Obet Armada ‘missed’ the Comelec deadline

“Sometimes it's the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.” -- Drake

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Former Iloilo Vice Governor Roberto “Obet” Armada arrived in the Philippines on November 29, 2018 night from a one-month “spiritual journey” in the United States, thus he wasn’t able to “beat the deadline” for the last day of substitution and withdrawal set by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) for the May 2019 elections.
Even if the now 54-year-old life insurance executive was able to land in Manila earlier, he still wouldn’t file his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for congressman in the third district of Iloilo as replacement for candidate Emmanuel “Manny” Gallar contrary to the expectations of Armada’s supporters.
Board member and former Bombo Radyo Iloilo anchorman Gallar will now face fellow board member Lorenz Defensor, son of Iloilo Governor Arthur “Art” Defensor Sr.
Political leaders and supporters wanted Armada to run against Defensor instead of Gallar who was mistaken as only a “token” candidate.
They believed that Armada “would have strong chances compared to Gallar as he still has vast and solid followers and supporters particularly in Cabatuan, Janiuay, Lambunao, Pototan, Badiangan, Mina, Calinog, and Maasin.”

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Did he intentionally “escape” to the United States and wait for the Comelec deadline for substitution and withdrawal to pass before coming home?
“No,” was Armada’s quick answer when I asked him point-blank during our meeting at Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn on November 14, 2018, where he was accompanied by his Staten Island-based brother, Nestor, a retired industrial engineer and scientist.
“I have decided with finality not to join in politics again next year,” confirmed Armada, who was sworn as Iloilo governor by Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno during the “Capitol siege” on January 17, 2007.
When I asked him “how about after 2019?” He just smiled.
He went to the United States “not to escape the heat of political climate in Iloilo,” he swore, but “to find closure in this chapter of my life.”
A devout Catholic, Armada went to San Juan Capistrano Church in San Juan Capistrano in the Orange County, California on November 19th.

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It was there where Armada’s late “Mommy Thelma” heard mass on July 2, 2006.
“It was a beautiful Sunday. The sunny but cool California weather was an ideal time to be outdoors. The place was meaningful to her ... and my Dad. This was where she spent the last couple of hours of her life on that fateful day,” narrated Armada.
“I took the road where she traveled from the church and the time Zach, my Nephew who lives in the neighboring area of Rancho Palos Verdes, noticed that she was more than just sleeping at the backseat of the car.
The Journey for me was painful. But I'm glad that, at last, I will be able to find closure in this chapter of my life.”
The former vice governor, who had also served as vice mayor of Janiuay town in Iloilo, added: “It took me more than a decade to muster the strength to confront and reconcile with this ‘Tragedy!’ I know I was not an ideal son to her, perhaps by any standard I was way below being good. But I have done, in the last score of her life, what I could possibly do to make her happy, however short, when she was alive and well. I hope I have given her, with what I have become, the pride and honor she truly deserved. I hope.”

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Armada’s US trip was all dedicated to frolicking and visiting America’s historical and spiritual hubs from the East to the West Coast.
He also went into a pilgrimage in Philadelphia on November 17th and visited the chapel where the incorrupted body of St. John Neumann was placed in a glass.
Armada recalled that “Neuman died over a century ago. When his body was exhumed recently (30-40 years ago) it remained intact. He was the Archbishop of Philadelphia and made a lot of contribution in evangelizing most of the East Coast States. Coincidentally, he belonged to the Redemptorists (C.S.s.R.) Order. The 5th Saint along with Sts. Patrick, Alphonsus, Gerard and our school's Patron Saint, St.Clement.”

A silent river doesn’t mean there are no crocodiles

“In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.”
--Franklin D. Roosevelt

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Mayor Oscar “Oca” Garin Sr. of Guimbal, Iloilo in the Philippines did not want the people to further speculate why he filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the same position targeted earlier by his daughter-in-law, Dr. Janette Loreto-Garin, and incumbent Rep. Oscar “Richard” Garin Jr., thus he decided to withdraw.
Mayor Garin was aware the people weren’t convinced he really was interested to go back to congress when he has already found the oasis of happiness and satisfaction in his farm as a plain and simple “Oca Manguguma” when he is not in the municipal hall.
People who have been watching the clan’s political dynamics knew that as an astute political tactician, “Tatay Oca” would never allow anyone to read their plans, much less influence the course of their future as a vortex dynasty.
Until the eleventh hour, “Tatay Oca” will continue to keep the aces up his sleeves and won’t let other card players predict his game plan.
Let’s not count the political maestro out yet.

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His move to withdraw, already expected by both his critics and admirers since day one, will pave the way for his son to run for reelection against the clan’s favorite election whipping boy, Gerardo “Gerry” Flores, a retired police general and former mayor of Miag-ao, Iloilo.
The clan, which has been politically dominant in the first district for more then 30 years now, is supporting Iloilo fourth district Rep. Ferjenel “Ferj” Biron, who is running for governor against Iloilo third district Rep. Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr.
Even if he has already gotten the patriarch’s imprimatur, Biron shouldn’t neglect the “Baywatch.”
Don’t think that there are no crocodiles just because the river is silent, sir.
While he is still alive and active in politics, the patriarch Garin is expected to find ways how to worm his way to become the next vice governor and eventually governor, the only two integral positions missing in his public service arsenal.

