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Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Ledesma: A snub in ComVal
By Jun Ledesma
Sunbursts
GOVERNOR Joe Caballero of Compostela Valley province is politically a dead meat. If I were to believe the press releases he was a no show at the venue where President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo went to personally see the tissue culture laboratory project of Congressman Way Kurat Zamora.
Everybody who is somebody in the province was there except for JoeCab-the governor of Comval. He must have suddenly had a bad case of diarrhea or cardiac trouble (remember JoeCab had this fit the first time he went to Japan and I think as a member of the Presidential party). It is also not very likely that someone told him the New People's Army (NPA) are planning to state an ambush.
I got if from good sources that Joe failed to be present in that rare Presidential visit because the organizers did not invite him. But this is not a wedding or a birthday party. When the president, who presumed you to be an ally, comes to your province where you are governor, you ought to be there and stand besides her.
You have to assert your leadership and do not complain that you have not received an invitation. I am sure that Arroyo is more worried about Joe going with the opposition than the NPA hiding in ambush. Joecab is a last termer and it looks like in his desire to have his wife succeed him, he earned more adversaries in the process.
In the end he is isolated and yes, La Presidenta will not pass that snub even if he had a bad case of dysentery or heart palpitation. How did the saying goes? "Hell hath no fury than a woman scorned!"
What Joecab can do is to play some antics like withdrawing his support for Arroyo. This dramatics will earn him some pogi points for the opposition. There is no other way, no more political recourse for him but to gravitate to the opposition. With the way things are developing in his own backyard, Joe has succeeded in isolating himself from a ruling majority.
In wanting to keep his own personal political clout by gunning for the congressional seat, Joe's adversaries and even his friends are ganging up on him.
Joe is a good political tactician so I cannot really wager a guess what ace he has under his sleeves that could turn the disadvantage he has presently to his favor.
Remember, Joe defeated the formidable Roger Sarmiento. Whey then cannot he put up a good fight this time against Representative Prospero Amatong's protege. Joecab against Amatong's son is like pitting Manny Pacquiao against Oscar Larios. But this is not a boxing bout.
This is politics where he who holds the purse has a decided advantage. If Joecab wants his wife to run for governor and he as congressman he will be stretching his resources thinly and lose in both.
Let's face it, Amatong has now the money to fund his son's campaign while Arthur T. Uy, known in the gold rush country as Tsongkee or Chong Kee has pots of gold to dazzle his opponent, Joecab's wife included. So you see, it's bad enough that Joecab snubbed Arroyo it is even worst now because even his colleagues might not touch him with a 10-foot pole. But Joe has always been an underdog in a political dogfight. We will see if he will survive this pack.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (July 12, 2006 issue)
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