Today, April 11, is the start of the 3rd week of the campaign for candidates to the elective positions in the local government.
In Davao City we noticed that the campaign activities have started to gain momentum. In fact in our place, a barangay belonging to the third Congressional area, it was the first time that a campaign vehicle of Dt. Bernie Al-ag, a candidate for Vice Mayor in tandem with lawyer Karlo Nograles, entered our area.
We assumed that its purpose was to do some kind of mobile campaigning. But it also appears it did not really. For how can one vehicle used in a campaign by a local aspirant looks like it did not want the message it was trying to convey into the minds of the electorate received and conformed with.
Yes, the driver of the mobile campaign vehicle was driving the van at full speed even as its pre-recorded campaign jingle was played. Again the speed with which the vehicle was running allowed onlookers only to see the picture of the vice mayoral candidate but what were written about the aspirant was far from readable.
Or, are Dr. Al-ag’s campaigners just meeting a quota in mileage coverage or number of barangays reached? Really, if they are sincere in their efforts to help Bernie Al-ag improve his chances of beating Baste Duterte then they’d better be serious in their job of boosting the optometrist doctor’s image.
Of course we can understand the vast area of Davao City that the candidates for mayor and vice mayor have to cover. And they have to reach to the city’s most rural barangays no matter how small the number of voters residing in those villages are.
But again the campaigner/s, be they the aspirants themselves or their hired people or volunteers, must realize that their primary responsibility is to let the people know who is or are the candidates and the reasons why they deserve the support of the electorate.
Campaign activities that deny the people the opportunity to know the candidates can only lead them to make unwise decisions in choosing their bets.
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We have this hunch that those who will prevail in the Council election for the third district will mostly be old names – re-electionists or come backing. Meaning winners will most likely be re-electionists Abet Ungab, Myrna Dalodo Ortiz, Sweet Advincula, Rachel Zozobrado, and the cousins Villafuerte.
It is also our take that come backing Petite Principe is a cinch to the next Council. Those who will be elbowing each other to be in on the Magic 8 will possibly be second time aspirants Bebot Clarion, and former Mintal barangay captain Bargamento. Momay Al-ag could also join the fray and perhaps Japit Baluran who appears to be heavily leaning on his father’s image.
But what we feel more critical in the third district’s Council race is who gets to be number one.
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Meanwhile, in the first district Council race, again the result will be a dominance of the re-election bidders. But a new comer will rise surely at the upper echelon of winners. And he is likely to slug it out to the number one position with incumbent Jay Quitain and possibly councilor Luna Acosta. He is none other than Rigo Duterte III, former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s grandson from Congressman Polong.
But of course there is a Bonguyan Council aspirant and her family name still rings a bell in the first district. Then another re-electionist who is also a shoo-in is Bonz Militar. He made his name in the present Council with his having authored some important and high-impact ordinances.
Of course former news anchor Tek Ocampo cannot be counted out. His name is an easy recall despite the fact that we could not remember of one significant local legislation he has authored even as he was chair of the Council’s Committee on Environment.
A first time council aspirant though could possibly barge in on the winners’ list. That is, if outgoing Councilor Pilar Braga succeeds in instilling in the minds of District 1 voters that the Corsino Council candidate is a Braga who is her grandson and only a Corsino by affinity.
Now, is there any possibility that a non-Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod Council aspirant may alter the list of potential winners? We are not certain. But if at all there will be, chances are it will still be Small Abellera. Cherry Al-ag could be another.
Well, ”Let us to see.”
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