A POST in social media by our friend Peter Lavina yesterday said it is now official that the PDP-Laban, Cusi faction which is the party of President Rodrigo Duterte, has already adopted the BBM-Sara UniTeam as its candidates for President and Vice President for the coming May 9 elections. The adoption was made formal through a resolution signed by the party leadership very recently.
Does this adoption carry the President’s official and personal endorsement of the BBM-Sara tandem? We cannot be sure until President Duterte comes out in the open and declares his support to the team that includes his daughter.
But whether or not he will do as anticipated we have no idea. We are certain however, that whatever his final decision on the matter he will make it with precise timing in order to get the maximum result of such a move. This is the Duterte trademark.
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There will be two more days of waiting and the parties of candidates for local government elective positions will be out there for the official start of campaigning activities.
We are anticipating a bigger hoopla for the local administration party since it is likely “blessed” with substantial resources to wangle around. How the party will conduct its opening salvo we cannot be certain. But for sure it will hold a grand proclamation rally most likely in a downtown where its will be formally introducing the local administration candidates for the City Mayor and Vice Mayor; the councilor that it is carrying in its official Hugpong ng Pagbabago line-up in all the three districts of the city, and of course the Party’s bets for Congressman.
Naturally, Baste Duterte being the admin candidate for City Mayor, will definitely dominate the limelight, so will District 1 councilor Jay Melchor Quitain who is unopposed in his bid for the second highest position in Davao City’s local government. And of course reelectionist First District Congressman and Third District’s unopposed Congressman Isidro “Sid” Ungab will be coasting by. Congressman Polong, though with opponents, may not be totally bothered with insecurity as he is “well-endowed” with so many things required for an easy run.
Compared to Ungab however, incumbent Polong cannot be complacent since his significant challenger, social activist Mags Maglana, is seemingly endowed with friends who we have observed, have been helping her put un in advance a “Maguinot” line to cushion a Polong Duterte juggernaut. But as we have said earlier, incumbent Polong could be holding several aces in his sleeves. And unless Mags has already figured out what these aces are and prepared for her own cards to throw as her counter move/s that will be goodbye to her dreams of bringing her own brand of service to the people of the First District.
Meanwhile, what we foresee as something awkward that may transpire during the local administration party’s opening rally is the case of the congressional contest in the Second District.
Who will the party introduce as its official candidate for Congressman in that political enclave? Would it be councilor Danny Dayanghirang? Would it be reelectionist Rep. Vincent Garcia? Both aspirants for the Lower House are claiming to have the endorsement of the two Party gods – President Rodrigo Duterte and Mayor Inday Sara. If the two second district congressional bets will show up at the proclamation rally, who between them will come up the stage and sit alongside the Party top guns and the other official candidates? Would it be Congressman Vincent, or would it be Councilor Dayanghirang?
It would be a pity for anyone of the two to be “spurned” right on the opening day of the campaign period.
On the other hand, we have this thought that the grand proclamation activity will be conducted together with the initial campaign sortie of the BBM-Sara tandem in Davao City. The local administration party think-tank would definitely not want to have a sparse crowd to welcome the Presidential tandem that has the Davao City Mayor in it as the running mate of the presidential aspirant.
Hence, the planners of the grand proclamation could be thinking that by jibing the local and national administration candidates’ formal presentation to the people of Davao a massive crowd could be assured.
As to the local opposition candidates – and we simply say candidates because the aspirants are running more as individual bets rather than as party standard bearers – we are totally at a loss as to how they will do their own opening salvos. But of course the other bets cannot also be easily underestimated.
For all we know we might have a surprise of our lives come Friday, March 25. The waiting will not be long enough to lull us into boredom.
For comments and/or reactions we can be reached through e-mail: victorino.sumalinog@yahoo.com; Mobile No. 09392980435 and Landline 2372169.
