THIS IS a day late, but we wish all our readers a Happy and sanctified Easter!
Yes, yesterday was Easter Sunday, the day Christ was risen after he died on the cross to save mankind from the wages of sin.
Yesterday’s Easter Sunday was not the culmination of the season of Lent. Rather, it was last Maundy Thursday, immediately before the start of the Mass commemorating the Lord’s last Supper. Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, and in Western Churches the season lasts for at least 40 days excluding Sundays.
While Lent is characterized as the season of penance for the sins committed by the people, Many of us Filipinos somehow failed to avail of the opportunity provided by the Season of Lent. We are too preoccupied with the politics dominating the scene in our country these days.
Of course, there were these last four days of the Holy Week when politicians running for elective positions were persuaded to refrain from campaigning. And by having a four-day break there was this expectation that the air would be freed of political mud-slinging by and among the opposing candidates.
But was there really a respite in dirty campaigning? Of course it was observable that no candidates nor their leaders went out to the communities to pitch for their candidacy. There were no rallies – not even town hall meetings. But the various social media platforms remained open for partisan vloggers and politicians’ trolls.
There was no let-up in their attacks and counter-attacks; their dishing out of fake news with subjects either putting their benefactor/s to high heavens or destroying the personality of the enemies of their political patrons.
Actually, the partisan vloggers and trolls did not show any regards to the solemnity of the Holy Week to the point where their name-calling and evil attribution to the candidates they were tasked to destroy continued to dominate the cyber spaces.
In other words, the campaign prohibition during the last four days of the Holy Week was so wanting in teeth that it was complied with only at a certain level by the candidates themselves and their leaders on the ground. But their vloggers and social media trolls were doing their assigned demolition or personality build-up jobs with no abandon.
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If we have to believe the result of a survey conducted by the Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) research group released only lately showing the standing of Davao City’s mayoralty candidates, then former first district Congressman and Civil Service Commission Chair Karlo Nograles has to do not just a double time in campaigning even to just close the gap between him and his opponent former President Rodrigo R. Duterte. And we are certain Karlo knows his standing even before he filed his certificate of candidacy.
Still, we do not entertain doubts as to his running for Davao City Mayor as mere “obedience” to the dictates of some high officials in the national administration party. We still strongly believe that his running for mayor is prodded by his desire to serve the Davaoeños and bring further enhancements to existing programs introduced by the long-serving Dutertes.
We also fully agree that Karlo has with him a trove of ideas for development projects that are still needed to be introduced in this Southern Mindanao City if it is to aspire to be at par with the best not just in the country but in the whole of South East Asia, especially leading cities in the BIMP-EAGA cluster.
However, we see the need for Karlo and his campaign strategists to sit down and revisit their schemes. While we see and hear Karlo doing a highly positive manner of campaigning, some members of his team are doing the opposite.
Say, First District Congressional aspirant Migz Nograles, and lately Vice Mayoralty candidate Dr. Bernie Al-ag; why have they been harping on the losing of budget for medical assistance given through various Partylist offices and national government agencies in the city if Davaoeños vote for the local administration candidates?
It is an overt threat to the Davaoeño voters that needs to be considered when they go to the polling precincts if they hope to get assistance with their medical expenses when time comes.
Why cannot they talk instead of enhancing the availability of funds for assistance if they get the voters’ support? Why not tell the Davaoeño voters they will seek to increase the amount of assistance instead of telling them of the dire consequences of not voting them to office?
On the part of Karlo himself, maybe it would do him good if aside from introducing enhancements to the present government programs and development projects under the Duterte rule why not harp instead in FPRRD’s age and slowing physical capabilities? Why not Karlo explain to the constituents the possible inability of the former President to run the city personally since his trial by the ICC could last for years and could even outlived his term if he wins in the May 12 polls?
The Davaoeño voters will likely appreciate him for such magnanimity and those likely heavily pro-FPRRD voters might shift support on the day of the election.
