After the resignation of then Davao City Vice Mayor Pulong Duterte, several names, mostly those of barangay captains, were floated as likely to be recommended as replacement. Among the names mentioned were those of barangay captains Ramon “Abay” Bargamento III, Bebot Clarion, and Glenn Escovilla.When Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio made it known that the home-grown political party Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod has given the resigned VM Pulong to choose his own replacement, there were already clear indications that the hopefuls who were known not to have gravitated to the mayor’s brother during the 2016 election were out of contention. So, the choices were, at that time, limited to about seven barangay executives who openly supported Pulong’s third district endorsee for Congress, Karlo Bello.
According to sources then, Kapitan Escovilla has a very strong edge over the other hopefuls as he is a lawyer. But Escovilla had expressed his lack of interest of the position. So, Kapitan Clarion eventually had it. Now the Kapitan councilor is running for election of the same post in the third district. So is Abay Bargamento III.
Of course the two are identifying themselves to be under the umbrella of Mayor Sara’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HnP) regional and now nationalizing political party where former VM and now unopposed candidate for Congressman of the first district Pulong Duterte is also a member.
Well, the May 13, 2019 election for local officials in Davao City will become the acid test to both former Kapitanes sa barangay’s drawing power of voters
Both council candidates have their own perceived advantages. As we said here earlier, the two are identifying themselves as members of Mayor Inday’s HnP. And their claims are not denied.
On the part of Bargamento one advantage that he can claim over Clarion is the present level of development of Mintal that he can showcase. He is also relatively younger. And it is likely that Bargamento may have the sympathy of the Ungabs who are now holding the third district congressional representation. And Mayor Sara has been open in her backing of the Ungab run during the 2016 election. Hence, Bargamento can hold on to an assumption that the mayor may still be supporting him, even if silently, in order not to create odds with her brother.
Meanwhile, even if appointed, Kapitan Clarion can have the advantage of an incumbent. Unlike Bargamento III, the possibility is that the former may have already moved around the entire third district without being suspected of early campaigning. He is a sitting councilor and it is required of his position to check on his district and find out the needs of his constituents. He can always claim that that is the only way he can introduce relevant ordinances that fit into the aspirations of the people he is representing.
And like Bargamento, Clarion also enjoys the thought that he has the backing of the mayor being a member of HNP. And for certain, being close to the former Vice Mayor is another edge he can claim over the former Mintal Barangay captain.
Now wait; we are not focusing our discourse on the two candidates because there is only one slot for the third district council representation. There are eight slots and more than eight people are aspiring to get into the magic circle.
We have the candidacy of the two persons as the subject of this treatise because they are similarly situated. Both are former barangay captains and enjoy the backings of the local political leadership as well as that of the congressional honchos.
Our highlighting them here is only a matter of showing a venue of comparison between the two relatively newcomers for council representation. In other words, we are trying to give the idea who between the two is likely to get into the magic eight in the city’s third district.
As to the other slots there are shoo-ins. And these are come-backing Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, VM Bernie’s brother Nonoy Al-ag, Petite Principe, Jess Zozobrado, Conde Baluran, and of course Dr. Rene Lopez.
How to dislodge them from their present “safe” position in the list would be a gargantuan problem for all other new-comers.
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