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Thursday, May 27, 2004
Espinoza: Why Kintanar lost in his town
By Elias L. Espinoza
POST MORTEM. Among the issues that reelectionist Rep. Simeon Kintanar, Cebu’s second dis-trict, had to tackle during the campaign was his abstention in the voting of the impeachment resolution against his hometown mate, Chief Justice Jun Davide.
While Kintanar was reelected over his young challenger, PB Member Orvi Ortega, the people of Argao did not forget his inaction or failure to help his bosom friend from being impeached in November last year.
My source said that despite Kintanar’s efforts to assuage his fellow Argawanons on his abstention from voting or rejecting the impeachment resolution, still he lost in his own precinct in particular and the whole of Argao in general.
The loss of Kintanar in his own precinct as well as in the entire town of Argao by a wide margin to PB Member Ortega, also an Argawanon, was a significant part of the town’s political history as well as Kintanar’s political career.
My source said the congressman’s machinery did all things possible that includes coming up with posters of his picture together with the chief justice to somehow soften the hearts of the Argawanons, who felt betrayed by his inaction during the deliberation of the impeachment resolution in Congress against the chief justice.
While the congress-man’s relatives in Argao and practically the entire Cebuanos all supported and prayed for Cebu’s favorite son, Chief Justice Davide, during that crucial moments, Kintanar chose to keep silent allegedly to avoid disappointing his patron.
A reliable source told me that money somehow works wonders in the other towns of the second district. My source said the towns in the second district, except Argao, were practically flooded with money.
In the sixth district of Cebu, Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz was reelected despite the challenge put up by Joy Ouano, daughter of former Mayor Pedong Ouano and sister of Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano.
The issue against Ruiz, who voted the impeachment of Davide, failed to work against her. Neither the supposed Catholic vote unseated her since she authored a bill that the Catholic Church considers a pro-abortion measure.
There were many factors though that were considered in the reelection of Congresswoman Ruiz. Among them are her exposure to the sixth district constituents being the incumbent and her alliance with the administration since she carried PGMA in her sample ballot.
The worse part that happened to Joy Ouano is that Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza failed to deliver the votes for her despite the “unholy alliance,” so to speak, that her father forged with Radaza and Sen. John Osmeña.
Some barangay captains in Mandaue City also failed to push for Joy’s candidacy. All things considered, the incumbent candidates have always the upper hand in any given election.
In the case of Rep. Ace Durano, it is always expected that whatever the issues are against him, he will win in the fifth district being the bailiwick of the Durano clan.
The challenge put up by his first-degree cousin, Marie Durano-Dira, even failed to sway the voters in the fifth district, particularly in Danao City and the towns in Camotes Island. This is how strong the Duranos are in their district.
Indeed, there is no basis for KNP presidential bet Fernando Poe Jr. to complain that he was cheated in Cebu. All the incumbents, including those in the opposition, carried PGMA in the last May 10 elections.
(May 27, 2004 issue)
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