TAGUM CITY- Under the newly proposed flexible fare ordinance, the motorcycle fare at the current gasoline prices above P50 per liter would only be P9 and not P10.
City legal officer Roland Tumanda said that under the proposed flexi fare ordinance the P9 fare would be effected if gasoline prices would range P50 to P59 per liter.
He said that the proposed flexi fare ordinance was come up and initiated by Mayor Rey Uy, whom he said has heard and felt of the widespread complaints of the riding public in the city after the delayed implementation of the latest fare increase ordinance.
Atty. Tumanda also said that under the proposed measure it will be already the City Tricycle Franchising and Regulatory Board (CTFRB) which he currently chairs which would adjust the tricycle fare from time to time depending on the current prices of gasoline, and thus tricycle fare adjustment would no longer need the lengthy cycle of legislative process that reaches up the provincial level including public hearings.
On Monday session of the City Council, the new measure passed the first reading and was referred to the committees of laws and of public facilities.
Vice Mayor Allan Rellon said that today the committees will meet to tackle the executive-initiated measure.
Under the proposed ordinance entitled “An Ordinance Imposing the Regulation of Fare Rates of Motorized Tricycles for Hire (MTH) of the City of Tagum” fare rates would vary based on the set schedule.
If gasoline prices per liter (gpl) range P20 to 29.99 it will have P6 for regular fare and P4 for student or senior citizen; P30 to P39.99 gpl- P7 regular fare, P5 student/senior citizen; P40 to 49.99 gpl- P8 regular fare, P6 student/senior citizen; P50 to P59.99 gpl- P9 regular fare, P7 student/senior citizen; P60 to P69.99 gpl- P10 regular fare, P8 student/senior citizen; P70 to P79.99 gpl- P11 regular fare, P9 student/senior citizen; P80 to P89.99 gpl- P12 regular fare, P10 student/senior citizen; P90 to P99.99 gpl- P13 regular fare, P11 student/senior citizen; and P100 and above gpl- P14 regular fare, P12 student/senior citizen.
The fare rates are good for the first three kilometers of the Central District from where the passenger originated, and would have an additional of P1 for every kilometer or every fraction thereof. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com
Wants gov to just approve or veto Kapalong’s budget measure
In what appears as a rearing of its head to the executive, the Davao del NorteSangguniang Panlalawigan in Monday’s regular session was unanimous in returning to the executive a municipality’s supplemental budget ordinance the provincial board earlier approved but which the Office of the Governor instead returned to the body with suggested insertions.
Boardmember and floorleader Gregorio Facula was though calling for a “win-win solution” in striking out the unexpected letter from provincial administrator Rufo Peligro who requested that the comments and findings of the Local Finance Committee (LFC) be incorporated in the provincial resolution declaring as operative the appropriation supplemental budget ordinance number 4 of the municipality of Kapalong.
The majority of boardmembers present Monday expected that Governor Rodolfo del Rosario would either approve the Kapalong measure which provided increased hazard pay for the municipality’s health workers, but they instead received a letter from Peligro.
Boardmember Helario “Larry” Caminero first objected of the Peligro’s insertion saying that the LFC is only a “recommendatory body” while the SP serves as the “final arbiter on policy measure”.
He said that the SP had already approved the Kapalong measure and the LFC could not change what the SP approved.
The provincial LFC has reportedly recommended that the increase in the hazard pay should not be more than five percent based on the basic salary, which is otherwise contended by the SP citing precedents in other local government units.
Boardmember Ely Dacalus said “this is already done, finish (at the SP)” adding that in this case the governor would have either to approve or veto the SP confirmation resolution “for us to override”.
Facula explained that under the procedure the governor would have return to the SP a veto message and not the letter of the administrator. He though asked the body to dispose the measure on “win-win solution” and at the earnest before the October 13 deadline after a reglamentary period.
