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Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Ravanera: United opposition?
By Attorney Maning Ravanera
Tintin's Banters
LAWYERS Butch Bagabuyo and Fred Gapuz have once summoned concerned Kagay-anons to VIP Hotel to forge unity among those who believe that the likes of Mayor Dongkoy Emano and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo together with their compliant cabal should be erased in the arena of politics if only to push our city and country forward.
They premised their call on the fact that both the local and the national government are grossly mismanaged and thus, those in the helm must be swept away by the winds of change through a group they aspire to create.
Several individuals, mostly old, washed-out politicians and their cohorts, responded to the call.
Nonetheless, some of them, like the venerable lawyer Roderico Villaroya stood pat on his conviction that if the same faces will comprise the so-called "United Opposition", CZAR Dongkoy of Cagayan de Oro will remain in his power or could easily pass on his power to Yevgeny or Nadya.
Dongkoy at the other side of the fence merely shrugged off such threat of toppling him down with hasty dismissal, or even sarcasm.
The big question is: Can our ragtag opposition be fully united merely by an aim of toppling the present dispensation?
Is the aim of putting down CZAR Dongkoy and getting rid of his men sufficient motivation to be united in the first place?
Dongkoy is a creation of his time. He came to Cagayan de Oro, saving his last centavo from the province, and created a group, or more like a cult, named PaDayon Pilipino.
He did not even bother to register such political cult with the Comelec. He endeared himself to the masses, which could easily be swayed by buying their votes while at the same time feeding them, albeit with deceit, the philosophy and principles of Liberal Democracy, one common among big political parties all over the world.
However, he never stayed true to such principles of the Liberal Democrats, but instead led his group through patronage politics.
Those who followed him, brainwashed through a grotesque ritual, now number to about 50,000 card-bearing holders of the cult PaDayon Pilipino.
Dongkoy also caters to patronage of the political parties headed by the national figures and personalities like Erap Estrada and now, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
He knew with his political pull from the National Government, he could get away with acting like Robin Hood, using the money from the coffers of the government for purchase of lands, and thereafter, selling them at a measly sum of one (1) peso per lot.
Meanwhile, the vast majority of our people helplessly suffer the pangs of hunger, unemployment, lack of shelter, etc.
At the same time, our city suffers from the monstrous traffic, inundation during the rainy days due to poor sewerage system, polluted river, rising criminalities and petty thieveries.
Deeply seated in the hearts of Kagay-anons who love this city are cries of hopelessness.
Instead of dreaming to solve the almost insurmountable problems besetting the city, most of the Kagay-anons flee to find comfort, decent jobs and dignified living abroad.
If the opposition has to unite then, what faces does Attorney Villaroya want to see in such a forum? Allow me to venture a guess.
To reiterate, he does not want to see the old faces of opportunists and political lackeys of old, washed-out politicians.
He probably does not even like to see the faces of these politicians themselves who also brought our city into a quagmire.
Instead, he may want to see genuine Christian leaders who espouse Christian values of honesty and love for others. He may include in his list real environmentalists, commentators who are staunch fighters for the truth, lawyers with track record of defending the poor, heritage conservationists, businessmen with integrity and civic leaders who go for what is fair and just.
He may even want some women or gays who would stand up for the rights of women and children, engineers who could introduce massive infrastructure in the city, cooperative advocates who truly believe that our wealth should be distributed to the vast majority, doctors who truly care for the health of our residents and many more.
With the new faces from different sectors, we might see the people of Cagayan de Oro imbibing renewed moral values while adhering to the truth and preserving our culture and our environment.
With technical men and specialists in their field, we may see modern bridges, establishment of hospitals somewhere in Bugo or Iponan, fair business dealings and care for women and children.
With cooperatives mushrooming in our city, we may see wealth being equitably distributed to the poor, slowly ending the malady that poverty brings.
Until such time when we could mold such a united opposition, which shares a singular vision, will we be able to see a dawning glory for our beloved city.
(May 31, 2006 issue)
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