloilo's first district has officially fielded Guimbal mayor Christine against Rep. Neil "Junjun" Tupas Jr., "gunslinger" of another powerful political clan in the fifth district.
The patriarch Garin can still substitute for his daughter in the eleventh hour as the Garins are wont to do in the previous polls.
Both the Garin and Tupas clans were supposed to be "united" under one political roof of Pres. Noynoy Aquino with a modus vivendi to support the reelection of Gov. Arthur "Art" Defensor Sr.
Everything was going well until the deadline for the filing of certificate of candidacy (COC) in the Commission on Elections recently.

FALLOUT

The apparent fallout between the Garins and Tupases happened when Junjun decided the run the gamut from the congressional match-up in his district involving his younger brother, Vice Governor Raul "Boboy", against Junjun's wife, Angeli Lee, to the province's second highest position, where he himself is the candidate purportedly representing the Liberal Party (LP).
Feeling "betrayed", the Garins responded with a Queen's Indian Defense vis-a-vis the Tupases' Fianchetto.
And the die cast.
Had it not been for the imposing leadership by LP big man, Senate President Franklin Drilon, Junjun or any member of the clan, for that matter, would've challenged Defensor, who is on his last term.
Or the Garins versus Defensor.
But because no powerful clan can now touch Defensor with a ten- foot pole in as far as the 2016 elections are concerned, they are now up for a battle royale in the vice gubernatorial post.
With or without intervention of President Aquino and Drilon, everyone will salivate for the capitol's second highest position. 
The scuttlebutt is that due to health reasons, Defensor might decide to yield his position and give way to the vice governor before 2019.
Thus, the Tupas versus Garin toss up has become a fait accompli.