Boardmember Antonio Lagunzad proposed that the measure be referred to a committee “which will call these people” and approve it before the deadline. But the SP put measure under the unassigned business and on motion of Facula the SP unanimously approved to return Peligro’s letter to his office . (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http:ruralurbanews.blogspot.com
The bone remains of the remaining 8,000 deceased who were buried and excavated to give way for the 2005 rehabilitation project for the La Filipina public cemetery are still subject for transfer to bone niches.
This as the City Hall temporarily stopped the issuance of burial permits to the city’s oldest cemetery as it ran out of tombs and niches to cater to the rising rate of interments of new dead at the cemetery.
The bone remains and skeletons of over 8,000 deads have been temporarily placed at the archive place in the cemetery awaiting for new bone niches to be constructed in the succeeding rehabilitation works.
These were bared by Rolly Trinidad, administrator of the La Filipina public cemetery, during Mondays session of the City Council, which inquired on the status of the cemetery following its “temporary closure” last Sept. 21. Trinidad said though that the closure owing to lack of niches and tombs would only for those dead adults while the cemetery has still spaces for the dead children of age up to five years old.
He said that for now deads would have to be buried at the other public cemetery located at Madaum outskirt in the city even as several councilors tackled yesterday budgetary measures to address the stoppage of interment at La Filipina cemetery.
Trinidad said that in his own study he noted of an increasing rate of interments at the cemetary in the recent months hovering at a range of 80 to 90 monthly from the low 40 to 60 monthly before the 2005 start of cemetery rehabilitation project initiated by Mayor Rey Uy.
He said that the 2,676 tombs generated in the project were effectively consumed last month starting from progressing interments since 2005 while roughly only a half of the excavated bone remains of the over 16,000 deads has yet been laid in new bone niches constructed under the project. In the same session, he also bared that the double-row niches at the perimeter have only a capacity of burying over 1,600 deads.
Since 2005 up to this year, the City Hall has already invested about P14 million with P2 million and P3 million budgets for last year and this year, respectively.
Trinidad added that the city government would need to infuse at least P2 million per year to produce some 1,200 tombs so it could not be outrun by the rising interment rates, excluding the budget for the rehabilitation of the niches.
Living Tagumenyos though should not worry as the La Filipina public cemetery has still a lot of spaces, which to the estimate of Trinidad could still run up to 20 years.
Councilor Allan Zulueta yesterday batted for the slicing of the P3,600 burial fee at La Filipina into becoming a revolving trust fund of P2,000 for the cemetery’s continuing development and the rest as general fund, with separate rehabilitation budget.
Councilor Rey Salve, on the other hand, proposed for the enactment of supplemental budget before the yearend to address the problem, while Councilor De Carlo “Oyo” Uy proposed that the executive committee chaired by Trinidad would conduct research to anticipate the problem on interments and recommend measures to the finance committee of the city council and to the city mayor. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http:ruralurbanews.blogspot.com
In every time there’s a season. There’s a time to unite, there’s also a time to be divided- for good. This might as well be fitting words for the latest goings on at the session hall of Davao del Norte Sangguniang Panlalawigan. Trabaho lang walang personalan, somebody quipped. Last Monday, Boardmember Greg Facula was a reasoning soul while obviously wanting to be apologetic “up there”. But since he’s the floorleader, he couldn’t escape from being the man in full charge of cutting up what appeared as procedural spiel, or better still, call it procedural snafu made by provincial administrator Rufo Peligro. And in behalf of his colleagues, he had to move for the approval of the SP’s resolution returning Peligro’s letter to the executive department, or to be blunt about it, to Peligro’s office, aka Office of the Governor aka Gov. RDR, their Lakas boss.
BM Greg Facula was in his usual serious mood in deliberating, but obviously he was extra cautious, and for several times called for a “win-win solution” in the midst of what appeared as a rearing of the SP’s collective head towards the governor. When Facula’s motion generated a silently unanimous “ayes”, there seemed to be a smoke that billowed up at the session hall from a fire of unknown motive in the wake of the approval of the porkless AIP for 2009.