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A candidate for Iloilo City councilor has reportedly agreed to settle his debt to a female former city hall casual employee in the amount of P30,000 for fear the casual employee might “spill the beans” during the campaign period.
The candidate, who badly needs a job because of his mounting financial obligations, did not want the issue to be used against him during the campaign period as it might cripple his chances to win.
“I already sent him several demand letters but he all ignored them,” protested the former casual employee from Brgy. Dulonan, Arevalo, Iloilo City.
She agreed to lend money to the candidate with a promise that he would pay it from September to December 2017.
The former casual employee described the candidate for city councilor as “sickly” and was once hired by the Mabilog administration as casual employee after he lost in the 2016 elections.
“Nagpakitlooy sia nga mahulam kuarta kay gina dialysis kuno sia, but when it was time for him to pay he gave me a lot of problems,” the former casual employee cried.
When the candidate for city councilor did not honor his obligations, she sought the help of barangay authorities in Dulonan, Arevalo.
The former casual employee said her decision to demand payment from the candidate for city councilor “has nothing to do” with the recent decision of Mayor Jose “Joe III” Espinosa III to fire her and several other fellow casual workers.
The candidate for city councilor will reportedly start paying her in November 2019.
“Kon indi gid man sia magbayad ipa sa Diyos ko na lang ini tanan,” she wrote to me.

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0 SUPER SNEAKY WEIGHT-LOSS SECRETS: 1. Never food-shop without gum 2. Ditch your tupperware 3. Give your guy the first bite 4. Sip from only one type of glass 5. Dish it out 6. Eat after happy hour 7. End your workout with protein 8. Love pretzels 9. Lose the serving dishes 10. Drink after-dinner coffee. SOURCES: Cornwell University Food and Brand Lab; Nutrition and Metabolism Specialist Jana Klauer, M.D.
EIGHT THINGS GUYS NOTICE ABOUT LADIES INSTANTLY: 1. How thick their hair is 2. If their smile is genuine 3. The size of their group 4. The pitch of their voice 5. Their hip-to-waist ratio 6. Their glowiness 7. What's fake about them 8. Their eyes. SOURCE: Daniel Amen, MD, author of The Brain and Love

SIX WORST THINGS A LADY CAN SAY TO A GUY: 1. You're so much better than all the other jerks I've dated 2. Can you really afford that? 3. So we're running a little late. Relax 4. He's a great guy--you should be friends with him 5. She made me promise not to tell, but...6. Don't be silly--I haven't done that in ages (Cosmopolitan, November 2009 issue)

Rep. Gorriceta’s interest in Pacman vs Floyd Jr brawl

“Boxing is not about your feelings. It's about performance.”
--Manny Pacquiao

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- We have not heard from Iloilo second district Rep. Arcadio “Cadio” H. Gorriceta for a long time now.
What we learned from sources is that he has been under strict medical treatment and has not been active in congressional works for a while.
His colleagues in the House of Representatives and local supporters reportedly missed him.
This must be the primary reason why the congressman, responsible for ousting the hitherto imperishable Syjuco couple in an election six years ago, would no longer seek reelection next year.
It will be his son, Pavia mayor Michael “Mike” Gorriceta, who will run for congressman in the second district of Iloilo against Sta. Barbara mayor Dennis Superficial.
We are not familiar with Rep. Gorriceta’s ailment and the nature of treatment he has been going through, but because he has decided to back out silently, it’s now improbable if he can still make a political comeback in the future especially if Mayor Gorriceta will win next year, with due respect to the good Mayor Superficial.

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The last time I saw Rep. Gorriceta was sometime in April 2015 in Iloilo City weeks before I flew back to the United States to cover the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 2, 2015 in Las Vegas.
He invited me for a chat over a cup of coffee in the morning at the Smallville to get my opinion about the mega duel.
“I believe in your predictions and analysis, Alex; I have been reading your articles and listening to you (on radio). I am not a gambler and I never placed a bet, but just for fun, who do you think will win?” the congressman asked.
“Mayweather will win by decision,” I replied to Rep. Gorriceta without hesitation.
I explained that the American black ring superstar was then aiming to erase Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record, thus he or his handlers would not risk his date with history if they weren’t sure of out-duking the hard-hitting Filipino boxer-cum-politician.
Furthermore, from the technical aspect of analysis, I told Rep. Gorriceta that Mayweather was a scientific fighter, while Pacquiao was a street fighter and a brawler rolled into one.

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I added: “Mayweather is a slick puncher and someone who brings a bicycle inside the ring, while Pacquiao is a never-say-die fighter who moves forward like a hungry wolf ready to devour his foe for a disposal and might expose himself for a target shooting to lure Mayweather.
“The problem is, lanky Mayweather will never slug it out; he will fight from a distance and backpedal to escape Pacquiao’s bombs, pile up points, confuse the Filipino customer, and safely coast to a points victory after 12 boring rounds.”
I cited to the congressman, who had also served as Pavia mayor before conquering former Rep. Augusto “Buboy” Syjuco in the 2013 congressional elections, the following mega fights in the past: Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier (the “Thrilla in Manila” or third fight), Alexis Arguello vs Rolando Navarette, Thomas Hearns vs Roberto Duran, Frankie Genaro vs Pancho Villa, among other epic ring battles involving scientific boxers and brawlers as the basis for my analysis.
I also mentioned Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco Jr.’s ill-fated light-flyweight gold medal bout versus Bulgaria’s Ivailo Hristov in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
Onyok wasn’t cheated contrary to the false protests of biased and angry fanatics, I intoned. He was beaten by a taller and scientific fighter in a five-man jury.

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“Well, I will not question your opinion although I like Pacquiao not only because he is a Filipino but because he made us all proud by his impressive boxing skills. Good luck on your coverage and I will monitor your reports,” Rep. Gorriceta said.
In Las Vegas, when Mayweather defeated Pacquiao by a 12-round unanimous decision, I immediately recalled my conversation with Rep. Gorriceta.
I was sure he monitored my “live” reports as well as my pre and post fight analysis in the Philippine newspapers and radio networks.
Get well soon. Rep. Gorriceta.
By the way, they are saying there will be a Mayweather vs Pacquiao rematch.
Ignore and forget this crap or a piece of joke.

‘Tell it to the marines, Tatay Oca!’

