What to expect
Mcused
ost of us were fo
on the recently concluded elections in the United States. Many of us are amused and not necessarily perplexed because President Donald Trump continue to refuse in conceding to president-elect Joe Biden. (Nadaya daw siya. Parang dito sa atin. Walang natatalo, Nadaya lang). Politics is one good past time for many people in our country. We expect its coming the way we wait for the Christmas season.
As a matter of fact, it’s the national pastime. Next January next year the election will heat up for sure. Governance of those elected is exceedingly short. The initial six months is for the introduction to mundane matters. One year of administrative planning. The next year is the assembling of party leaders and the composition of the slate. By October the filing and shortly thereafter the hustings. The political spectacle is so much awaited like ‘a circus is coming to town’.
Ihave no ability to predict the future. At this early, names of possible presidential bets are surfacing. It is still the period of playing coy to most possible bets. Many are still vacillating. I see no problem in naming some of them. Of course, Senator Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao feels like in his boxing career he can upped his division, the presidency. Senator Bong Go may go a notch or two higher. The third from Mindanao is presidential daughter Mayor Sara.
Her presence in the national scene was and still felt even in the House of Representatives. Aside from the father as a supporter, her political Hugpong is already ‘umuugong’. Vice President Leni Robredo is in contention. She is gaining traction.Manila Mayor Isko Moreno maybe a long shot. Bongbong is still a question mark.
Senators Dick Gordon and Ping Lacson maybe crunching numbers. Both are presidential materials. Their spurs were sharpened by their performance in the senate.
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In the meanwhile, the Nepomuceno and the
Lazatin rivalry which figured in many political bouts since the early years may not happen in the next elections. My take is that the Lazatins will dominate the political scene. There’s a great possibility that the brothers, Mayor Pogi and Congressman Jonjon both running unopposed. Bryan Nepomuceno , the last man standing as far as the Nepomucenos are concerned, run for mayor in Angeles City but failed despite support from then incumbent Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan. I asked then in this space if Bryan will lose, will it end the Nepomucenos political participation? In short it will only be Pamintuan who will be left in the picture. Maybe, just maybe, Mayor Pogi may run unopposed in 2022 in any event Pamintuan will retire completely and live a a less stressful life as a political retiree. Give it to him, he has been a ‘combatant’since 1988. But if he decides to take a crack once more, then it is one interesting match in the mayoral race.
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However, in some places in Pampanga and elsewhere political dynasties are very much alive and kicking, so to speak. Sadly in Mabalacat, the Moraleses headed by their patriarch Marino aka Boking run as vice mayor in the last elections and was beaten by his nephew Geld Aquino. Was it the ending of Boking’s political career? Mayor Cris Garbo is performing very well in his first term. He is now well entrenched. Seemingly he is invulnerable at this point of his political career. (More next issue)