The Davnor SP in the first place had already deliberated and approved the Kapalong’s supplemental budget measure for the increased hazard pay of the town’s health workers. They were expecting either a governor’s approval or veto message. But since it was the letter of Peligro, inserted as addendum in last Monday’s business of the day, which seemed to suggest that the SP had to approve still the provincial resolution confirming the Kapalong’s ordinance with the comments and findings of the provincial Local Finance Committee, which had contra views to the SP on the hazard pay issue, it was in effect saying that the SP had to reverse its position and grant lesser amount of hazard pay for the Kapalong health workers.That without having the measure passed first the usual process of legislation- the first reading and committee referral, then the committee report and the dispositive readings (second and final) right on the legislative chopping board, which will take at least two weeks. It is as though seeing that Peligro wanted to ram down into the throats of the BMs his letter.
Such bleeds one’s heart among fellow Lakas/Kampi partymates, knowing that the Davnor SP is one pack of legal minds, long-time and seasoned politicians, experienced ex-mayors, ex-vice mayors, ex-councilors who have long known of the executive and legislative processes in government. They, except perhaps to SK BIMPO (Batang Inudyukan ng Magulang sa Politika), for still a neophyte, as the reformist youths say. The bleeding hearts among those in the SP might have said it’s trabaho lang, walang personalan given that their unison hasn’t actually stepped on the toes of the Capitol’s occupant but rather on the purse of Kapalong’s munisipyo, for the time being while there’s still a reglamentary period until October 13, the time in the season which offers for both the executive and legislative department to still work on and finally deliver the measure to its point of origin for a win-win situation. With that time in tempestuous season, now BM Greg and the rest of the bleeding hearts among the band of colleagues can still play it safe.
BLOGBUZZ: BM Facula is known in the local media circle as the former B. Dujali mayor whose 2005 Xmas party lechon was “kidnapped” by the media kongkos (It’s Press Freedom Month anyway and I am given the time in this season to crack a joke at the freest in the thankless trade where they say the angels fear to tread)…. To BM Greg, the chair of the SP commitee on media affairs, kongko isn’t a bad word. It’s a Chinese word which means to solicit. This has been a running word among those in the media painting a mix of comedy, sarcasm, brashness and reality. At the strictest, it refers to those in the media soliciting though having no media outlets (print, radio and TV), or those who could not even write a single correct paragraph for a news…. During his mayoral reign, BM Greg was known to be a good media provider. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com or ruralurbanews@yahoo.com)
Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario did not mince his words in saying that the pole-vaulting banana growers “deserve to learn their lessons” and “deserve to lose their money”. He said Thursday in roundtable talks with Tagum mediamen after the Kapihan sa Kapitolyo organized by the PIA that one Vic Lao, the chair of the Regional Development Council, should also be “shot at Luneta” for alleged “economic sabotage”, an obviously comical charge made in jest. The governor said he had warned the local bankers a year ago not to put their money to fund the pole-vaulting banana growers.
But since pole-vaulting persisted and it has now resulted to the non-payment to the already shipped bananas, and “ayon nagkalinti-linti na ang mga growers” in the words of Gob Dolfo, hence now bad, bleak days are really ahead for the affected banana growers. He said that due to this pole-vaulting the local banana industry would be losing billions and not millions of pesos this year. That in terms of income lost by the growers and taxes which should suppose go to government coffers.
For the uninitiated, pole-vaulting occurs when a contract banana grower sells his produce to companies other than the one he had signed a contract with. March to April this year the pole-vaulting row between banana growers and banana multinational companies (MNCs) cracked up wide open in public.
For his harsh words, Gob. Dolfo could not be faulted. He said he has not been with the banana industry for 35 years for nothing. He had been there and had known well of the ups and downs of the number one dollar industry in his province. That’s when the governor stood side by side with the Banana King Antonio O. Floirendo Sr. as his right hand man in the making of Tadeco as a leading banana exporter in Asia-Pacific region, and consequentially, the making of Davnor as the Top 1 producer province in the country.
But pole-vaulting growers could not be faulted too. We know that these growers come from at least three origins.
