THIRTEEN days to go, to be exact, before the mid-term elections.
It's almost the homestretch and candidates are making their last pitches if not succumbing to fever pitch themselves.
The council seats for the country's newest city - Mabalacat - had increased from eight to 10, owing to its conversion from a first-class municipality into a component city in July last year.
The road may have been widened for the wannabes, has-beens, and even the will-never-bes, but only 10 will make it. There are 25 candidates running for city councilors, with Team Kambilan (of Governor Lilia Pineda) having the complete and organized, well-run slate.
In my own personal surveys, as I go around my hometown, I hear of the following names who are emerging as favorites: re-electionist Rox Pena, ABC President Jeng Yumul, Dwight Morales, Bok Tiglao and Tom Manalo. They are all in the line-up of Mayor Marino Morales.
Consistently, I also hear of Benny Jocson from the other fence. He might just emerge on top. Almost in there would have to be Joey Santos and Carlo Nino Rivera whose respective fathers -- former OIC Mayor and Board Member John Santos and Atty. Adelaido Rivera -- could give them the final big boost as both are highly esteemed leaders and they wield great deal of influence.
Pena is an environmentalist. He was conferred a MOKA (Most Outstanding Kapampangan Award) few years ago because of his advocacies. That will be hard to top. In fact, no one among the “councilorables” in the city dare to even fancy themselves as another advocate for Mother Nature. He is one tough act to follow.
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While the city's waste management system still has to be completely addressed, Pena is into thick of things. And that's one reason he says why he wants another term - so he may continue to deal squarely with problems on garbage, quarrying, trees preservation, etc.
With Rox definitely getting one of the top seats in the City Council, the only favor I ask of him (and the rest of them who will make it to May 13 elections, the Mayor included) is to find ways to solve the powdery lahar smokes along Macarthur Highway in Dolores and Tabun.
Perhaps, quarry operators, sand and gravel operators could be asked to come up with a dedicated road so that trucks do not to traverse smoky lahar deposits that create a wall of dusts. This gravely affects motorists, residents and even students at nearby Mabalacat City College and Dolores Elementary Schools. Officers and employees of the City Government holding office at Xevera are affected by this too but could not just air their complaints.
It's like sand storm in that area where visibility almost goes zero whenever trucks (with or without payloads) emerge from the quarry sites near the highway. They need not wait for a report that says there is high incidence of respiratory diseases among students, teachers, workers and residents in that area. I want to see some initiative. Hope that is solved soon.
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There are other good guys who deserve a seat in the City Council. One of them is ABC President Jeng Yumul. This guy has started early in public service, serving for the longest time (I think since 1989) as barangay captain of Bical - one of the city's most remote villages. He is very approachable and is humble. He knows what he is doing and is giving a new face and meaning of what leadership should be.
There are other names that are mentioned by people in my informal survey.
One of them is Mayor Boking's son Dwight, who has been wowing crowds in meetings with his dances. But I'd like to believe that he is in there not because of his moves nor because he is the mayor's son but because he has his own worth. He started a training program in English proficiency. One that is beneficial to those who want to work at call centers. He is teeming with good ideas that could make the City Council responsive to the needs of the populace.
The other shoo-ins based on ask-around basis? I hear re-electionists Benny Jocson, Froy Galang and comeback kids Tom Manalo and Eddie Sotto. Jocson is in the opposite camp but he is assured of a victory while Galang's efforts in the establishment of City College (himself being a long-time educator) is paying some dividends.
Apung Tom may be in his twilight of political career but mind you, his name is a byword, a household name. What he has done for Mabalacat since the 1970s could be unmatched by anyone.
Winwin Garbo, the SK Pampanga Federation president, could also make it with her young and tender age.
I also hear the name of Bok Tiglao, who is making a second bid for the Council. Bok was one of Mayor Boking's top action men who led rescue operations during Pinatubo's eruption and lahar flows in the early 1990s and I think his reward for life-saving initiatives has been long overdue.
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I think the remaining seats would be a toss-up among Joey Santos, Carlo Nino Rivera, Geld Aquino, Elmer Buasan and Pablo Balilo (in no particular order) - a merry mixup from opposing camps and independent candidates.
He who would give a little more push in the homestretch would make himself one of the "honorables." These candidates are definitely no pushovers.
For example, Carlo has a law degree and as guaranteed by his lawyer-dad, a win for Carlo would also tow the services of Carlo's two other lawyer-siblings. So, that means a one-plus-three in legal services and advises.
Joey Santos, the son of "cowboy makisma" has but his Dad's track record for sincerity, honesty and integrity when he served Mabalacat as OIC mayor and Board Member. He could be an asset to the Council, seriously pushing for more social services programs especially for the youth and senior citizens.
Buasan has long been in broadcast media and has served as Kagawad. Balilo has served in Pelco and he talks sense in a lot of aspects. I don't know much about Geld except that his law background is a helpful tool for local legislation.
There are other candidates whose background look impressive but they just need to introduce themselves first in their own communities and prove their worth in order to draw more pulling power.
I may know them by name and has heard something about them too. But do other ordinary people -- the voting populace -- that I get to ask in this informal survey know about them? I am sorry but the answer may not just be enough for them to also pull through.