A FELLOW Davao journalist and opinion writer Ver Bermudez asked in his column a few days ago, “Why would former President Rodrigo Duterte attempt to reoccupy a smaller office?”
Friend, FPRRD is running and likely winning, not to sit for long. He will relinquish the post to son Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, days or possibly months after. And the same scenario will follow. That is, Baste will assume as mayor since he is likely to win the vice mayor’s post against Dr. Bernie Al-ag (unless some “miracles” happen). And once Baste is back at the helm J. Melchor Quitain who is also a shoo-in for first district councilor, will reoccupy his vacated post of vice mayor.
Asa to FPRRRD, our take is that he will just perch himself in a vantage position and direct the “war” to be waged by his political group led by daughter VP Sara leading to the 2028 national elections. He will be aided by his cabal of astute advisers in crafting strategies how to fight the political battle of her daughter.
In other words, using his advance age as smokescreen FPRRD will just be a vague figure in the national political landscape. But still he holds the baton.
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In a recent media interview Sen. Bato dela Rosa strongly denied that there exists in Davao City the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS) whose evolution dated back to his time when he was police chief of Davao City. The Davaoeno Senator claimed during the interview that the DDS was only a creation by the media which we assume he was referring to the local media people.
He challenged those who claimed that there is such a “kill group” under the direction of the police and insinuatingly by the man with the acronym in the “model” as MRRD, to come out in the open and present evidence of the DDS’ existence and the many “kills” the group allegedly committed.
Well, just like those who are called to serve as resource persons in the many Congressional probe conducted by the legislature definitely the senator from Bato, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur will deny the claim on the death squad’s existence and the supposed role of the police and the so-called top man behind. And like the many resource persons in the lawmakers’ probe, Bato will not allow himself the misfortune of “incriminating himself” especially so that he is also implicated in the issue being investigated.
On the Senator’s challenge on those who have the “beef” on the DDS that they come out and show evidence, they certainly will not risk their lives or those of the members of their immediate family. Of course it would be a different story if those with personal knowledge on the DDS and the summary executions they made like confessed hitman Policeman Arturo Lascanas and that one other who were bothered by their conscience.
Lascanas and the other policeman were just lucky they were “harbored” by influential personalities who are themselves strongly against the DDS. The others who started “slowing down” were unfortunate. They themselves were DDSed.
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Again, Vice Mayoral bet Dr. Bernie Al-ag is being “torched” by a fellow councilor of the first district, our friend and former fellow media man Tek Ocampo. Councilor Tek called out Al-ag for his alleged violation of the trekking ban in the uplands of Barangay Tagurano in Toril district. Earlier, the barangay chief of that upland village let the heat out on Al-ag when as what he claimed, the candidate for vice mayor of Davao City with some companions, climbed an upper sitio of the banned area supposedly to look into the condition of the livelihood of the residents.
In justifying his trek Dr. Bernie claimed he wanted to know how the people are coping with the trekking ban imposed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The VM candidate claimed that most of the residents in upper Tagurano earned their keeps by serving as guides to climbers. The ban certainly affected their livelihood. Perhaps, by climbing to the area will give Al-ag an idea how as councilor with roots in Toril, he could possibly help through an ordinance or whatever. Now comes Ocampo’s very subtle tirade against Al-ag that as a city legislative official he should set an example to all by obeying the ban and not ignore it.
Well, that was quite a “rub” from a fellow councilor who is a leading member of the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod where Dr. Bernie took as his vehicle to the Council representing the first district of the city.
The people of Davao have something to find out where will this violating the ban issue lead to.
