Wednesday, March 28, 2007 Ledesma: Big banana split in Davao Norte By Jun Ledesma Sunbursts
THE die is cast. Former governor and incumbent secretary for government concerns Rodolfo del Rosario is seeking a fresh mandate in Davao del Norte.
Dolfo's decision to run jolted the province as much as when the aging Don Antonio Floirendo (Anflo) rode roughshod over everybody when he declared that it is his son, Rep. Tonyboy, who will run for governor and not Vice Gov. Anthony del Rosario who had been picked earlier by the ruling Lakas-NUCD to be the gubernatorial bet.
Even as it hit him like a thunderbolt, Anthony del Rosario had no problem with that and true to his good breeding made no fuss about the sudden turn of events.
There is however a deeper significance in the turn of events for it is not as simple as playing the kid's game "Trip to Jerusalem." In Davao del Norte, Anflo, the patriarch of the Floirendo clan, holds the purse while Dolfo has the formidable political organization.
But Dolfo himself cannot be economically terrorized. I talked with Mayor Rey "Chiong Oy" Uy (CO for short) of Tagum City late Monday and he said that where Dolfo is he will be there. He said that his resources and Dolfo's combined will be more than enough to bankroll their campaign. So there you are.
But what really prompted Dolfo into running? In my previous column I made mention of his executive check-up in St. Luke's Hospital. He postponed his trip back to Davao because of a telephone call from his doctor who advised him that they had a finding in his heart that needs to be discussed with him. It was then that he told me that he will have to forego with all his political plans and take all else easy. It turned out that his doctor just wanted to assure him that the preliminary findings they had on his heart was proven to be negative and that in fact he can resume normal activities. Dolfo with a heart of a teenager?!
Anyway, even as he was in the hospital for his check-up RDR had been deluged with text messages and calls inquiring about the political mix-up in Davao del Norte and how to fix it. Remember that RDR is Regional Chairman of Lakas and he cannot simply ignore the organizational complexities brought about by the sudden entry of Tonyboy into the scene which altered the entire political panorama in Davao.
Tonyboy jettisoned Vice Governor Anthony and purportedly propositioned Yayong Gementiza to withdraw from the gubernatorial race. Nothing seemed to be wrong with that except that in the aftermath Yayong later decided he will run for mayor in Tagum City.
The domino effect is like a tsunami that hit CO who thought he had the
mayorship in the bag.
Over the weekend, Dolfo visited his son, Anthony, in Tagum to assess the political crisis that is now in his hand. The problem it turned out is more complex than what he had originally imagined. Dolfo is not saying it but I heard from the grapevine that Tonyboy is not acceptable to the political leaders, the religious groups and the youth sector. The old guards in the Lakas also do not want to associate with some politician friends of Tonyboy whom they blamed for the rift between the Floirendos and the del Rosarios.
For one brief moment, the political supporters of Dolfo from all over the province flocked to his house in Tagum this time urging him to run instead. CO told me later that he had not seen as many people flocked as quickly the moment they heard of Dolfo's presence.
Later he said the gathering crowd metamorphosed into a rally. He said that Dolfo is indeed the leader in Davao del Norte and vowed that he will stand foursquare by him.
Dolfo was touched with the overwhelming appeal of the masses. His exact words to me were that he “will run in the name of the people of Davao del Norte.”
The political base of RDR is intact, he told me. To the man, District 1 is backing him up. Baby Suaybaguio, who is supposed to be the running mate of Tonyboy, will be Dolfo's running mate instead. In the next few days district 2, where Tonyboy is congressman, will be ironed out.
There comes a time in the life of a man when he has to decide on the most crucial challenges that beset him and his family. In the case of Dolfo, it is a liberating process that relieves him of his anxieties, his burdens, and his indecision. He has a messianic mission demanded from him by his political constituents and leaders and this one is beyond his family relationships even beyond his own. And I think his family will understand.