First, there are these landowners whose lands before have been turned into banana plantations of big banana firms and whose 25-year lease contracts had already expired. So they learned to grow cavendish bananas using the already developed plots, sell their produce to banana companies and get higher income from boxes pegged in dollars. Where before their families suffered economic difficulties for being victimized in the tricky downpayment scheme and low monthly rentals from banana firms, now mansions and bungalows are sprouting inside contract-growing banana plantations.
Second, there are these ARBs- the agrarian reform beneficiaries who for being benefited by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, they managed to carved out a share of landholdings from banana plantations and vast private lands and organized a coop for banana contract growing. Where before they are poor tillers and workers or employees of banana firms, now they take pride over having their own banana companies run like an MNC.
Third, there are these landowners who after knowing that their neighbors become economically well off out from banana production, they have even their ricelands converted to banana plantations to follow suit to them in this lucrative dollar-earning banana craze in the provinces. The known Compostela granary, Tagum’s Pagsabangan and even the highland Maragusan are not even spared of this, so with the watersheds and aquifers in the outskirt highlands in Davao metropolis.
Now that growers know how to grow cavendish, they have been dreaming all along they could independently sell their produce direct to the foreign buyers and not passing through the cartel of Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA)- this one which wants the aerial spray- and the MNCs which the growers charged to be buying their produce in low dollar prices.
Enter into the picture Vic Lao and et al, whom the governor tagged as having “no plantation, no contract” and who allegedly dropped the high and mighty name of Malacanang in pursuing the pole-vaulting adventure. He appears to be brokering for the growers to carve their own foreign market niche. He brought the growers’ produce at high dollar prices over those offered by the MNC buyers. One grower said that an MNC affiliate offered only $2.11 per box, while he made more money to the pole-vaulting company which bought his produce at $3.95 per box. That’s a lot of money in difference in terms of thousands of boxes. The pole-vaulters delivered. Until they blew it. Now in the Sto. Tomas-Kapalong-New Corella enclave alone, affected growers have still to collect P78 million from the pole-vaulting banana marketers. Bankers, too, who fund the pole-vaulting are standing to lose. I tell you so, Gob Dolfo reminds.
I think the aim of the pole-vaulters is good- that in giving high prices for the growers. That’s good for the economy. But it puts banana MNCs into a fit of so jealous rage. What is not good is that they lead the growers to renege their contracts with the PGBEA cartel and MNCs.
It is said that pole-vaulting started when China opened its market even for Class B bananas than the Class A bananas the cartel and MNCs want to buy. That’s 1 billion of banana eaters out there versus the 88 million Pinoy consumers. It’s good for the economy, regardless that cheap China-made products have long flooded the country including milk adulterated with the dreaded melamine. The pole-vaulting could have been our country’s sweet revenge that’s initiated by our own growers. But sadly, the pole-vaulters blew it.
But here’s this devil’s advocacy: maybe the MNCs which have known links with the CIA have the latter enlisted to sabotage the Pinoy pole-vaulters’ marketing initiatives in China. After all, the CIA is known behind the strings of downfall of regimes in Banana Republics in Latin America. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com)
COMPOSTELA VALLEY- District 1 Boardmember Paul Galicia, who is known to be a born-again Christian, has called on everyone to pray for an enlightened decision in resolving who should be anointed between Lakas partymates Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya and Boardmember Maricar Zamora-Apsay for the congressional post they have been vying at this early for the 2010 polls.
Galicia said that he has since then been praying hard for Gentugaya and Apsay “kay prayer na lang gyud ang pag-asa ani” in reference to the early row between Gentugaya and Apsay that is becoming divisive to the so-called Comval unity in the present political configurations.
He denied earlier Sidlak reports that he has already sided with Apsay saying that he is treating the two in the same respect- Gentugaya, who is his “kadugo kay may dugong Insik ug Ilonggo like me” and to Apsay, who is his “igso”.
