Dreary day for filing of COC

GONE are the days of festive atmosphere during the filing of certificates of candidacy of elective posts. These days there was nothing there that would elicit excitement. Last Monday, only Cong. Karlo Nograles and the Super Lolo Victorio Advincula were seen filing their COCs. Nograles gave a curt statement to media that his father, the former Speaker Boy, is no longer in the running. Advincula, on the other hand, seemed to be convincing media practitioners that he still has the mettle and the mental prowess to engage anyone in legislative deliberations. I fully agree with him. But what I cannot fathom is the logic behind his running. His son, also a lawyer, is doing quite well in the session hall. It’s not because I don’t want to see Vic, who has become a doyen in the city council, but for heaven’s sake it’s time to call it quits with the rigmarole in the Council, pack up a light bag and go on a cruise in the Mediterranean. Enjoy your wealth. Your son whom you raised to be a good lawyer and then prod to become an excellent public servant will carry on the torch for you.

Now there are familiar names who are making a comeback in the city council and those who are seeking reelection. I met an official of the City Chamber while I was waiting for my flight to HK last weekend who told me: “Jun the bright guys in the city council are going back. The tragedy here is that they are going to win.” I told her, those who came after them are even brighter and their hides may even be thicker. Then she went on to tell me that somebody who wants to infuse some P3-billion capital for an agri-oriented export processing zone changed plans and invested the money for another project in a neighboring town. I said, that’s nothing new. Remember San Miguel Brewery? She smirked. And she went on to ask me how Kisan Lu, a housing developer, was able to convince the city council of Davao to amend an existing ordinance that increased the density of its housing project situated on top of the city’s main aquifer. We looked at each other and laughed at our own hopelessness.

Back to the filing of COCs, nothing is deemed final and no longer subject to change until after the clock strikes midnight. Which means the Comelec will no longer entertain any changes. Which means that while Vic an Karlo may have filed their COCs I won?t believe that they will not alter plans.

What about the Dutertes? If you ask me, judging from the pulse of the people and few off-the-cuff remarks of Mayor Inday and Vice Mayor Duterte, the father will be it for mayor. Polong Duterte will gun for the vice mayoralty seat and Inday will take the course of least resistance given her mother-in-the-waiting condition: Congress. She will be a tough one for Karlo but with Nogie’s money Mayor Inday would need all the help she can muster. Meaning she cannot take this race lying down. The big ace that Mayor Inday really has is that she has never been tainted with any issue of graft and corruption which is one big reason why big business, especially the Chinese business community, wants her to run. The Chinese as we all know holds the purse so there you are?

I ran through the names of candidates of Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod, the ruling political party, has come up with. Some names are new to me. On the other hand I have am not aware of any viable team organized by the Nograles camp as yet. This is a good time for those who plan to pursue their political ambition -- never mind if they run independent. A good PR, unrelenting campaign from house to house, a bit of achievement to your name and enough funds will give them a fighting chance.