"My comeback was not about winning or losing; it was about the feeling of being able to compete at top level again."
-- Thomas Muster
By Alex P. Vidal


NEW YORK CITY -- Ilonggos in the Philippines have known Guimbal, Iloilo Mayor Oscar “Oca” Garin Sr. to be a master of political surprises.

We are actually familiar with his style or what they incandescently call in the first district of Iloilo as “Oca’s strategy.”
We know that if he says he wants to tandem with Pinocchio today, he will tap Bugs Bunny for his partner tomorrow. Or vice versa.
That’s why many of us laughed when he claimed “I didn’t know” that his daughter-in-law, former health secretary, Dr. Janette Loreto-Garin, was also filing her certificate of candidacy (COC) for congressman.
Mayor Garin told reporters he was “surprised” to see Dr. Loreto-Garin outside the Commission on Elections (Comelec), when he filed his COC for congressman in the first district of Iloilo.
He reportedly asked her, “ma file ka man? Nag file man ako (You want to file your COC for the same position? I already filed mine)?”
Whoa.
Tell it to the marines, Tatay Oca!
And if Dr. Loreto-Garin will also declare “I didn’t know Tatay Oca would file his COC for congressman”, we will tell her, “indeed, it takes two to tango.”

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Mayor Garin, Dr. Loreto-Garin, and Rep. Oscar “Richard” Garin Jr. actually filed their COCs for the same position during the deadline on October 17, 2018.
Rep. Garin filed his COC ahead of the two on Oct 11, along with gubernatorial candidate and Iloilo fourth district Rep. Ferjenel Biron.
The congressman Garin joined his sister, Vice Governor Christine “Ting-Ting” Garin, who also filed her re-election bid in tandem with Biron.
Rep. Garin clarified later that his father and wife might withdraw so he can run for reelection against the clan’s perennial whipping boy, Gerardo “Gerry” Flores, a retired police general and former mayor of Miag-ao, Iloilo.
Rep. Garin vowed the family would come up with a final decision “on or before Nov. 29”, the Comelec deadline on the changing and dropping of candidates.

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We believe that the Garin clan will pave the way for Rep. Garin to face Flores.
It’s almost a crystal-clear scenario given Rep. Garin’s body language, pronouncements, and activities in the past weeks.
Another possible scenario is for the Garin patriarch--Tatay Oca--substituting for Vice Governor Garin, who might run for the House party-list.
It’s still unclear how will the clan complete the partition and what position are they preparing for the former health secretary who is being distracted by the energy-sapping Dengvaxia imbroglio.
Will Dr. Loreto-Garin end up as Guimbal mayoral candidate?

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Going back to Tatay Oca.
All eyes and ears are on this season political swashbuckler.
In all his more than 30 years in public service, Tatay Oca had already served as congressman, mayor, and appointed official (with a cabinet portfolio) under five presidents--Cory, FVR, Erap, Gloria, Duterte.
Except as vice governor and governor.
He had announced on several occasions he was retiring in politics “for good” or doing a busman’s holiday; and that he wanted to be known thereafter as “Oca Manguguma” or Oscar the Farmer.
Only fools don’t change their minds, as the saying goes.
Tatay Oca sprang back to power as mayor of Guimbal after years of political hiatus and became adviser only to all of the Garins active in public service.
Now, Tatay Oca is back. He is once again involved as a candidate himself at the end of his tether.
Let’s watch him; like Lazarus, he might knock the spots off and worm his way to the Capitol first as vice governor, and as governor next when many of us thought he has already fallen back to retirement.

Don’t rely on social media

“The more social media we have, the more we think we're connecting, yet we are really disconnecting from each other.”
--JOHN ARTHUR

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Social media like Facebook appears to be the most favorite platform of many candidates gunning for major seats in the Philippine elections on May 2019.
Just like in the 2016 elections, many candidates then relied heavily on the social media to propagate their programs and further tell their “friends” who they are and what are they capable of doing more once they are elected or reelected.
Some of those with edge in name recall didn’t find it hard to win with or without campaigning in the social media.
Some relatively unknown bets or newcomers, even if they spent a bulk of their free time advertising themselves as worthy candidates in the social media, ended by the wayside.
We also know of several prominent reelectionists who didn’t make it in the 2016 elections after giving their full time, trust and reliance on the social media
Reason?
They thought the social media is the end-all and be-all of the winning formula in the elections.
Wrong.
Not all of our (limited to only 5,000) “friends” in the social media can vote; not all are registered voters; not all of them will vote for us even if they belong in our provinces, districts, cities, or municipalities.
Not all of them are truly our "fans" with fanaticism or blind loyalty to us.

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Moral of the story: go out, move your butts, shake the hands of the people and visit places with rich voting population like public markets, churches, villages, terminal stations.
Participate in debates and media fora and actively speak in communities with large gatherings.
Go to the people directly, make eye-to-eye contact with them, touch their hearts and connect in their minds.
Social media can’t help elect any candidate.
We can’t convince the voters that we are genuine public servants, that we are good leaders and sincere aspirants for a public office by merely posting “selfie” photos, pictures of the food we eat in a popular restaurant and exotic vacation spots and countries we recently visited.
Social media is only good for pa-cute and pa-porma effect and doesn’t have the hard-wired power and influence to amaze or tantalize a true-blue and dyed-in-the-wool voter who genuinely cares for his province, district, city, and country as a whole.

