Saturday, October 20, 2007 2 journalists try to cross from covering to practicing politics
TWO media practitioners have joined the political contest in one of Talisay City’s biggest barangays.
Vincie Monterde and Jonathan “Joy” Tumulak, both reporters of Sun. Star Superbalita, are running as independent council aspirants in Barangay Lawaan I.
They filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Talisay City past 5 p.m. last Thursday.
Aside from covering national and local elections, both Monterde and Tumulak have previously run for public office.
Monterde challenged an incumbent Lawaan I village chief, who won by a slim margin, in the 1997 barangay elections.
Although he lost in that first attempt for a political post, Monterde said he decided to run again because “I believe I can be of great service to the people of Lawaan I.”
‘No fence-sitting’
If elected, Monterde said he will work for health and education in the barangay, medical assistance for senior citizens and upgrading the honorarium of tanods and health workers.
For his part, this is Tumulak’s second time to run for a council seat in his barangay.
Although he had no well-oiled political machinery then, Tumulak won in the 2002 barangay elections.
If reelected, Tumulak vows to improve peace and order, saying this will be the key to progress in a growing village.
“We can’t just be fence-sitters in our fight against criminality. This is my primary task once I get a fresh mandate here,” he said.
Tumulak was instrumental in establishing the Botica sa Barangay during his first term.
Monterde and Tumulak began working as mediamen in 1989.
Monterde began his career as a reporter of radio dyLA, where later became its senior news editor. He also worked as a correspondent of the now-defunct Newstime Daily in 1990.
Radio
In 1994, radio dyHP took him in and designated him as its news director. While working at dyHP, he also wrote local news for Sun.Star Superbalita.
Tumulak, a son of the famous radio drama writer and director Cedric Tumulak, began as a radio reporter of dyHP. Like Monterde, he was one of the pioneering batch of reporters hired by Sun.Star Superbalita in 1994.
At present, Tumulak still works in Superbalita and, at the same time, as a radio correspondent of dyRF Radyo Fuerza.
Comelec records showed that at least 600 filed their COCs for barangay captain or councilor in Talisay City’s 22 villages.
At least 200 also filed their candidacy papers for the posts of Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson and councilors. (GC)
