LP’S choice: Karlo or Louie?

FORGET Sabah imbroglio. Three centuries had elapsed. If the Sultanate of Sulu and all the Philippine Presidents failed to acquire sovereignty over the area don’t expect the present one to do miracles this time. With his predilection to blame his predecessor for every problem that beset his administration don’t be surprised if Gloria Macapagal Arroyo would come out as the one who stirred Typhoon Pablo to be a killer storm that ravaged Comval and Davao Oriental.

Despite his consuming hatred of his professor however, I still pin my hope on Pnoy as the last bastion to battling corruption in this country. So let me proceed with this piece and am not about to dismiss the role of Pres. Noynoy Aquino on this local political guessing game: Between incumbent congressman Karlo Alexei Norgrales and former Vice Mayor Louie Bonguyan, who will President Aquino proclaim as the Liberal Party’s official candidate?

This is a tough question but then it is a simpler predicament than what Sabah poses. After all Rep. Karlo is one of the three Assistant Majority Floor Leaders of the House of Representatives. At quick glance there ought to be no more argument nor bit of hesitation on the choice but knowing Pnoy’s unforgiving mantra over the main players and pillars of the corrupt government of Arroyo, the President might have second thoughts on who to pick as the administration candidate for the 1st District of Davao City. Factor in the debasing brand: “The Most Corrupt Congress or The House of Corruption” that the Philippine Council for Investigative Journalism and a world lending bank have stamped on the last Congress chaired by then Speaker Prospero Nograles, and you can make an educated guess that President Aquino will indeed be in a quandary.

However, the President may proceed with his choice based on informed decision. Forget that Karlo is even the son of Nogie. Consider two recent legislations that were certified as urgent bills of Malacanang. We knew that the prime mover of the Sin Tax and RH bills is the President himself. This seemly is an innocuous issue but it drew a broad line that delineates those who are supportive of the program of the Aquino administration and those who merely put lip service to it.

So why should this bland issue be material to the choice of the Liberal Party candidate for the 1st District of Davao City for after all the two pieces of legislation had been passed and signed into law? This question can be answered with another question. Did Assistant Majority Floor Leader Karlo Nograles support and vote for the approval of the bill when it was deliberated in the Lower House? If Sid Ungab(3rd-District) and Mylene Garcia (2nd-District) stalwarts of Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod supported the bills then why did Karlo take a different route from that which the President directed his party mates to take. For certain the President knew who went with him all the way and took note of the agenda of others who opted to oppose the very measures he wants passed.

Louie Bonguyan may not be in the radar screen of President Aquino but he is with Hugpong – the ruling party in Davao that is headed by Duterte. Like him, Louie ended his term as vice mayor without any tint of corruption. Proclaiming Karlo the official candidate of LP is like a kiss of death. But then in politics anything can happen in a manner only Pinoy politicians can conjure.

Let’s watch and see.