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Like many fellow journalists in the Philippines and in other countries, we are closely monitoring the developments in the no-holds barred investigations being undertaken in the mysterious disappearance of our colleague, the brave Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was believed to be murdered and chopped to pieces when he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on October 2, 2018.
Here’s what we have gathered as of this writing (noontime, October 17, 2019 US Eastern time):
-There appeared to be a possible tie to the crown prince: Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, a Saudi diplomat and intelligence officer, is among the men under investigation by the Turkish authorities as part of the probe of the disappearance and suspected death of Khashoggi. Mutreb is closely connected to Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, a Saudi source told CNN.
-US-Turkey meetings: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and, separately, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Ankara. Each meeting lasted about 40 minutes. Pompeo did not make remarks after the meetings and has now left Turkey for Brussels.
-The Turkish investigation: Turkish investigators collected a large number of DNA samples from the Saudi consulate in Istanbul when they searched it Monday, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency reported Wednesday, without saying where the information came from.
-What hasn't been searched: Turkish officials have not yet searched the Saudi consul’s residence in Istanbul and it is not clear when they will. Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said Wednesday the search would happen “once a joint consensus is reached.”
We monitor this shocking news regularly and are very much interested on what will happen to the probe because like Khashoggi, we also write critical stories in a hope to help our government and not to topple it.
We maintain that journalists are partners of our government officials in public service, not enemies.

Biron vs Defensor: Icy rivalry like Carlsen vs Caruana, McEnroe vs Lendl

“The rivalry is with ourselves. I try to be better than is possible. I fight against myself, not against the other.”
-- Luciano Pavarotti

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- This is the first time in recent memory that two aspirants for governor of Iloilo Province in the Philippines haven’t used a mud, so far, to pull each other down in order to pull themselves up.
Although Dr. Ferjenel “Ferj” G. Biron and lawyer Arthur “Toto” R. Defensor Jr. belong to two clans with emerging tentacles for political dynasty, they appeared to have defined the local politics in a higher level and their brand of introducing themselves in public is just fair to middling.
Familiarity and camaraderie could be another factor why the gentlemen have maintained cordiality and restraint toward each other as colleagues in the House of Representatives: Biron (4th District) and Defensor (3rd District).
To the delight of Ilonggo voters, they haven’t used violent or bedraggled tactics to get someone’s goat, and are just focusing their forces on their platforms and what they are capable of doing once elected to the highest office in the province.

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Their balmy rivalry can be compared to the tranquility that attended the pre-match comportment of the forthcoming World Chess Championship rivalry between champion Magnus Carlsen (Norway) and challenger Fabiano Caruana (USA) which will be held in The College in Holborn, London on November 8-28, 2018.
Unlike the Fischer vs Spassky (1972), Karpov vs Korchnoi (1978), and Karpov vs Kasparov (1984) FIDE matches, there are no verbal fireworks, so far, between Carlsen, 27, and Caruana, 26.
This is a match between the top two players in the world in terms of FIDE Elo rating: Carlsen is world number one, and Caruana world number two.
This is quite unique in fact; the last time the world championship was a battle between the highest ranked chess players was in 1990 between Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov.
Carlsen dethroned Viswanathan Anand in 2013 in Chennai, and successfully defended his title against the same Indian grandmaster in 2014, and against Sergey Karjakin in 2016. Caruana will be his third match opponent next month.

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We also vividly recall the rivalry between tennis greats John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl in the 1980s.
There was no love lost between McEnroe and Lendl, who faced each other countless times in key matches.
Radio Praha’s Jan Velinger said the two have contrasting styles: McEnroe was unbridled emotion while Lendl kept a grim poker-face.
Their most famous match-up was in 1984 at the French Open where Lendl came back from two sets down to win his first grand slam title.
That particular match came down the wire: “Ivan Lendl has finally won a grand slam championship! He showed great courage in rallying from two sets down to accomplish it. For John McEnroe… an American once again leaves empty from Paris.”
While Lendl smiled when it was over, McEnroe did not wait for the mic to congratulate his opponent but instead walked off the court. The rivalry was nothing if not bitter.
But the two tennis legends have long since put mutual differences behind them.
Before their exhibition match in Bratislava, Slovakia in 2014, McEnroe addressed the story of a less than charitable comment once attributed to him.
“Ivan and I certainly had our moments where we weren’t the best of friends or getting along very well. But to me he is one of the very best players in the history of our sport, so… that comment that he was the ‘worst No.1’ definitely didn’t come from me. I played him too many times and lost to him too many times for that to be true.”

Who has the ‘right’ to be the next mayor?

“Leadership is a choice, not a position.”
--Stephen Covey

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- The most senior member of the Iloilo City Council, Atty. Eduardo “Ed” Peñaredondo, should have all the right to run for city mayor in May 2019.
Peñaredondo is even more senior than the feuding Mayor Jose “Joe III” Espinosa III and lone district Rep. Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas, although they are both his long-time buddies in the City Council.
Some Ilonggos believe that if the relationship between Espinosa and Treñas will remain frosty before Christmas, it’s better to pick another guy and abscond the two leading bets.
The problem is Peñaredondo, a very credible and highly competent leader, has not shown any interest for the top city hall job.
And even if he is interested, nobody from among his peers in the City Council is apparently ready to take him seriously as a potential mayoral contender, at least not yet.

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We believe though that most of his peers would be willing to endorse him if they weren’t ashamed to both Espinosa and Treñas.
And if they will rally behind Peñaredondo in unison, both Espinosa and Treñas will understand and won’t take it personally against them.
They city mayor and the congressman are not stony and insensitive.
They are aware that because of their unnecessary and useless altercation, their buddies in the City Council are awfully confused, affected and hurting.
Members of the City Council, including Peñaredondo, are actually in a quandary ever since the relationship between Espinosa and Treñas deteriorated and eventually nosedived.
They are torn between two lovers.
They have no reason to eschew neither Espinosa nor Treñas who have been and are still part of their political lives.

