Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has clarified yesterday on his earlier statement that he would hand in the reins of mayorship to his daughter Vice Mayor Sara Duterte before his current term will end.
He said that he would soon make a formal announcement on his planned retirement that would cut his current term citing that due to his age he wanted to rest.
In a talk with city’s members of the press yesterday, the mayor said that he would not just go out from the city in the days following his retirement.
But he added his plan of retiring is depending yet on the state of things in the city saying that he wanted that the peace and order situation in the city would remain to be fully secured before he would have Sara served as mayor to complete the rest of his current term, a radio report said.
The mayor’s statement though has fueled anew speculations that he is preparing Sara for her mayoral bid in 2010 polls.
Duterte is now on his last term.
Under a provision of the Local Government Code, current local elected officials would end their term on June 30, 2010 following the May 2010 polls. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)
It’s likely that the national opposition will have again a split with the reported plan of Erap to run for President in tandem with Senator Loren Legarda for Vice President. If Erap does, Senator Manny Villar and Senator Roxas will most likely do the same, being also today’s front-running presidential bets from the opposition. Just like Davao del Norte Boardmember Roger “Dangpanan” Israel and Comval Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya, “it’s now or never” for them not to vie for President (for congressman for Dangpanan and Ramil).
Local politicians know well that if three or more parties tangle in elections in the national level, provincial and municipal levels take similar if not the same political transfigurations. Lakas party in Comval despite its much-ballyhoed unity as far as its drum-beaters are concerned is still standing on so fragile grounds with the still unsettled Ramil-Maricar row over the standard-bearer issue for the post that last-termer Cong, Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora is finishing at present. Meantime, January is fast approaching when the Lakas-Comval honchos will announce who should be the choice between Way Kurat’s daughter Maricar and Ramil, son of known big businesswoman in Comval mainland.
With this potential opposition configuration of having at least 2 opposition wings against 1 Lakas candidate, there’s that earlier report that the province’s potential gubernatorial bets would be three- reelectionist incumbent Gov. Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy, Cong. Way Kurat and former Gov. Jose “Joecab” Caballero.
The report said that Cong. Way Kurat, for being a tested administration ally when he delivered over 13,000 votes’ margin to President Arroyo over Fernando Poe in his home district in 2004 polls and voted hell and water to contribute in killing the impeachment bids of the opposition could potentially get the Palace backing if he decides to run for governor. It said that when it comes to the protecting the Palace’s national interests, the GMA’s advisers would go for a tested ally who could deliver and secure the votes for the administration candidates. But that’s also if Ramil, a kin by the Chinese blood of the governor, gets the choice as standard-bearer for the Lakas District 1 congressional post. Naughty pundits now say that in that scenario it’s Way Kurat who’ll break the so-called Lakas unity.
We don’t wish for that to happen as it would open a floodgate for Joecab to run for governor. That’s self-explanatory: when Lakas political gods and fans are divided, Joecab might win. Although really a three-corner gubernatorial fight is worth watching and most exciting given that Uy has logistical and administration advantages, Cong. Way Kurat is a most popular Comval politician now and gimmick-savvy, while Joecab is still a maverick, charismatic politician, this scenario is not likely to happen in the event that Cong Way Kurat will make true his earlier political gambit - of retiring from politics to concentrate as the Lakas provincial campaign manager. Well, there seems to be that Big If- that is if Maricar gets January’s choice of becoming the Lakas congressional standard-bearer. In this scenario, provincial elder-statesman Pros Amatong will most probably gravitate towards Cong. Way Kurat for governor, pundits say.
Meantime, the regional Lakas boss Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, one tested Lakas partyman and Malacanang’s player, would also gravitate towards a Way Kurat gubernatorial candidacy if the home scene in Tagum City is spoiled on the scenario that City Mayor Rey Uy, the governor’s brother, has something in his cards for the good of his own city turf that won’t jibe with the cards of Gov. RDR.
Again, we don’t wish for this to happen as it’s easy for Lakas-Kampi local bets to win under a unified ticket, that is if a strong local opposition will not emerge from the boondocks out from the splintering of the national opposition. But this would never happen as there are really local opposition contenders, chief among them are the Lakas shoved-outs, jumpshippers and Kampi out campers who would have at least two opposition parties waiting for their ride. When people rue for victory of national opposition bets in 2010 egged out by the corruption scandals under the Arroyo administration, gee, there’s still that exciting political scenario in Davao del Norte and Comval by 2010. And we’re only 9 days to go before the electoral year 2009 sets in.
