"Animals have come to mean so much in our lives. We live in a fragmented and disconnected culture. Politics are ugly, religion is struggling, technology is stressful, and the economy is unfortunate. What's one thing that we have in our lives that we can depend on? A dog or a cat loving us unconditionally, every day, very faithfully."--Jon Katz
By Alex P. Vidal
NEW YORK CITY -- Iloilo City mayoral candidate Pacita Gonzalez's real liabilities are not the "disloyal" barangay leaders who were willing to support her estranged partymates, Councilors Joshua Alim and Plaridel Nava, but adamant to go all out for her.
They are the members of the "hutik-hutik brigada" or "whisper brigade" who have no expertise and background in political planning and organization, but were giving her false hopes and feeding her with unrealistic expectations.
Some of these cretins probably had popped out from Dr. Pacita's social circles where she had been constantly showered with dazzling and bewitching perorations and adulation meant to massage her ego and otherwise.
As to their motives, we can only speculate.
The power of beso-beso.
-o0o-
In the first place, who convinced Dr. Gonzalez--or who gave her the silly idea she could handily beat frontrunning candidates, Mayor Jose "Joe III" Espinosa III and Rep. Geronimo "Jerry" Trenas in a three-cornered (with due respect to other candidates) fight in the May elections?
Who duped her into believing that President Rodrigo R. Duterte might endorse her candidacy over the two "former allies of (former mayor) Jed Patrick Mabilog"?
Who brainwashed Dr. Gonzalez that majority of the political leaders in the metropolis' 180 barangays who "benefited a lot" from her late husband, former justice secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. when the latter was still the congressman in Iloilo City's lone district in the late 90's, are still intact and "will never turn their back as a token of their appreciation to the late Gonzalez patriarch's past benevolence"?
-o0o-
Who mesmerized her that because both Trenas and Espinosa are magbilas or brothers-in-law, their political feud will boomerang against them and benefit the third party candidate?
That because of the break-up, some confused and disappointed supporters of both Trenas and Espinosa III would shift to other candidates.
Who assured her that if she would tandem with the two incumbent city councilors (and form the AlGoNa triumvirate), the love affair will end up in the altar and last 'till eternity?
For sure, Dr. Pacita swallowed all the sweet talks and umbrageous warranty from the braggarts she thought were the best political salespersons and analysts in the world hook, line, and sinker.
Thus she decided to run for city mayor (against the wishes of her son, former Iloilo City Rep. Raul "Jun" Gonzalez Jr?).
-o0o-
As to the barangay political leaders, it's a waste of time and energy to impeach their characters.
Even if they used to be the late secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr's most loyal and rabid supporters, the object of their political admiration and love is no longer around, or is not anymore the candidate.
Times have changed; people--including their loyalties and alliances--change, too.
Many of them have already turned as "Judases" to the Gonzalez family as manifested by the late secretary Gonzalez's shocking defeat to Mabilog in the 2010 mayoral contest.
And once they were no longer in power (son Raul Jr. was also dethroned by Trenas for the city's lone congressional district), most of those barangay political leaders have already jumped ship and embraced the new emperor.
The Gonzalezes have lost them a long time ago--or three elections ago.
You can't kick out those who are already in the other political fence.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies)
Showing posts with label #AlGoNa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #AlGoNa. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Where the hell is Raul Jr?
"The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best."
--Epictetus
By Alex P. Vidal
NEW YORK CITY -- It looks like the widow of the late justice secretary Raul M. Gonzalez Sr. will have to comb Iloilo City's 180 barangays alone by her lonesome self to woo the Ilonggos' votes when the campaign for the local positions in the May Philippine elections officially begins.
This will only happen if Dr. Pacita Gonzalez can't iron out the kinks with her running mates, Councilors Joshua Alim and Plaridel Nava, on time with barely two weeks before the campaign sorties hit fever-pitch.
They have been known as the triumvirate of AlGoNa: Alim for congressman in the city's lone district; Gonzalez for city mayor; and Nava for vice mayor.
Eight candidates are running for city council under their opposition ticket.
-o0o-
AlGoNa reportedly suffered an ugly dent recently when Alim and Nava rejected Dr. Gonzalez's order to kick out barangay leaders who appeared to have cast their lot only for Alim and Nava but not Dr. Gonzalez.
Most of these barangay leaders apparently have already committed to support either Mayor Jose "Joe III" Espinosa III or Rep. Geronimo "Jerry" Trenas, who are both Dr. Gonzalez's rivals.
Dr. Gold, daughter of Dr. Gonzalez, probably sensed something unusual with the way the barangay leaders behaved when they faced them, and during background checks; she didn't want her mother to look like a carpetbagger and a fool.
The daughter Gonzalez was aware her mom was willing to shell out the campaign kitty's biggest chunk for the entire bets in the team, thus they wanted to make sure they were investing for the right barangay leaders, not spies and "double croppers".
In a tit for a tat, Nava also probably didn't like the way Dr. Gold's thinking was trying to influence her mom's decision-making.