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Both gentlemen are actually special to them as they used to belong in one political family.
Their predicament is similar to children watching their parents argue but they can’t take sides because both father and mother are dear to them.
As a result of the misunderstanding between the city’s two highest officials, the city councilors are adamant to say or do something in as far as political issues in the city are concerned for fear they will be misinterpreted by both camps.
Even the department heads and some village officials--punong barangay and their councilors--are in the same dilemma.
They both love Espinosa and Treñas (in the first place, they weren’t enemies but allies aside from being mag bilas from the start of their political careers) but they need to choose and elect only one city mayor.

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Some people have this naughty suspicion that because Iloilo first district Rep. Oscar “Richard” Garin Jr. has declared that the Garin clan “is still not committed” in the gubernatorial contest in May 2019, the unpredictable family is “cooking up something.”
They theorize that one of the Garins “might also be interested to run” or the family is only trying to make pakipot and will continue to keep its cards hidden in its sleeves until the eleventh hour.
They also misinterpreted Rep. Garin’s actuation after seeing him on several occasions worming his way closer to President Rodrigo R. Duterte every time there was an opportunity.
Like in the recent SONA where Rep. Garin was caught in the camera smiling from ear to ear as he slowly approached and slightly tried to touch the president as the latter was shaking the hands of legislators while moving outside the Batasang Pambansa.
These doubting Thomases have probably forgotten that Rep. Garin’s wife, former health secretary Janette, is now in trouble because of the Dengvaxia mess.
Which is more important? To secure the graces of the president in order to win an important elective post in 2019, or to see your wife completely unburdened from any criminal liability? Think.

Speaker Alvarez is a bad influence to Ilonggos

“One of the most deadly causes of destruction of divine destinies is when a leader is failing, but he or she does not know it. Ignorance about your role is a death plot against people's successes.”
― Israelmore Ayivor

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- If I were a politician in the Philippines seeking reelection or higher elective position on May 14, 2019, I would avoid national leaders like House Speaker Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez.
The likes of Alvarez are morally unfit to lead the Filipinos; they are a bad influence and aren’t good role models for the youth.
Alvarez, 60, who is married to Emelita Apostol Alvarez, the current head of the Congressional Spouses Foundation, did not only defend his extramarital affair with one Jennifer Maliwanag Vicencio, he also “justified” it in public as if it’s a badge of honor.
Ilonggos and their leaders may not be perfect and immaculate, but they know the bounds of decency and indecency; they are cultured and educated in the best universities; and they venerate women as symbols of virtue and epitomes of chastity and courtesy.

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The representative from Davao del Norte, one of the big bosses of the ruling PDP-Laban party, also slut-shamed detained Sen. Leila de Lima for her romance with her driver during a House hearing in November 2017.
He is the same political leader being adored by traditional politicians in many parts of the Philippines who want to remain in power beyond 2019.
He is the same “Speaker Alvarez” being glorified by power-seekers and applicants for higher government positions owing to his closeness to President Rodrigo R. Duterte (although the president has been asserting he will never tolerate this) and for his lofty position in the PDP-Laban.
Every time he was in Iloilo or in Western Visayas, city and provincial incumbent and aspiring officials were in mad scramble to get his attention; they wanted to woo his blessings to anoint certain candidates for the next elections.

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In other words, these Ilonggo politicians are “worshiping” a false political god; they are barking--for “blessings” and campaign moola--at the poisonous and sinful tree.
Ilonggos, who are educated and decent, should reject politicians who glorify Alvarez, et al like they are demigods.
Alvarez and other hackneyed and dirty politicians are not the prototypical answers to the Filipino people’s most fundamental problems.
The Ilonggos, or the Filipinos for that matter, don’t need politicians as bond aides to solve their immediate needs, but leaders with economic and spiritual visions who can truly lead with dignity and inspiration.
We should eschew politicians who are vexatious to the nation’s soul and those with a convoluted sense of machismo and misplaced braggadocio.

Quo vadis, Iloilo politicians?

“Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.”
--Will Rogers

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- If self-confessed womanizer Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez is ousted as House speaker before the 2019 congressional elections, many Ilonggo politicians who have entrusted to him their political future will be in real big trouble.
There are strong whispers spreading around that majority of the Philippine congressmen/women want either Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco, 40, or Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, 71, to replace the loud-mouthed Alvarez, one of the big bosses of the ruling PDP-Laban.
Things aren’t anymore normal in the House leadership ever since Alvarez engaged Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte in an ugly word war early this year, the grapevine says.
Many Ilonggo politicians who kowtow to Alvarez thought the 60-year-old Davao del Norte representative was untouchable and unshakable being one of the closest allies of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
For some of them, Alvarez is the modern Marcus Aurelius, a stoic and leading icon of Pax Romana.

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Like vermin, some of these Ilonggo politicians turned their backs from their former benefactors and political parties and embraced Alvarez like a king of Persia.
They formed a beeline and praised Alvarez to high heavens, looked up to him like a demigod and sought his blessings for anointment of their local bets for the May 14, 2019 elections.
They had no idea that Alvarez was also facing a king-sized insurrection right in his own turf.
Unknown to most of them, the playboy House boss was already a ticking bomb and could explode anytime; his invincibility will soon come to a screeching halt if he can’t dodge the deadly wallops of the Cassiuses and Brutuses in the Philippine House of Representatives.
If Alvarez capitulates, quo vadis, Iloilo politicians?

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While having my usual mid-afternoon smoothie (a thick, cold beverage made from pureed raw fruit and sometimes vegetables blended with ice cream or frozen yogurt) session inside a Colombian resto on corner 82nd Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Queens Sunday, a group of revelers wearing yellow shirts and caps exploded in the intersection.
Suddenly flag-waving fans riding in cars honking loudly joined the festivity that started past three o’clock in the afternoon and ended at around past seven o’clock in the evening.
They were Colombians living in New York City celebrating Colombia’s triple hammer blow that dumped out Poland in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.
Colombia’s sensational win kept its hopes alive of barging in the Last 16.
Some of those in the crowd proudly chanting and cheering were a mixture of old, young, men and women soccer fans pouring out their joy and happiness like they won the Olympic Games.
Others brought along their dogs strapped with the Colombian national flag.
New York City cops passing the intersection just watched as they continued to patrol the predominantly Latino community.
I wished we Filipinos could also celebrate like them.