He said that the consensus reached by his colleagues and Governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy was that whoever is endorsed and chosen by Lakas party as the administration standard bearer for the post will be respected by them.
As to his reported verbal wrangling with Boardmember Moran Takasan in the past week over the issue on “shadow slates” of both congressional wannabes, he said that those were just made in friendly jests as colleagues in the provincial board.
He said they are taking as just normal the broadside “kantyawans” occurring within them from time to time.
Galicia also bared that he has already initiated spiritual and moral recovery and development program in the province’s 11 municipalities as encouraged by the executive order issued by Gov. Uy.
Following his advocacy, the governor’s directive has resulted to the formation of spiritual and moral development councils in municipal government units, he said.
Galicia is civil engineer in profession and a preacher of Forever Life Ministry, a born-again Christian group. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com
A 20-man operations team in a convoy of four Land Transportation Office (LTO) white pickup vehicles and motorcycle-riding deputized LTO agents wearing black sweat shirts swooped down to Tagum City Thursday in surprise checkpoint resulting to apprehensions and citations of erring drivers of mostly single motorcycles violating the new helmet national policy.
LTO XI transportation regulation officer Melencio Diaz Jr, in an interview said that starting towards noon Thursday until past 1:00 P.M. his team apprehended and cited 180 erring drivers of motorcycle and four-wheel vehicles for various offenses to LTO laws.
In subsequent check at LTO Tagum City office at Mankilam, offenses of drivers ranged from having no helmet, no shoes, no side mirror, no license, expired license and others.
Noel Itil, an LTO deputized agent, who went with the convoy, said that they came from LTO XI and some participating agents were Davao City government employees detailed to LTO XI regional office.
He said that they were just carrying out provisions of law, saying “trabaho lang bisag gamay ug sweldo” (Just in line with my work though receiving meager salary).
He said that their special operations team have been going to various places throughout the region to implement the new LTO policy on motocycles.
After booking and endorsing the TOP citations of the erring drivers to LTO Tagum City office, he said they would continue their operations and he did not know their next destination.
A convoy of LTO vehicles and motorcycles were sighted passing the Mankilam Capitol past 1:00 P.M. Thursday and going to the LTO-Tagum office.
Sighted were white LTO pickups with number 02 with plate number SHS-255, number 08 with plate number SHS-201, number 04 with plate number SHS-202 and number 03 with still to be identified plate number.
One driver identified as Ben Casan, resident of Asuncion town, said that for not wearing helmet he paid his fine Thursday to LTO Tagum Office amounting to P1,577.63 inclusive of other charges.
Under the LTO AO No. AHS-2008-015 which prescribes the new rules for the use and operation of motorcycles on highways, popularly dubbed as helmet policy, the violation of not wearing a prescribed helmet carries a fine of P1,500 compared to the P150 fine imposed in the city’s helmet ordinance.
The new LTO policy also requires single motordrivers to wear shoes, have only one backrider, no cargo unless on standard saddle bag or luggage carrier, not to have defective accessories such as headlight, tail light, signal light, brake light, side mirror and horn, and not to modify any part of the original designs of a motorcycle or scooter without approval of the LTO. Fines on these range from P500 to P2,000.
Several city councilors earlier slammed the new LTO policy as anti-poor, exorbitant, improper and inapplicable. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com
Hopes Cee O not to jump to opposition No problem in Lakas-Kampi unity of incumbents in Davnor
Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario (RDR) has hinted yesterday there would be no Floirendo after all who would be running against his planned reelection bid.
In a roundtable discussion with local mediamen after the opening activities of the local Press Freedom Week celebration yesterday, the governor is seeing that as things now stand there would generally be no problem and kink in the unification of the incumbent officials under the merged pro-administration Lakas-Kampi party in the choice of standard bearers based on the equity of the incumbent principle in the entire province.
He said that in the entire province the merger of the Lakas and Kampi proceeded without a hitch in Davao del Norte saying that the equity of the incumbent principle is favorable to the incumbents in the first place.
