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Friday, January 16, 2004
Roperos: A look at the districts
By Godofredo M. Roperos
Politics also
I MUST admit that at this point in the political season, it is still too early to assess the political situation in the province’s six congressional districts.
We also have to admit that the incumbents enjoy tacit advantage over their challengers, whoever they may be and however well positioned they are among the electorate of the district.
The fact that incumbents possess the championship belt, they enjoy a llamado status.
At the moment, the district incumbents that I think have a surer footing are Eddie Gullas of the first, Tony Yapha of the third, Clavel Asas Martinez of the fourth and Ace Durano of the fifth.
The basis of my informal and rather highly speculative assessment is the absence of significant opponents in the said districts.
The four districts cited above have quite well entrenched representatives, except perhaps the first where Eddie takes over from brother Dodong.
But Eddie is a returnee to a district that he served for nine straight years. He gave it to his brother in 2001 and is now taking it back.
This practice, which has become the usual way of circumventing the anti-dynasty law, has become a nationwide practice and is a clearly making a mockery of the law.
The Supreme Court still has to come up with a clear decision on whether the nine-year term of local officials and the 12-year term of the senators mean just that—that there will be no returning to the post afterwards.
Anyway, the first district should not give the Gullases any problem as far as retaining their control.
But the second district, I believe, may have the incumbent fighting on an even playing field since, according to a reliable informant, he is regarded by a majority of Argawanons as a traitor.
The incumbent, Simeon Kintanar, did not support the cause of Supreme Court Chief Justice Jun Davide when he faced possible impeachment in Congress a few months ago.
I was told that many of Kintanar’s town mates realized that their representatives cannot be depended on in times of extreme need, especially where the demands of fairness and justice are concerned.
Thus, a lot of the town’s voters are this early taking the side of his challenger, who is one of the more dependable members of the Provincial Board.
But then, of course, Election Day is still some four months away, hence it is still too early to make a closer estimate. A change in public attitude may still occur.
Davide and Kintanar are both from Argao. They are part of the town’s human treasure. In fact, some Argawanons consider Davide as a most valuable property of their town.
One Argawanon I met a few weeks ago and who had contemplated running for public office alluded to the possibility that Kintanar’s inability to support Davide in the impeachment controversy may have been a subconscious case of envy, the sort similar to what psychologists term as sibling rivalry.
The incumbent in the sixth district is faced with similar problem as Kintanar’s. They were, after all, on the same side in the impeachment case against the chief justice. Cebuanos have taken the act as a betrayal of sorts by no less than their leaders themselves.
Of course, it is said, that the people have very short memories, and the sixth district’s representative, Ne-rissa Soon-Ruiz, may feel she has recovered enough of her lost prestige and that she can pull through a reelection.
That, of course, remains to be seen.
My gut feeling, though, tells me that the coming elections will see but very little changes, if at all, in Cebu’s congressional representations of the province.
Perhaps, one or two of the eight incumbents may not be able to return to Congress.
(January 16, 2004 issue)
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