ELEVEN of the 35 who signed the statement urging LTO Director Cano Tan to run for Congress have reportedly withdrawn their signatures and reiterated that they are for Undersecretary Anthony Golez instead. Some of the 11 were even present when the signatories held a press conference at Lopue's East to formally announce their support to Cano, if and when he decides to run.

Panagbenga 2009 blog

These 11 rode two horses, very likely receiving money or some other favors from both Cano and Golez. They have enjoyed the best of both worlds, hardly realizing that sooner or later, their duplicity will have to come to the end of the rope.
This is the difficulty when one rides on two horses. Eventually, when the two horses finally separate in opposite directions, he either dismounts from one or risk being split into two.

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No wonder there is a growing clamor to abolish the barangays. A creation of Martial Law, the barangay, like the Kapisanan ng mga Broadcasters sa Pilipinas (KBP), was really designed to tighten the dictatorship's control over the people. It was meant to herd the people into line under the illusion that through the barangays (or the KBP) they can decide for themselves and retain the "independence" robbed from them by Martial Law.

As it turned out, the barangay, in most cases, has turned into a monster, sapping the nation's resources which could otherwise go to real development instead of into the pockets of barangay officials who have gifted themselves with fat honoraria and allowances, not to mention the graft money they steal from their so-called share of the Internal Revenue allocation, with the connivance of DILG officials who also partake of the loot.

Besides, if representation is the objective, the councilors can do a better job of it. All that's needed is to divide the local government unit into the desired geographical parts and have the councilors represent each part.

Less expense, less graft.

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As every day passes, the congressional contest is getting to be a fight between Tan and Golez.

And where is Novero, who was earlier reported to be also running?
Aside from real estate developer Sammy Palanca's periodic summons to "his" barangay captains, especially those along the shoreline barangays adjacent to his reclamation project, nothing is heard of Novero. These are rumors that Palanca, Novero's perpetual financier every time he runs (and loses,) is now hesitant to gamble his millions on a Novero candidacy.

Which stands to reason. Palanca is a dyed-in-the-wall businessman. Besides, his reclamation project is shot through and through with legal deficiencies, which requires that he kowtows with the powers that be in order for his project to survive. Novero, aside from his lawyering, is no longer a public official and does not have the political influence that goes with public office.

Put simply, he is not of much use to Palanca now. So why will the old man spend his millions on a losing proposition?