We beg for the indulgence of our readers for this column’s non-appearance yesterday in this space. We had some visitors in the house to see for themselves the condition of our home maker who was recently hospitalized for fourteen days due to some major illnesses.
By the time our visitors left we already did not have the time to write our piece as it was a few minutes more before deadline of the submission to the editorial desk. Anyhow, we are happy to be back again to share our thoughts on the various issues now plaguing both the local and national governments, more crucially the latter.
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It is our take that the heated political battle in the May 2025 midterm election in Davao City will be the fight for the Congressional seats for the first and second districts. As far as the third, we believe it is already “won” even at this early.
Why are we saying that the fierce political battle will be fought in the first and second districts? Simple. In the first district the incumbent is former President Rodrigo Duterte’s eldest son Paolo Z. Duterte. And his main opponent is PBA Partylist Congresswoman lawyer Migz Nograles, without doubt the bet of the Marcos, Jr. administration.
Other than that Migz Nograles is a scion of the late former House Speaker Prospero Nograles. And historically, despite the apparent dominance of the Dutertes in the Davao City politics, the Nograleses seem to have a tight hold of the first district. In fact now mayoralty candidate Karlo Nograles did not lose a single election for Representative in the first.
Then the district has another woman candidate in Mags Maglana who, during the 2022 congressional polls garnered a significant percentage of the first district votes. And the likelihood is, Maglana will be chipping more of her votes from Congressman Polong’s backers, not from Migz Nograles.
Given this scenario therefore, Congressman Polong cannot afford to be complacent. He should have to do his best to ensure that in the race for the first district Congressional seat he would not end up being caught off-guard.
Meanwhile, in the second district, erstwhile Duterte ally councilor Javi Garcia Campos, a young member of the venerable Garcia political clan that lorded over the district for so long, is squaring off with the son of Congressman Polong and grandson of the former President. Yes, Garcia Campos’ opponent is Omar Duterte, the incumbent Barangay Captain of Buhangin. Omar has been in that position in only about a year.
While the young son of Congressman Polong is relatively a green horn in politics, he is definitely having some aces in his sleeves. First and foremost, he is a Duterte. He has all the resources needed to run a massive campaign. That is, financially, materially, manpower, and the “muscles” that may have to be utilized when certain situations demand. Besides, almost, if not all those running for councilors in the second district are aligning themselves with the local administration. Therefore, while the council bets are hoping they’d be carried by Omar, the Buhangin village chief is actually the one carried by the council aspirants.
Meanwhile, Congressional bet Garcia-Campos may be banking highly on his being a candidate having the support of the Marcos Jr. administration. Therefore, he may be able to enjoy the resources that may be poured down to him.
And we have no doubt that sans the support of his colleagues at the City Council, he’d likely be counting on the support of barangay officials who the Garcias since their hold in the district, been pampering with projects for their respective villages.
Therefore, we believe that all these make Javi Garcia Campos on equal footing with Omar in what could be a classic political battle for the district’s Congressional seat.
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In a Facebook post we read yesterday Vice President Sara raised this thought of hers: She wonders how the AFP Chief can sleep amid government corruption.
What message is she sending to the top military commander and the Filipino people? We believe that your idea is the same as ours.
On the other hand VP Sara issued a statement the other day that is now the subject of a nationwide heated debate whether it was a threat or not.
She said that if she is gone (killed, abducted or however you would want to interpret that particular portion of her statement), she already has commissioned someone to snap the lives of the President, First Lady Liza Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Naturally, those who side with the President were quick to say she is threatening the lives of the three mentioned persons. But the VP. Citing a condition she premised her statement that “if she will be gone (killed, abducted, or whatever) it will only be the time that her instruction to snap the lives of the mentioned personalities will be carried out.
Now what Is the right agency or government instrumentality to legally determine whether the VP’s statement is indeed a threat or not? Pray, tell the people.
