Why everyone wants to become vice governor

“If we open a quarrel between past and present, we shall find that we have lost the future.” Winston Churchill

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY — Is year 2016 the right time to become vice governor of Iloilo province in the Philippines?
We suspect even former Philippine Coconut Administrator (PCA) administrator Oscar “Oca” Garin Sr. is itching to become vice governor.
His aim actually is to eventually capture capitol, the only tiara missing in his political resume.
But the formidable Garins of Iloilo’s first district has officially fielded Guimbal mayor Christine against Rep. Neil “Junjun” Tupas Jr., “gunslinger” of another powerful political clan in the fifth district.
The patriarch Garin can still substitute for his daughter in the eleventh hour as the Garins are wont to do in the previous polls.
Both the Garin and Tupas clans were supposed to be “united” under one political roof of Pres. Noynoy Aquino with a modus vivendi to support the reelection of Gov. Arthur “Art” Defensor Sr.
Everything was going well until the deadline for the filing of certificate of candidacy (COC) in the Commission on Elections recently.

FALLOUT

The apparent fallout between the Garins and Tupases happened when Junjun decided the run the gamut from the congressional match-up in his district involving his younger brother, Vice Governor Raul “Boboy”, against Junjun’s wife, Angeli Lee, to the province’s second highest position, where he himself is the candidate purportedly representing the Liberal Party (LP).
Feeling “betrayed”, the Garins responded with a Queen’s Indian Defense vis-a-vis the Tupases’ Fianchetto.
And the die cast.
Had it not been for the imposing leadership by LP big man, Senate President Franklin Drilon, Junjun or any member of the clan, for that matter, would’ve challenged Defensor, who is on his last term.
Or the Garins versus Defensor.
But because no powerful clan can now touch Defensor with a ten- foot pole in as far as the 2016 elections are concerned, they are now up for a battle royale in the vice gubernatorial post.
With or without intervention of President Aquino and Drilon, everyone will salivate for the capitol’s second highest position.
The scuttlebutt is that due to health reasons, Defensor might decide to yield his position and give way to the vice governor before 2019.
Thus, the Tupas versus Garin toss up has become a fait accompli.

 

Rivalry between 2 Defensor brods unlikely

“Rivalry doesn’t help anybody.” Peter Jackson

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY — By having mastered the political art of timing, Iloilo Governor Arthur “Art” Defensor Sr. made sure his two lawyer sons, Iloilo third district Rep. Art “Toto” Jr. and Lorenz Noy, won’t end up as Abel and Cain in politics.
By the time the older Toto Defensor graduates (completion of his three-year term) from the House of Representatives in 2019, younger brother Noy Defensor, who will surely be elected as third district provincial board member in 2016, is ripe to replace him.
Rep. Toto Defensor’s political career will definitely not end in congress.
When father Defensor retires from politics, Toto might “inherit” the capitol top post–barring unforeseen circumstances, political and otherwise.
If both Defensor brothers are already in power, other political clans in Iloilo province might find it hard to capture the capitol in the next 12 to 15 years.

SWITCH

Toto and Noy, both young and energetic, can switch positions alternately as a strategy to stave off the ascension of potential Benjamins from other clans, leaving their competitors eating the dust.
Because of the timeline in the launching of their respective political careers, there is no danger in sight for Toto and Noy–or their wives–to clash for either congressman or governor in the future.
Seniority will always play a big factor in case there is an impasse, which is improbable given the solid leadership and command of their father.
Two other powerful clans in Iloilo province are also jockeying for their main bets to capture and recapture the coveted capitol top post.
Because of their wrangling over who should be the next congressman in the fifth district, the Tupas clan’s best bets for governor in the future–Iloilo fifth district Rep. Neil “Junjun” Tupas Jr. and Vice Governor Boboy Tupas–are in danger of falling by the wayside if they can’t bury their hatchets in a soonest possible time.

RETIRED

Semi-retired former Philippine Coconut Authority chair Oscar “Oca” Garin Sr. knows that his clan’s best chance to inch their way to the capitol is for him to be elected as vice governor in 2016.
A political wizard, Oca Garin, an engineer and former Iloilo first district three-term congressman, can’t rely heavily on his wife, Board Member Ninfa and junior son, first district Rep. Oscar “Richard” Jr. to initiate the grand capitol invasion.
Daughter Christine, mayor of Guimbal, Iloilo, is another alternative for vice governor in 2016, but the lady executive may find the shoes of the gubernatorial slot “too heavy” in the most likely event given the age and health of Gov. Defensor (God forbid), who is still good for one term (2016-2019).
It must be the patriarch Garin who should start the trek to the highest mountain. The rest of the family will just follow suit.

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Work and woman don’t mix

“It is the vice of a vulgar mind to be thrilled by bigness.” E. M. Forster

By Alex P. Vidal

The engineer who lost his job in a construction company tasked to repaint the Iloilo Capitol after admitting he ordered the vandalism on the building’s dome, will only have himself to blame.
Engr. Jose Maria Cesar Uychocde, representative of contractor V.N. Grande Builders and Supply that bagged the repainting job, reportedly wanted to impress a certain “Adele”, who works in a restaurant in front of the capitol, thus he ordered the painting of “Hello, Adele” graffiti on the capitol dome.
The imposing scribble has nothing to do with the contractor’s job order and can be seen and read by pedestrians and passersby downstairs especially in adjacent buildings.

ANGERED

The vandalism angered Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. who ordered the temporary stoppage of the firm’s P3.2-million contract unless somebody admitted the misdemeanor.
After several finger-pointing and dilly-dallying, Uychocde finally owned up the wrongdoing in front of Defensor last Thursday. He then resigned from the company. As of press time, the governor has ordered the resumption of the repainting works.
It was not immediately known if Uychocde, who is probably in his 60s, was married or not, but the moral of the story is: work and woman (we refuse to use the term “womanizing” because we don’t have any evidence that the engineer pursued Adele lecherously) don’t mix.

ENAMORED

It is none of our business if Uychocde is enamored with Adele (whoever she is) or not, but the story clearly illustrated the risk and consequences a naughty laborer has to endure if he mixes his job with women.
If Uychocde manifested his interest on Adele privately, there would have been no vandalism; no temporary suspension of repainting job, no media ruckus, no scandal, no resignation and embarrassment.
There would have been no fuss if government property was not involved in his attempt to flatter Adele. The “Hello, Adele” has now become a “Goodbye, Adele!”