We congratulate our newly-assumed Davao City officials who started holding office last Monday.
We take our hats off in her comeback as Davao City Chief Executive lady Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio who did not exert any effort to be re-installed in her position. She ran unopposed. But she was not without much political activities during the 2019 midterm elections. She made her presence and influence felt at the national scene by pushing her home-grown Hugpong ng Pagbabago Party into enticing coalitions with other political groups in other parts of the country.
Mayor Sara’s time for her local campaign was instead used in moving around the country endorsing this and that candidate for both local and national positions, many of whom won the May 13, 2019 midterm polls.
Her brother, former Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, was also catapulted to Congress having run unopposed in the city’s first congressional district. Younger brother Baste coasted off to the Vice Mayor position without even standing on a stage for a campaign rally. What with no one challenging his candidacy!
We also congratulate our veterans in the City Council who retained, regained or successfully succeeded their immediate relatives as they sort of just passed on the position to their next of kin.
We have from the first district friends in the council in the person of come-backing Nilo Abellera Sr., reelected councilors Bonifacio Militar, Mabel Sunga Acosta, Pilar Braga, Edgar Ibuyan, Jr., Jay Melchor Quitain, newcomers Jessica Bonguyan and Pamela Librado.
Meanwhile, in the second district we are extending our felicitations to our good friend Danny Dayanghirang who decided to run for another third term, friends come-backing Louie John Bonguyan and Dante Apostol, newcomers Diosdado Mahipus Jr., Augusto Javie Garcia Campos, Ralph Abella, Richlyn Justol-Baguilod and Jonard Dayap. The last five dads are the fortunate relatives of people close to the city administration who have yet to etch their names in the annals of public service in their district. Campos is a nephew of come-backing second district representative Vincent Garcia, Abella is husband of just bowed out councilor Marissa Salvador Abella. Dayap is brother of former councilor April Mary Dayap. Justol-Baguilod, we are sure, could be a close kin of Lina Justol who is President Duterte’s purse keeper in Malacanang.
On the other hand we also extend our hand in congratulating newly elected officials of the third district. First we saw now assumed for the first three-year term of his come-back term Congressman Isidro “Roy” Ungab who ran also without opponent.
We congratulate as well his brother Abet Ungab who topped the council race. We are congratulating come-backing councilor Wilberto Al-ag, reelected Dr. Mary Joselle-Villafuerte who is the widow of our good friend the late councilor Louie Villafuerte, another come-backing lady local lawmaker Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz , reelected councilors Antoinette Principe, Jesus Joseph Zozobrado, and newcomer Bai Hundra Cassandra Dominique Advincula, daughter of former councilor Victorio Advincula Jr.
As we can see, the constitution of the leadership of the city starting this year until 2022 is a mix of veteran, relatively new, and totally neophyte public office managers and lawmakers.
In other words there is a combination of experience with tested wisdom, and youthful idealism and innovative thinking.
Whether this mix will work for the benefit of the people of Davao City or for personal political ambition their performance in the next three years will tell us.