Will Drilon let go of Lex Tupas?

“All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.”
--Havelock Ellis

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Senator Franklin Drilon considers former Iloilo City Councilor, Dr. Nielex “Lex” Tupas, 38, as an “asset” of the Liberal Party (LP), Ugyon Party’s umbrella political party.
Drilon was enamored with the youthful Lex, youngest son of the late former Iloilo Governor Neil D. Tupas Sr. and Ugyon Party bigwig, the moment the senator heard Lex speak in a private gathering in Iloilo City more than 10 years ago.
In 2005, Drilon predicted Lex Tupas “would be the next congressman in Iloilo (the senator did not specify whether in Iloilo’s fifth district or in Iloilo City’s lone district).”
Since “Tito Frank” is a closed ally--personal and political--of his late father and considered as one of the sharpest minds in the Senate during President Benigo “Nonoy” Aquino III’s tenure, the feeling became mutual.
Lex would consult “Tito Frank”, among other political big guns he trusted, in some of the most important political decisions he made.

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It was in the LP, political party of former President Benigo “Nonoy” Aquino III, where Tupas’ political stock skyrocketed.
After he was elected as a city councilor in 2007 where he garnered a head-turning 73,000 votes in his first try, Lex Tupas grabbed headlines from his equally talented siblings also making waves in Iloilo province.
Many Ilonggos, in fact, were saying that Lex Tupas, appointed by President Aquino as executive director of the National Youth Commission (NYC) on November 11, 2015, was “more popular and well-loved” than his older brother, former Iloilo fifth district Rep. Neil “Junjun” Tupas Jr., at the time when both Lex and Junjun were lording over the political landscape respectively in the city and fifth district of Iloilo.
Lex gave up the NYC post on May 5, 2017 “to be with my family.” Others suspected he did not want to “displease” some “worried” LP stalwarts by holding on to the position under the Duterte administration.

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After a three-year hiatus in local politics (wife Dr. Candice Alumisin-Tupas replaced him in the city council), Lex Tupas sent shock waves in the hearts of those aspiring to become the congressman in Iloilo City when he guested in Manuel “Boy” Mejorada’s program in 89.5 Homeradio Aliw Broadcasting on May 30.
He confirmed stories circulating since March 2018 that he and Iloilo City Rep. Jerry Treñas “had talks” since last year about the possibility he would run for congressman on May 13, 2019.
Treñas, who is allegedly at odds with his brother-in-law, Iloilo City Mayor Jose “Jose III” Espinosa III, has announced he would run for Iloilo City mayor and his runningmate would be Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon.
Treñas and Ganzon, as well as Espinosa, are now with President Duterte’s PDP-Laban.

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Some independent-minded Ilonggos believe when the smoke has been cleared, PDP-Laban will field Espinosa (congressman), Treñas (mayor), and Ganzon (vice mayor) in its official line-up in Iloilo City.
If Lex Tupas will formally announce his candidacy on August 11, 2018 during his 40th birthday, will he also announce he is discarding the LP and embracing the PDP-Laban, and thus “bumping off” Joe III?
Or will Lex Tupas be the LP’s official candidate for congressman versus Joe III?
“My decision to run is not based on political personalities,” Lex Tupas told Mejorada’s program. “There is a clamor; there is a calling from the people. I was raised by my father to excel, not as a mediocre. This is not about Lex Tupas but the future and vision of Iloilo City.”
If Lex Tupas decides to team-up with Treñas and takes an oath as the new PDP-Laban member, will “Tito Frank” let him go just like that?

Treñas’ foes try to link him to illegal drug

“Politics have no relation to morals.”
-- Niccolo Machiavelli

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Some of the possible rivals of Iloilo City Rep. Jerry Treñas for city mayor have started to sharpen their knives now that the congressman has declared his intention to run again in 2019.
In order to stymie his candidacy, some of Treñas’ prospective opponents have begun “establishing” his supposed links with the slain drug lord, Melvin “Boyet” Odicta Sr.
The disgraced drug kingpin, who was slain together with his wife, Merriam, in Caticlan, Aklan on August 28, 2016, reportedly cemented his narcotics fiefdom when Treñas was city mayor in 2001-2010.
It did not mean, however, that William Hale “Big Bill” Thompson was in cahoots with the mobsters only because he was the mayor of Chicago when Al Capone terrorized the Windy City.
True or not, Treñas can’t remain silent on the issue.
Sooner or later, he will be forced to answer the accusation lock, stock, and barrel, especially when the election campaign officially starts.
He can afford shrug off the issue today and consider it as a mere “mosquito bite” since it is not yet certain whether he is really running for city mayor or just trying to bluff certain characters.

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It was the issue on illegal drugs that prematurely put an exclamation point to the city hall stint of dismissed Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, although many of his supporters maintain until today he was innocent and only a victim of political vendetta.
We have been warned always that if we ignore the danger signs, they could spell our ignominy when we least expect it.
Mabilog, confident of his innocence, and his supporters could not believe that a mere “mosquito bite” would turn into a poisonous wound inflicted by a deadly Python when no less than the misinformed Presiden Duterte swallowed the canard hook, line, and sinker.
A lie repeated several times becomes the truth, according to Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels.
But even the truth in politics, more often than not, can’t save any politician from the pit of destruction.
And the rest is history.