But he admitted that it is only in position to be vacated by the last-termer officials like the congressional post of District 1 Cong. Arrel Olano that is a potential source of trouble of the party as it is considered to be “open” for a crack to everybody in the party.
He opined likewise of the same to the post of outgoing last-termer District 1 Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora in Compostela Valley, where Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya and Boardmember Maricar Zamora-Apsay are positioning for it.
He said that in the latter case in Compostela Valley “magkagubot gyud na” knowing that both aspirants are still second-termers in their respective positions.
Last week, the governor’s son and former Vice Gov. Anthony del Rosario (AGR) has confirmed to run to Olano’s post by 2010, while the governor himself declared to be seeking for reelection weeks ahead to AGR.
In same roundtable discussion, Gov. Del Rosario said that he hoped that Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy will stay with Lakas and not jump to the opposition “so there would be no trouble” in the political unification of the incumbent and reelectionist incumbent officials.
The mayor earlier welcomed the governor’s over a million-worth project to the city, saying he is with Del Rosario, but former Gov. Gelacio “Yayong” Gementiza said he would be running against Uy the more if he is with Del Rosario also.
Moreover, RDR said that in cases of conflicts over the contested open position the party would settle it by narrowing the selection of the standard-bearer candidates first through a survey which would eliminate the “kulelats” and finally through a party convention.
He said though that party convention is “sure road to division” saying that ambitious contenders would still do the running and citing the case of then presidential candidate Fidel Ramos who still ran for President after losing in the party convention by Ramon Mitra.
He added the Lakas-Kampi merger has been smooth in all the provinces in Region XI and including Davao City unlike in other areas where the “merger is next to impossible” and it is not even talked about these days.
This developed as Saklak sources said that under the no RDR-Floirendo electoral skirmish, first-termer District 2 Cong. Anton would either given the opportunity to have his second term without the post being reclaimed by his uncle former Cong. Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo Jr., who would continue taking charge of the Floirendo’s vast Tadeco and other businesses, or Cong. Anton will be vied for Panabo mayorship while while Tonyboy reclaims his old congressional seat.
Sources added that Panabo Mayor Jose Silvosa Sr. is presently being “junked” by the Floirendo and Lagdameo, who accordingly preferred to have Vice Mayor James Gamao in their company during public gatherings of the congressman like what had happened during the launching of Lagdameo’s Barangayanihan TV program three weeks ago.
But there is also a prospect of former Mayor Rey Gavina coming for a comeback for mayorship in tandem with reelectionist Gamao, his brother in law, with the support of Floirendo and Lagdameo, sources said.
In the run up of 2007 polls, Floirendo claimed that Del Rosario had formed Kampi slates in two cities and all towns in District 2 of Davao del Norte which battled head-on with Floirendo’s Lakas bets.
Before that polls Floirendos and Del Rosario engaged in wrangling over the governorship post which later led to the separation of Del Rosario from Floirendo’s businesses late last year. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com
TAGUM CITY- City Legal Officer Roland Tumanda bared yesterday that the proposed ordinance on flexible fare for motorcycles which he drafted following directive of Mayor Rey Uy will be taken up by the City Council this coming Monday’s session.
Atty. Tumanda said in text message that under the scheme the fare will be flexible depending on the price of gasoline in the market, and thus fare for motorcycle would be adjusted, either it will go down or go up. The proposed flexi fare ordinance was submitted last week to the City Council. It has no session last Monday.
The measure was proposed by Mayor Uy following a week when tricycle drivers started to ask for an increased P10 regular fare from passengers after the taripas were issued by the City Land Transporation and Franchising Board starting last Sept. 19.
The Tagum City Federation of Tricycle Transport and Services Cooperative (Tafettrasco) helped in the distribution of the taripas.
The P10 fare increase, which was enacted due to absence of opposition from the public, has later sparked widespread complaints from the riding public over the high fare increase at a time of decreasing prices of gasoline.