Happy Holidays! (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com)
If Tagum’s flexi-fare ordinance will be followed to the liter, err letter, the fare cut of P7 should have been effected sometime a month ago. On Saturday, Mayor Rey Uy and the City Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board officers led by Atty. Roland Tumanda agreed in a meeting to effect the P7 minimum fare from the latest P8 by January 2. That’s still within the Holiday and classes will resume by January 5, Monday. It’s good enough and it’s still one big Christmas gift for Tagumenyos.
The flexi-fare ordinance is now showing to be novel piece of legislation that relates with the changes of the world, particularly the international oil price that has been affecting Filpinos since then. Tagumenyos are also worth for their due if oil prices are falling. It’s a legislation with built-in reflex mechanism adjustible to the workings of the market.
It appears now that the City Hall is putting up sort of implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the flexi-fare ordinance. While it chooses the CTFRB as the fare setter, the chief executive being the man on top of all City Hall layers and bodies has the final say and Saturday’s meeting is right process, to consult also the affected sector, the pedicabbers. After that, the corresponding CTFRB board resolution is a foregone conclusion to legally implement the second fare cut. What about the habal-habals? They have been adjusting by P2 to P5 over the tricycle fare in the two fare movements. When the tricycle fare was increased to P10 from P7, habal-habal drivers also increased and collected P15 from their usual P10. Today’s P8 fare is countered by habal-habal fare of P10. Sineswerte talaga ang mga colorum habal-habals. But it seems the usual market force determines the habal-habal fare rates in the city.
Without the de facto IRR on the flexi-fare ordinance, the order of the day under this flexible regime could be riotous. Fare decrease or increase isn’t automatically dependent on current gasoline rates after all. But such could be remedied possibly if the City Hall mounts electronic billboard in strategic corners in the city informing the current gasoline prices and the price average as a yardstick, as well as the City Hall-set tricycle fare. I don’t know if the jacking up of crude and gasoline prices in gas stations in the city above the levels in Panabo and Davao City has been addressed already by Councilor Mylene Baura. Or her probe was just for media op?
Anyway, the unsolicited advice to make the flexi-fare fully operational and automatic is a mounting of electronic billboard, like the basketball scoreboard, stating the fare akin to the copra buyer’s notice on his buying price with words “COPRA PRICE TODAY:P__”, no resecada. In the Tagum City Hall case today, this would be: “TRICYCLE FARE TODAY: P8″. Perhaps Councilor Rey Salve could be a devil’s advocate for this.
BLOGBUZZ: The Panabo legislative department, they say last week, is too over security conscious. During sessions, in its door, there’s that bully who flag down and ask visitors of their purpose in entering the gallery of the session hall. Inside, there’s one sitting cop and a sergeant at arms who watches the faces of entering visitors. Inside the gallery, there’s another who hangs on and looks over the crowd with suspicions. Mediamen are prevented from taking photos of the session inside but only in the glass-enclosed gallery. People entering the Panabo City Hall are earlier thoroughly checked by the security guards and SCU at the front main gate. They say na-OA na ang security details for Panabo session hall during sessions. Such SOP is driving the public from listening the session and getting public records in its rawest verbal forms. We don’t know yet if Vice Mayor James Gamao throws this OA security details intentionally. It’s only in Panabo and not found in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley and elsewhere. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, text 09069104553, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com)
Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy has approved to implement a reduced tricycle fare of P7 starting on January 2 next year.
In his meeting on Saturday with the City Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (CTFRB) chairman Atty. Roland Tumanda and other board officers, the decision was reached to effect the second fare cut from the latest P8 since that the current gasoline pump prices already hit within the P30-P39.99 range in a general matrix provided under the city’s flexi-fare ordinance.
If the minimum fare is P7, students and senior citizens would only have to pay P5 for the regular tricycle ride. However, the CTFRB will still have to formally make a corresponding board resolution for the new fare cut this week, Atty. Tumanda, also the city legal officer, told Sidlak.
The city has now its flexible mode of charging tricycle fare due to the flexi-fare ordinance which provides a bracket on tricycle fares depending on gasoline pump prices.
The City Hall already ordered for fare reduction to P8 fare from P10 last November 18.
When the reduction was effected on that date, gasoline prices were already observed to be diving below the P40 per liter mark.
There was then a fare increase from P7 to P10 approved by the city council which effected last September 19.
But a week after due to growing complaints of riding public as gasoline prices were decreasing then when the increased P10 fare was implemented, Uy backpedaled and pushed the flexi-fare ordinance as a novel way of skipping the tedious and long legislative process of enacting an ordinance in view of the volatility of oil prices.
The ordinance’s bracket provides that 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. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)