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Even without a resolution from the Iloilo Provincial Board calling for a speedy investigation of the murder of STL operator Samuel Aguilar, the Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO) must pursue all angles and run after the perpetrators.
It doesn’t matter whether the victim was a VIP or an ordinary person. Murder is murder; a crime has been committed in broad daylight when unidentified gun men ambushed Aguilar’s vehicle in Barangay Buyuan, Tigbauan, Iloilo on March 13, 2018.
If a prominent personality can be killed despite the presence of his bodyguards, there is no guarantee that an ordinary victim who walks alone or rides in any vehicle won’t be waylaid and shot fatally by any criminal.
Aguilar was not the first “big name” in the gambling business killed in Iloilo.
Five years ago, Jimmy Punzalan, a retired Philippine Constabulary sergeant and believed to be also engaged in numbers game, was also murdered in cold blood by unknown assailants while resting in his restaurant in Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
Punzalan’s killing was never solved.
Let’s hope the twin murders were not connected.

Treñas, Joe III shutting the political doors

“In our age there is no such thing as 'keeping out of politics.' All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia.”
--George Orwell

By Alex P. Vidal

NEWARK, New Jersey -- As expected, those who are for and against Iloilo City lone district Rep. Jerry P. Treñas couldn’t hide their emotions when he disclosed over the weekend his intention to run again for city mayor in 2019.
For those who admire Treñas, the announcement was like a Broadway music to their ears.
For those who hate him, especially those intending to run for city mayor but are nervous to square off with him owing to his “vast” machinery and name-recall edge, the disclosure of Treñas 2019 candidacy was like a rhythmic sound from a horror or zombie film.
In fact, the announcement of Treñas’ candidacy was already “too much to bear” for the opposition.

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The unexpected ascension to power of Iloilo City Mayor Jose “Joe III” Espinosa III in October 2017 was already a big blow to the opposition which was having a field day watching Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog being destroyed by President Duterte’s repeated but unfounded accusations of being a “narco politician.”
The opposition waited on tenterhooks for Mabilog to capitulate from Duterte’s demolition apparatus and deliver their own coup de grâce in time for the 2019 political derby.
The opposition believed that during election time, it’s easy to clobber the badly battered Mabilog just in case he aspired for congress.
But the picture changed abruptly when the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed Mabilog and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) installed then acting city mayor Espinosa III in a full-fledged capacity.
By being given the chance and privilege to become “instant” mayor and finish Mabilog’s remaining term, Espinosa III was able to expand his wherewithal and pull ahead of his potential rivals in 2019 in the event he decides to run for mayor.

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If Espinosa III will run for congress in tandem with mayoral bet Treñas next year, it’s tantamount to shutting the door on lesser-known aspirants for the same positions.
In terms of logistics and name-recall, the incumbents always have the peripheral edge in any election.
And if they are the administration candidates, their opponents would need a stairway to heaven to mount a miracle to win.
Not to underestimate them, the opposition still parades a wealth of quality leaders the Ilonggos can be proud of like Dr. Pacita Trinidad-Gonzalez, her daughter Dr. Marigold “Gold” Gonzalez, Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, Councilors Joshua Alim and Plaridel Nava, businessman-journalist Rommel Ynion, former councilor Rolando Dabao, and former Erap impeachment trial prosecutor Daniel Cartagena, to name only a few.

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Treñas’ candidacy will, however, bring additional agony and headache for the opposition which, for the past four consecutive elections, could not find the magic key to unlock the path to the winning column.
After absorbing defeat after defeat, the opposition continues to scramble for politically sturdy candidates who can match the ferocity of the Mabilog-Treñas-Espinosa III triumvirate.
Minus Mabilog, Treñas and Espinosa III appear to be capable of closing the gates for other aspirants.
All they need is to swap.

Rice shortage or common sense shortage?

“Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.”
--Mitch Hedberg

By Alex P. Vidal

NEWARK, New Jersey -- Unless it can show a scientific data, we don’t buy the National Food Authority (NFA)’s claim that there is a rice shortage in the Philippines.
In the last quarter of 2017, for instance, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) confirmed that the Filipinos’ rice self-sufficiency ratio in 2016 had already improved to 95.01 percent from 88.93 percent in the previous year.
It could only mean one thing: local production accounted for 95.01 percent of the total rice supply in the local market.
If there’s a reduction in the Philippines’ dependence on rice imports in 2016 to 4.99 percent of total supply from 11.07 in 2015, as revealed by the PSA report, how can the Filipinos incur a shortage of rice which is a major agricultural and food commodity?
Sen. Cynthia Villar was right when she scolded the NFA for creating panic over rice “shortage” which was not entirely true.
Instead of rice shortage, it seems there is a shortage of common sense somewhere.

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When they joined President Duterte during the latter’s recent visit to Dingle, Iloilo, Reps. Ferjenel “Ferj” Biron and Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr., both rumored gubernatorial aspirants in Iloilo province in 2019, were seen sitting together with Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr., Rep. Toto’s father.
Curious Ilonggos waiting to see Biron and the Defensor father and son snub each other went home empty handed as the politicians proved to all and sundry they were not only civil to each other but they were also good friends.
When Biron and Defensor Jr. clash for the top capitol post in 2019 their campaign is expected to focus on their respective platforms and what should be done to further improve the lives of people in Iloilo province.
Because of their good demeanor and the jolly faces they display when caught by camera in public together, they will be ashamed to throw mud at each other when the campaign period goes in full blast.

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Mayor Jose “Joe III” Espinosa III has all the reason to be alarmed by the P10-million heist inside a pawnshop in Gaisano Iloilo over the week.
Aside from the resurgence of burglary that victimizes downtown, City Proper establishments which may be attributed to failure of police intelligence and peace and order, the mayor’s family owns several pawnshops near the area or blocks away in Guanco Street.
Espinosa’s pawnshop formerly located in front of SM Delgado also was robbed in broad daylight years back.

