OUR thanks to 3rd District Congressman Isidro “Sid” Ungab for the successful passage of the Senate version of his House Bill creating the Metropolitan Davao Development Authority (MDDA). This we learned from the post at Facebook by the Davao City lawmaker which showed a copy of the letter of Senator Migs Zubiri informing the former of the approval of the Senate version of the bill on its third and final reading in the Senate. Apparently Zubiri was the main sponsor of the Senate version.
Congressman Ungab was also profuse in his thanks to Sen. Francis Tolentino who helped a lot Senator Zubiri in having the MDDA Bill breeze through the Senate. What we are expecting now is the structure that will come out of the bill once it is signed into law by the President.
For certain it will have to create an entity that will allow it to function and undertake the responsibilities attendant to its creation. We are hoping that such an office under the said agency will function more corporate in nature to ensure that the desire of its author, more specifically Congressman Sid Ungab, as well as the expectation of the people on the agency will be realized minus the added bureaucratic red tape that is known to accompany newly created government offices or instrumentalities.
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Still a little over a month before the start of the official campaign period for local government elective posts we observe that Davao City’s first Congressional district aspirant Mags Maglana is already making a headway in the use of social media in campaigning. And the camps of incumbent and re-electionist Congressman our kumpare Polong Duterte and the other aspirant are intriguingly silent.
Of course we are not ruling out the possibility that the two camps may just be waiting for the proper timing to launch their own offensive on the social media front. Knowing the incumbent to have his own ample resources, he can very well afford to hire his own trolls, all experts in IT who by now may already be in their advanced stage of planning a juggernaut. We however, have no idea of the other candidate whose name still eludes us. But for certain, this aspirant is sure to know what and how social media as a tool for campaigning in the forthcoming election can help his cause. His “Waterloo” though is how much resources he has and how far is he willing to part with such resources to back up his campaign.
Meanwhile, we are hoping Maglana’s advantage so far will be sustained and if the onslaught of her adversaries is launch she will be able to have her prepared defenses and new sets of offensive.
This is where Maglana’s loyal friends will have to come in if indeed they believe in the former’s cause and advocacy.
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Both the mainstream and social media are agog with the proposed Presidential candidates’ debate offered to be carried by Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy’s television network SMNI.
For now four of the aspirants have openly turned down the invitation to participate. They are Vice President Leni Robredo, Sen. Ping Lacson, Sen. Manny Pacquiao and Mayor Isko Moreno of Manila.
Without doubt they would use as reason in not participating is that Quiboloy’s network is biased in favor of BBM-Sara Uniteam knowing that it is one network owned by a close Presidential friend. That is a perception they have with the broadcast establishment and as such they expect that should they participate they will be asked questions any which way they answer will redound to the advantage of BBM.
Now these Presidential hopefuls are doing exactly a BBM in the case of Jessica Soho’s The Presidential Interview program. And surely they know how it would be if one is put in a situation where he/she could be likened to a native rice cake delicacy cooked with fire under and over it.
The question is, ”will they admit it, or will they just ignore the similarity of their reason to that of Marcos Jr.?”
For comments/reactions to any issue taken up in Rough Cuts we can be reached through our e-mail: victorino.sumalinog@yahoo.com, Mobile No. 09392980435 or landline 2372169.