Nava scored Dr. Gold's "paranoia" and "political immaturity."
He and Alim refused to abandon the barangay leaders during the "crucial" moment.
-o0o-
Dr. Gonzalez has lagged behind in the most recent "surveys" even before the purported split with Alim and Nava occurred.
But it seemed like Dr. Gonzalez's fate was sealed from the very start.
Before she announced her candidacy and agreed to tandem with the two lawyers third quarter in 2018, Espinosa and Trenas have already secured in the bag the commitment of most barangay leaders.
The tug-of-war and backdoor maneuvering started before and after the barangay elections two years earlier.
In other words, most barangay leaders may have already been "well taken care of" by both Espinosa and Trenas and, most likely, left nothing for Dr. Gonzalez but the crumbs if not the spoils.
Alim and Nava must've managed to "squeeze in" and secured the commitment of other barangay leaders because they have been in the league for quite some time; as incumbent councilors they have built-in bulwarks.
-o0o-
And the most telling, and, perhaps, the deafening hiss and gnawing bewilderment in the campaign conversation that has not been openly blurted out is, where the hell is former Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr. amid all this hullabaloo?
Their mommy Pacita's campaign management has been wounded in the capillaries, and Raul Jr. has not surfaced to help stop the hemorrhage.
Instead, it seems he allowed inexperienced and neophyte sister Gold to take the driver's seat in a rough ride he alone, based in his experience as a former congressman, has the capability and expertise to tackle.
Is it possible that before any internal wrangling had swept through the AlGoNa bandwagon, a more catastrophic internal rift was already boiling within the Gonzalez family over the matriarch's insistence to join in the May elections?
NEW YORK CITY -- It looks like the widow of the late justice secretary Raul M. Gonzalez Sr. will have to comb Iloilo City's 180 barangays alone by her lonesome self to woo the Ilonggos' votes when the campaign for the local positions in the May Philippine elections officially begins.
This will only happen if Dr. Pacita Gonzalez can't iron out the kinks with her running mates, Councilors Joshua Alim and Plaridel Nava, on time with barely two weeks before the campaign sorties hit fever-pitch.
They have been known as the triumvirate of AlGoNa: Alim for congressman in the city's lone district; Gonzalez for city mayor; and Nava for vice mayor.
Eight candidates are running for city council under their opposition ticket.
-o0o-
AlGoNa reportedly suffered an ugly dent recently when Alim and Nava rejected Dr. Gonzalez's order to kick out barangay leaders who appeared to have cast their lot only for Alim and Nava but not Dr. Gonzalez.
Most of these barangay leaders apparently have already committed to support either Mayor Jose "Joe III" Espinosa III or Rep. Geronimo "Jerry" Trenas, who are both Dr. Gonzalez's rivals.
Dr. Gold, daughter of Dr. Gonzalez, probably sensed something unusual with the way the barangay leaders behaved when they faced them, and during background checks; she didn't want her mother to look like a carpetbagger and a fool.
The daughter Gonzalez was aware her mom was willing to shell out the campaign kitty's biggest chunk for the entire bets in the team, thus they wanted to make sure they were investing for the right barangay leaders, not spies and "double croppers".
In a tit for a tat, Nava also probably didn't like the way Dr. Gold's thinking was trying to influence her mom's decision-making.
Nava scored Dr. Gold's "paranoia" and "political immaturity."
He and Alim refused to abandon the barangay leaders during the "crucial" moment.
-o0o-
Dr. Gonzalez has lagged behind in the most recent "surveys" even before the purported split with Alim and Nava occurred.
But it seemed like Dr. Gonzalez's fate was sealed from the very start.
Before she announced her candidacy and agreed to tandem with the two lawyers third quarter in 2018, Espinosa and Trenas have already secured in the bag the commitment of most barangay leaders.
The tug-of-war and backdoor maneuvering started before and after the barangay elections two years earlier.
In other words, most barangay leaders may have already been "well taken care of" by both Espinosa and Trenas and, most likely, left nothing for Dr. Gonzalez but the crumbs if not the spoils.
Alim and Nava must've managed to "squeeze in" and secured the commitment of other barangay leaders because they have been in the league for quite some time; as incumbent councilors they have built-in bulwarks.
-o0o-
And the most telling, and, perhaps, the deafening hiss and gnawing bewilderment in the campaign conversation that has not been openly blurted out is, where the hell is former Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr. amid all this hullabaloo?
Their mommy Pacita's campaign management has been wounded in the capillaries, and Raul Jr. has not surfaced to help stop the hemorrhage.
Instead, it seems he allowed inexperienced and neophyte sister Gold to take the driver's seat in a rough ride he alone, based in his experience as a former congressman, has the capability and expertise to tackle.
Is it possible that before any internal wrangling had swept through the AlGoNa bandwagon, a more catastrophic internal rift was already boiling within the Gonzalez family over the matriarch's insistence to join in the May elections?
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