Golez to blame for VM hopefuls' woes?

IS Bacolod Lone District Rep. Anthony Golez to blame for the woes of vice-mayoralty hopefuls Councilors Dindo Ramos, Homer Bais and Al Victor Espino?

Golez stirred a hornet's nest when he resurrected the Banago Port development issue during the inauguration of the Banago Passenger Terminal and Port Management Office Building last June 27.

Atty. Sammy Palanca, the visionary who works by the sea, will not allow a New Kid on the Block like Golez to undermine Bredco's business interests at the reclamation area and the port which Palanca had labored for most of his life.

They might have been allies once during Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's watch but the political realities nowadays are different from way back then. Moreover, business is business. It has always been and will always be the determining factor in political plans and political alliances.

With Golez hell-bent on developing the Banago Port which will then compete with Bredco Port, you cannot expect Palanca to go with the solon's plan. Thus, in the looming showdown between Golez and Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia for the city's lone congressional seat next year, you cannot expect Palanca to throw Bredco's resources behind Golez.
With his insistence on developing Banago Port, Golez inadvertently did Mayor Bing a big favor by driving Palanca's support towards Bing's direction.

It will definitely be to Bredco's advantage if Bacolod's congressman is friendly towards it; more so if its mayor and vice-mayor also subscribe to the notion that Bredco should be the only public port, albeit privately operated for now, in Bacolod City.

This brings us to the dilemma of Ramos, Bais and Espino.

Before this Banago Port development issue resurfaced, the three graduating councilors were loudly rumored to the prime candidates for Nationalist People's Coalition - Grupo Progreso's vice-mayoralty bet.

Golez stirred up the hornet's nest when he resurrected the Banago Port development issue last June 27. In the process, he precipitated the shifting of political alliances which has been steadily manifesting it recently.

This shift shows former Bacolod City Vice-Mayor Renecito Novero slowly making his way into the Grupo Progreso camp, with nicely placed 'leaked' statements here and there that he would not mind being the party's VM bet come 2013.

Novero has been Bredco's lawyer and has been closely associated with Sammy Palanca for so many years now. It does not take a leap of imagination to realize that Palanca's forthcoming support for Bing against Doc Tony in 2013 comes, in insurance parlance, with a rider - that is, with Novero as the party's VM bet.

If Bing with Palanca's support wins against Golez, then Bing cannot be expected to turn his back on Bredco's welfare once he is already ensconced in Congress.

But to preempt any moves for the premature takeover of Bredco and any endorsement for the development of Banago Port emanating from the city council, it will ensure Palanca's peace of mind if Novero is installed as his “whip” or bastonero over that august body.

Thus Novero has been very visible recently, making no secret of his willingness to run as VM under Grupo Progreso, if the party so decides.
We are in good terms, Bing said about his relationship with Novero. I can't say off-hand what his status with the party is, the mayor said in reaction to Novero's previous statement that he believes he is still a party member in good standing.

Bing did not say outright that Novero is not part of the party, thereby leaving the door open for Novero's entry.

When Novero attended Bing's birthday last July 10, the three VM hopefuls boycotted the celebration in protest over Novero's presence.

You will have a say in choosing Grupo Progreso's bet, said Vice-Mayor Thaddy Sayson, who is the hands-down party bet for mayor in 2013. Thaddy assured the three councilors that they will be considered in the party's choice and that he will be more comfortable if one of them is chosen as his running mate in 2013.

However, Thaddy said the party cannot close its doors to Novero, as the party is still looking at everyone in the process of selection.
Thaddy is just smoothening the ruffled feathers of the three jilted vice-mayoralty aspirants.

Bing is leaving the party’s door open for Novero’s entry while Thaddy is not closing the door on Novero as NPC-Grupo Progresos’s VM bet in 2013.
The writing is on the wall. It is Novero for vice-mayor of Grupo Progreso in 2013. For that, Ramos, Bais and Espino can thank Golez.

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