Monday, October 08, 2007 Pangan: The 'clash' at Dapdap By Benjie R. Pangan At Close Range
IF THERE were one exciting match up in the forthcoming elections this October 29, it would be in Barangay Dapdap, Mabalacat.
Why? The ousted barangay leader will test his mettle against officer-in-charge Augusto "Gus" L. Baluyut who took over the reins when Javier "Jay" P. Taruc was first suspended by the Mabalacat Municipal Council on March 27, 2006.
Two more suspensions were meted on Taruc by the same Municipal Council, thus effectively keeping out the charismatic village chief from the active management of the affairs of Dapdap, which includes the densely populated Madapdap Resettlement Center (MRC).
The center, incidentally, had served as semi-permanent residential refuge of former victims of the Mt. Pinatubo rampage. Others have opted to go back to their original abodes. At present, MRC has, reportedly, a population of 35,000 with about 6,000 registered voters.
A political tactician that he is, Taruc was not able to parry the successive suspension orders of the Municipal Council that, in all instances, invoked the powers vested in it by the Local Government Code. The series of suspensions, plus that imposed by the Office of the Ombudsman for six months, obviously dislocated Taruc who was first elected in 1997, then in 2002 but was ousted in 2006.
Both Taruc and Baluyut are Porac natives but have opted to stay at MRC and become active participants in Mabalacat politics.
Despite getting a favorable decision from the Provincial Board (PB) and formally notifying the council of his intention to reassume the position of the barangay chairman, Jay Taruc seems headed for a stiff resistance from, first, the Municipal Council and second, from Gus Baluyut who has filed a motion for reconsideration (MR) with the PB which will either deny or accept the merits of the said MR.
Gus, for his part, has adopted the slogan Sulong Dapdap, Ito ang Dapat and has for his slate the following: Mandy Rivera, Jel Molina, Fernando Cabalza, Ernesto de Guzman, Santa Reyes, Fermin Banawa and Trifinio "Philip" San Diego.
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Desirables, probables and variables. From among the candidates for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials for the October 29 election, the voters may choose who among these candidates are the desirables, those who can lead their respective barangays and SK associations credibly and effectively.
As everyone knows, most of the incumbent barangay officials as well as SK leaders have already stayed on their posts way past their original terms and it is about time that new faces were chosen and elected among the desirables, probables and even the variables.
In my previous columns, I mentioned the protagonists for the Dau top post, namely, incumbent Louie P. Cunanan, Marino "Atlas" Morales, Marcos Castro Jr., and Marlon Manalastas. Add one more: Roger Mipalanca.
In Mabiga, it is still barangay chairman Jesus M. Rivera as the man to beat; ditto in San Francisco where Marcelino "Boy" Cruz seems unbeatable. His slate may include: Roming Dimarucut, Dan Dublin, Noel Ong, Manny Dingal, Let Policarpio, former SK chairperson Kristine de Guzman, Mina Macapagal, Jun Belnas and Manding Layson. Their slogan is: Lumakad Ka, Lakbay Ka, Sumulong Ka, San Francisco -- a drug-free barangay laban king illegal drugs!
There are probables like Jessie Duran as barangay leader of Camachiles, Atty. Marvin Aquino Tullao of Barangay Malabanias, Angeles City, and of course, Gus Baluyut of Dapdap who will put up a stiff fight against the come-backing Jay Taruc, a known Nepo protege. Gus will bank on the support of Mayor Boking Morales and, by extension, the incumbent first district congressman, Carmelo "Tarzan" Lazatin. I can also mention here Pareng Bert Dizon who has served Dau well as kagawad and is now running as an independent. Also, Dau Plaza's Bernie Yambao who aims to become a councilman in this premier barangay. Both these gentlemen are imbued with good trait of leadership and are committed to render genuine public service. The Dau voters may well look into the credentials on these good potentials for the position of kagawad.
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Something to ponder on by barangay officials and other hopefuls. Neal H. Cruz, in his column, As I see it, PDI, October 5, 2007, wrote: Barangay elections: Corruption at the grass roots. Barangays are our smallest political grouping. Villages were already grouped into barangays before the Philippine Revolution. The barangay leader or cabeza de barangay was appointed from among the respected citizens of a village. He served without compensation. Then our national leaders thought of having the barangay leader elected instead of being appointed.
Democracy at the grass roots daw 'yon. Then they added others officials such as councilmen and barangay tanods, all paid for by the abused taxpayers. And they gave the barangay officials the power to tax their constituents. All these are good in theory but not in practice.
What we did was infected with politics our lowest social grouping, and in the case of the Kabataang Barangay, even the youth. As in the national elections, the barangay elections became a popularity contest. And in a popularity contest, the best do not necessarily come out first in the polls.
So who were elected to barangay positions? The jobless, the istambays, the lasenggos who have the time to attend long drinking sessions. The more responsible citizens who do not want to go down to the level of istambay don't get elected. And because barangay officials get salaries, the jobless and good-for-nothings see them as a source of income and do everything that their national counterparts do to win in the elections. Dirty politics and corruption have seeped down to the barangays.
Once in office, the barangay officials commit abuses. They invent ways to tax their constituents. They collect tong from squatters and jeepney and tricycle drivers. They even partition vacant lots and rent them out to squatters.
