The Sitoy family feud

POLITICS is, indeed, a cruel game. It can destroy friendship and break up family. It can turn friends to bitter political foes and likewise from enemies to friends. As they say, “in politics there is no permanent friends and enemies only the permanent interest of the politicians.” True, indeed. And we have heard about murders being committed and bloodshed because of politics. The political situation now in the town of Cordova is one of the classic examples of the ugly face of politics. There exists a sibling rivalry.

The Sitoys, who have dominated the political landscape in that fourthclass municipality, are divided. Mayor Adelino “Adi” Sitoy’s children are fighting each other for the town’s top post. Vice Mayor Maria Teresa “Techie” Sitoy Cho is running for mayor in next year’s elections with her father, Mayor Adi, as her running mate. They are under the administration’s Liberal Party. Adi’s son, Provincial Board Member Arleigh Jay Sitoy, is also running for the same position with Rodrigo Jumao-as is his vice mayor. They are under the One Cebu Party. Cho, who is married to a Korean national, is Arleigh’s half-sister. Well, I don’t want to dwell much on how they became half-brother and half-sister or who is legitimate because that’s none of our business. It’s is enough that they are both children of Adi.

And I don’t know also if there is a conflict between Mayor Adi and Arleigh as the former favors his daughter to be his candidate for mayor rather than Arleigh, who has been in politics for so long.

The young Sitoy served as town mayor for several terms before he became a PB member. Is there bad blood between father and son? Just asking?

After filing his certificate together with his full slate, Arleigh declared on his Facebook account; “For me, it is better for Córdova to be run like hell by a non-Sitoy than it is to be run like heaven by the Sitoys who are under the control of Koreans who were kicked out from Davao and Manila for misdeeds. Dodie would have been a good mayor but he will be in due time. I have asked Dodie to take good care of my children, train them to become principled-centered politicians.” I think “Dodie” is Jumao-as, Arleigh’s running mate. If there is a sibling rivalry between Arliegh and Tecthie, why hasn’t Mayor Adi resolved their conflict? Did he lose control of his son and daughter? Is their conflict so deep that Adi can no longer iron out their differences? Morag lawum-lawum ning ilang conflict sa pamilya, da?

I sensed the conflict between Arleigh and Techie sometime last month when there was a complaint by one of the parents of the scholars recruited by Tetchie for South Korea filed before Arleigh’s office at the Capitol. Arleigh told reporters that he will investigate the complaint even if the subject of the complaint is his “relative.” He said he will summon the vice mayor. When it was reported in my radio program by dySS Super Radyo Capitol beat reporter Reynan Alangilan, Adi called me up and clarified the matter. Adi asked why Arleigh was investigating the matter when the program is good because it is helping deserving students from the town take up education in South Korea. Cho’s husband is from South Korea. Adi said he should be the one investigated and not his daughter because it is his program in coordination with the South Korean government. Morag nangugat man gani si Mayor Sitoy sa among panag-estorya. Reading between the lines on Adi’s statement, I sensed the personal conflict between the father and son.

As the campaign period approaches and if none of the siblings back out from the mayoral race, I can foresee a more complicated situation in Córdova.

I’m afraid they will be washing their dirty linen in public and the Cordovahanons will witness below-the-belt and dirty campaign strategies. The statement Arleigh posted on his Facebook account that he is afraid that Córdova might be controlled by Korean scalawags is already a preliminary attack against the family of his half-sister, especially against her husband. Basin daghan manggawas nga baho sa ilang pamilya nga makadaot pod mismo nila. Pero mao man pod nay ganahan sa mga botante kanang “sabong mentality” nga kampaniya. Gusto man ning mga Filipino og gubot. Atong atangan ang mga kalambuan unya aning kagubot sa pamilyang Sitoy diha sa Córdova.

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I can’t understand why there are some quarters who continue to egg and prod Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to run for president when he already said for the nth times that he is not interested in the presidency.

For me, leave him alone. He said he does not want to serve the country then give it to somebody who is willing.