But I believe it had its
grains of truth – massive negative ads, massive campaign fund generation to
politicize any and all issues, voter fraud, every political device, whether
fair, unfair, legal or illegal appeared to have been on the table, etc.
In a real way, elections are
not anymore contests premised and debated on logic, good deeds, better
political programs, etc.
And in our old homeland,
elections, especially local ones, are decided more or less in the same ways.
Thus, while being optimistic
is always the best path to pursue, it has to be tempered by realities on the
ground. And that is what I feel should
be addressed in Cagayan de Oro politics, which in many ways mirrors the last US
If we go by the many issues
of governance, corruption, or everything else for that matter, the current
mayor does not have a chance in hell of winning. And he himself does not even appear inclined
to address the many issues against him. He simply either skirts them completely
or allows his many surrogates to do the talking for him. He even laughs publicly when new charges
against him are brought to his attention. He may even entertain the idea that
in his milieu he is invincible, being so well-entrenched and powerful.
And in many respects he
appears to be. And recently gifted with
massive funds, many sourced from abroad, to help alleviate the dire conditions,
both human and otherwise, brought upon by the last flood, Sendong, he is again
well positioned (in the local sense) to gain his electoral foothold . Since this recent capital infusion will be
added to his already formidable political arsenal – the immense power and
influence of incumbency, he owns the council neatly wrapped around his daughter
and son-in-law, his other relatives surround him in the provincial areas, etc.
So if Cagayanons are again
lulled into thinking that they have the upper hand because with their wise use
of words and arguments, through print or orally, they have satisfactorily and
logically laid out the case against the incumbent, they better think again.
A better than likely
scenario.
In the local area, one
well-ensconced political warrior will engage in any and all political devices
to ensure his victory. He will
definitely outspend his opponents – whether for campaign expenditures or
outright vote buying. And this will be
very crucial for this election because this early on his principal opponent has
declared that he does not have sufficient personal funds to run any campaign.
But this challenger, the current highest official of the province, has done a
very good job in his position and he has unvarnished records to prove it. And countless impartial people will attest to
his credibility.
Sounds eerily familiar?
BTW, this provincial
executive presided over the financial mess among other mismanagement issues left
behind by the former occupant. Who was?
The same person he is running against for Hizzoner.
My parting words? If the Republicans and conservatives in the
last US elections truly did their darned best and presented their issues in the
best possible logical way, the local opposition will have to do a lot more –
and often. If they want the results to
be any different.