Last August 25 the Sangguniang Panlalawigan unanimously approved Resolution No. 503 confirming the fare-increasing City Ordinance No. 305, which was also unanimously approved by the city council last July 28.Last July tricycle owners and drivers clamored for P10 fare on the ground that gasoline prices had already almost doubled from January price level. That month the price of gasoline once broke beyond P60 per liter.
They complained of daily losses due to skyrocketing prices of oil and to the unfair competition posed by thousands of colorum habal-habal single motorcycles. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com
Provincial sports point man Anthony del Rosario (AGR), the ex-DavNor vice gov, for recently declaring he would be running – surefire- as congressman, has practically doused cold water to simmering political teapot in the District 1. Then Vice Gov. and former Tagum City Mayor Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio and Boardmember Roger Israel were much talked of to be interested for the post.
Until that last Kapihan sa Kapitolyo, great lifetime ambitions of Tagum’s seasoned politicians have been stopped by discouraging statement coming no less than from the son of Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario (RDR), District 1’s assumed kingmaker.
Also, Boardmember Tony Lagunzad then trained his sight to the post that the last-termer Arrel Olano would be vacating by 2010. And what about Kons. Oyo, son of Mayor Rey “Chiong” Uy? There was also that little talk then about Oyo eyeing for the same post. But there’s report that he being young has fraternal bond with the youthful AGR. Will Oyo not run as city vice mayor and Vice Mayor Allan Rellon is shoved out to run as boardmember?
It’s Duterte’s magic formula having Sara sit as a city vice mayor during his final term before Sara gets the 2010 mayorship, and by that time Digong will sit as the presiding vice mayor and hence acting as real mayor behind. Second-termer Mayor Cee O, being the acknowledged kingmaker in the city, can have this formula to elevate Oyo further up to the political ladder. After all, Rellon, who is one of his good soldiers, is a pushover on this scenario. Just like in chess, in politics there are pawns.
After such AGR declaration, there’s now silence out here. But wait BM Israel, the non-Dick, could spring out yet like a ballistic Harry in the full coming of the Great Tug of War at the present backdrop of the absence of PDAF, pork barrel fund allocation for the BMs. In fact, Israel in one talk in the rounds retorted he has still not forged a MOA with AGR unlike VG Baby S, who is also proving to be a good soldier of RDR. Without Yayong in the political limelight, BM Roger is fast coming out like a wildcard- in Yayong’s political persona that leaves a lot of eager-beaver voters guessing on which post he would be running.
Yayong’s “last two-minutes” decision moment and his ready COCs- several of which- close to the deadline of the filing of candidacy are still alive and kicking in talks under the grooves of Tagum politics, and BM Israel, also a Masa of a kind like Yayong, has shoved out the latter for recently talking that he’s squaring off against the reelectionist mayor, who countered he’s not afraid of Yayong nor to other political enemies whom he could not choose.
Coupled with RDR’s own reelection declaration, the political landscape now is quite revealing from a hazy one. But there’s potential source of irritation on Yayong’s statement that he’s open to sleep with strange bedfellows by 2010 like RDR, who defeated him, to stage a return bout against the city mayor whom he defeated not once, but twice. This as several reports said that Cee O would have no qualm in siding with the former Cong Tonyboy Floirendo in the awaited battle royale between Tonyboy and RDR for governorship.
But overall, the present political landscape in Davao del Norte and Tagum City that entered in a new era first spawned by the squabble over gubernatorial post and then by corporate boardroom brickbats within the currently divided clan of Floirendos and Del Rosarios has only painted the picture that the province that was once one mammoth Floirendo political kingdom has been split into two smaller kingdoms, the District 2 one held by kingmaker Tonyboy and the District 1 held by kingmaker RDR with one city suzerainty held by kingmaker Uy. Sa iyo ang Tondo, sa akin ang Cavite.
And such is fully realized if - RDR gets reelected as gov, AGR gets the District 1 congressional post, Tonyboy reclaims his District 2 congressional post and Cong. Anton gets the vice gubernatorial post. It’s one happy but divided family in the making. In such scenario, the corporate split has but become a blessing in disguise. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com)
