Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte who is now running for Vice Mayor as his father’s tandem in the 2025 local elections, is lamenting what he calls disloyalty of some members to the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL), the home-grown political party founded by huis father former President Rodrigo Duterte.
According to Mayor Baste the leadership of HTL has no other recourse but to drop them from the roll of the party. The mayor was clearly referring to Second district councilor Javi Garcia Campos and the members of his family. He too, referred to Councilors Dr. Bernie Al-ag and his brother Wilberto “Nonoy” Al-ag, and the members of the Al-ag family in Toril.
Mayor Baste said the expulsion is necessary because they have violated Article 7, Section 6(b) of the HTL’s constitution. HTL, as a political party, values transparency, integrity, and loyalty as its cornerstone as a vehicle in politics, the mayor expounded.
While we are certain that the ousted members were fully aware of their responsibilities in the HTL, it cannot also be denied that they are as much aware of their Constitutionally-guaranteed freedom to run for any elective position they want to.
They too, know that the HTL is already too crowded with members who intend to run in the next polls. And the kicked out personalities know the leadership of the HTL would not allow that member will who will be doing their poll battles while they are confined in the ambit of the Party. It is just too ugly and annoying to witness in-fighting among members who’ll be having their personal choices from candidates within the same party.
So those who aspires for a position who feel they do not have the sympathy of the top Party leadership for reason that the leaders have their own pet have no other option but to consider moving to another group that willingly offers them the slots.
And knowing fully well that the “pets” of the HTL is growing in number, those hoping to be fielded but are potential “castaways” have to set aside party loyalty as they may not be able to wait forever.
Thus the “flight” of some leading HTL members to the group known aligned with the national administration.
But of course the HTL leadership need not grieve for the loss of what it calls disloyal members. For now the challenge of the Party dominance in the city is far from strong. The challenger group at the local level is one fledgling political infrastructure that could be toppled down without much pushing.
But the local ruling HTL must be forewarned that over-confidence and over-kill in the campaigning should not be allowed to rule the minds of the party leaders. Otherwise they might end up the ones ousted from City Hall, the Sanggunian and the Congressional district instead.
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How true is the report carried by the Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), a broadcast media organization owned by incarcerated Pastor Apollo C. Quiboly of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) Church that the cases of human trafficking, forced labor and money laundering filed by the United States Government against the Church leader have been dismissed?
We have no idea of knowing much as we want to. We still have to read such report in mainstream print media; see it broadcast on television, or heard it reported on air by mainstream radio networks.
If at all there is truth to the report we suspect that the dismissal could have something to do with issues on jurisdiction. Like in money laundering charges, the Pastor could not have brought a sizeable amount of money from the Philippines or from somewhere else to the US. It is a known fact that he instead get big sum of money from that American country coming to the Philippines as donation to his Church. Yes, it was the bringing of huge amount of dollars from the US mainland that the Pastor was intercepted in Hawaii and later charged of smuggling dollars.
It is this latter case that we want to be apprised as to its status. Personally, this is more critical to the US government that we think dropping the case could be far from the minds of judges in the US courts.
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All the while we thought that the creation of a Davao City Justice Zone is an ordinance. We were made to believe it is when third district councilor Enzo Villafuerte who, we thought, is the main proponent, talked about it unabashedly.
But how come all of a sudden Mayor Baste signed Executive Order No. 33 “institutionalizing the support of the city government to the establishment of the Davao City Justice Zone?” Is City Hall jumping the gun on the City Council?
Think of this: the EO may be raised in the Sangguniang Panlungsod “for consideration and appropriate legislation and budgeting.”
What is happening here? Are the Executive and the Legislative branches of the city government not talking? We are just asking hoping for clarification.