Is ‘Bugok’ coming back?

“To admit you want to have a comeback means you have to admit you weren't what you were supposed to be. You dropped below your own standard.”

-- Marilyn Manson

By Alex P. Vidal

NEWARK, New Jersey -- If luck would have it, 74-year-old Vicente “Bugok” Ramirez, former mayor of Lambunao, Iloilo in the Philippines, might recapture the municipal hall in 2019.

In the first two months of 2018, Ramirez’s political camp has scored a mind-blowing “triple whammy” against the formidable Gonzales political hierarchy.

In January, the Ombudsman suspended Vice Mayor Cesar Gonzales and fined former mayor Reynor Gonzales for receiving transportation allowance despite using government vehicles.

Both Gonzaleses were Ramirez’s tormentors: Cesar beat him for vice mayor in 2016 and Reynor whipped him for mayor in the previous elections.

In February, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division disqualified Mayor Jason Gonzales for failing to meet the one-year residency requirement.

The ousted mayor is former mayor Reynor’s son.

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Before the Gonzaleses reigned supreme in Lambunao politics, Ramirez was the town’s sensational and veritable political kingpin.

In fact, he was Lambunao’s longest-serving chief executive until Reynor, a former police general, defrocked him and ended the myth Ramirez had established for a long period of time.

Ramirez’s political supremacy was never the same again after the Reynor Gonzales debacle.

In the succeeding elections thereafter, he could not win anymore against any Gonzales in a one-on-one duel.

Ramirez went back to farming when he sensed politics could no longer put him back in the totem pole of political demigods.

Mayor Jason Gonzales has appealed the Comelec verdict, but the issue has put a dent on their family’s political invincibility in one way or the other.

Even if Mayor Gonzales can win his appeal, the specter of disqualification case will continue to haunt him for the rest of his incumbency.

The recent turn of events has sparked renewed interests among Ramirez’s followers to toy with the idea of reviving his mothballed political career suspecting that the Gonzaleses are now limping.

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SOME jaded politicians who are using the social media to hit back at their critics are wasting their time and are only doing themselves more harm as a result.

When they panic and rant in social media when their attention is being called over a certain subject matter with social relevance and public interest, they expose themselves as cry babies and not worthy of the position they hold.

When they are being criticized they must welcome it and even thank their critics; that means they are doing their job.

If nobody has noticed them that means they are useless and non-performers; if nobody has criticized them that means they have not made an impact on the community that they serve.

Only immature and onion-skinned public officials cannot appreciate the wisdom of constructive criticism.

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I empathize with Iloilo City Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, son of the late Sen. Rodolfo “Roding” Ganzon, one of the original pillars of the condemned Iloilo Freedom Grandstand.

He appeared to be the lone voice in the wilderness as he sobbed in their regular session a week ago while appealing to delay the grandstand’s demolition until its new location has been constructed.

Vice Mayor Ganzon probably did not want even King Kong and Godzilla to touch the grandstand with a ten-foot pole if only to preserve the memory of his illustrious father.

Even the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) has noted that the cultural heritage and the natural heritage are increasingly threatened with destruction not only by the traditional causes of decay, but also by changing social and economic conditions which aggravate the situation even more.   

No knee-jerk reaction on Defensor’s transfer to PDP-Laban

“In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way.”

--Franklin D. Roosevelt

By Alex P. Vidal

NEWARK, New Jersey -- When big names in Philippine local politics jump from one political party to another, it is normally greeted with derision and mockery from the deserters’ hitherto party mates and rivals.

They are tagged as “opportunists” and dismissed as “balimbings” (fruit with scientific name Averrhoa carambola) or turncoats.

Such was the misfortune that befell politicians in Iloilo City led by Rep. Jerry Trenas and Mayor Jose Espinosa III, who abandoned the Liberal Party (LP) for the administration’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) last year.

Political rivals took turns in lambasting “ingrate” Trenas , Espinosa and some of their ilk in the city council.

Their political enemies also utilized the social media to ridicule their move to leave LP and embrace President Rodrigo Duterte’s political party.

It’s always an earthshaking event for their detractors; the kind of opportunity to skin them alive in public their detractors would never allow to slip away. Politics 101.

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Not in Iloilo province.

When Governor Arthur “Art” Defensor Sr. disclosed last year that he, his son, Iloilo third district Rep. Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr. , and 4,000 other local officials from their district will take their oath as the newest members of the PDP-Laban on January 18, 2018, nobody from the governor’s political rivals--or potential political enemies--raised a whimper.

Team Defensor’s scheduled “mass oath taking” would be administered by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez at the Pototan Astrodome in Pototan town, 30 kilometers north from Iloilo City.

No admonition even from Iloilo fourth district Rep. Ferjenel “Dr. Ferj” G. Biron, Rep. Defensor’s rumored rival for governor in 2019.

Rep. Biron, who admits he has big respect and admiration for Gov. Defensor despite his loss in the 2013 gubernatorial race, probably didn’t want to sully the Defensors’ significant date with political history.

It would be awkward for the lawmaker from Barotac Nuevo to criticize the Defensors’ transfer from LP to PDP-Laban if he was eyeing LP’s official nomination for the top capitol post.

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Some provincial board members and municipal mayors who have remained loyal to LP also didn’t find it necessary to rebuke the Defensors’ decision to transfer even for the sake of “check and balance” and, to some extent, publicity.

They probably got Gov. Defensor’s message loud and clear: he needed the President’s blessings for Toto Defensor’s candidacy in 2019.

From the very beginning, the governor never hid his cards and was even excited to immediately lay them on the table without beating around the bush: he wanted the congressman son to be the administration’s standard-bearer in 2019.

Defensor would have been chided both by allies and detractors as hypocrite if he did not admit his decision to walk away from LP to PDP-Laban had something to do with political survival.