GAME changer.
That's the familiar term whenever something significant takes place, especially if it’s going to benefit somebody. The barangay elections in Mabalacat City changed the complexion of the game for the 2016 political exercise.
The political landscape entirely changed when 16 of the 27 barangay captains were replaced by new or returning village chiefs. Foremost among the new barangay captains are those from vote rich barangays like Dau, Mabiga, Lakandula, and Dolores.
Those who will seek fresh mandates in 2016 must court votes from these areas.
In Dau, Dr. Oscar Aurelio denied Atlas Morales his third and final term as Barangay Chairman. It was a tough fight for the son of Mayor Marino Morales who had to battle it out with the three-termer councilor.
Dr. Aurelio now looms as the hands down favorite to become the ABC president for Mabalacat City. Mayor Morales may find himself in a dilemma once again as his daughter Marjorie Morales Sambo was reported to be eyeing the ex-officio city council post.
But as it is right now, Dr. Aurelio may be given the position on a silver platter as Mayor Boking and his aides are inclined to anoint him.
While Board Member Chris Garbo was reported to have been forming a group to back Dr. Aurelio up, the stone has been cast for the barangay captain from Dau. It has been settled way before Garbo started to organize that group. One must remember that Dr. Aurelio was a long-time kumpadre and political ally of Mayor Morales.
While Mayor Morales was duty bound to support the re-election of Garbo and the bid of now Board Member Cherry Manalo due to party affiliation, Dr. Aurelio need not feel bad at all for that decision and move by the mayor in the elections held five months ago where he also ran as Board Member from a different political party.
--oo0oo--
That meeting of about 11 barangay captains in Mabalacat called by Board Member Chris Garbo just before the All Saints’ Day (or a few days after the barangay elections) already speaks of the maneuverings of Garbo for the 2016 polls.
Hurriedly called though, the meeting gathered some old and new village chiefs at the guise of expressing support for Dr. Aurelio in his bid for ABC post.
Come on guys, that’s just a scratch on the surface. This is politics and one need not be a rocket scientist to figure that it was all part of Garbo’s preparations in seeking the mayorship for 2016.
He has long expressed his intention to seek the post and whatever he does now would be interpreted towards accomplishing that goal. And I think he is already flexing his muscles this early, albeit prematurely.
One barangay captain confirmed to me that it was actually Garbo who organized that meeting, as it was he himself who invited the village chief.
I cannot blame Garbo for doing that. Besides, the mayorship might be too big a shoe to fill for him. He needs to fill in the gaps and he could start with mustering support from the new barangay captains.
Already, he is reported to now have the full backing of Mabiga, Lakandula, Mamatitang and Bical, his barangay residence by his wife. That’s four barangays and still a long way to go for the rest of the other 23 villages, including Tabun where he originally came from.
--oo0oo--
Garbo will be in for a very tough fight come 2016.
Mayor Morales may still choose to run as he is on his first term as City Mayor. He will be Garbo’s worst nightmare. If Mayor Boking chooses not to do so, he will for sure anoint somebody to continue on with his programs.
And at the way things are right now, that will not be Garbo. There’s love lost between the two as Garbo was reported to have been blaming the mayor’s camp for his lackluster performance in the balloting for board member last May.
Mayor Boking might go for incumbent Vice Mayor Christian Halili who has been very supportive of his programs. Unlike his cousin Noel Castro, the former vice mayor, Christian may have landed a spot in Boking’s heart five months into the current Mabalacat City administration.
Both Mayor Morales and Vice Mayor Halili have been doing the rounds together. They are seen in tandem visiting wakes, attending public functions, meetings and all sorts of activities. This bolsters observations that Mayor Boking is keeping his options open and one of those options is leaving a door ajar for Christian.
From the looks of it, Vice Mayor Halili looks like a logical and wise alternative for the mayor who has done splendidly well in the city if and when the latter decides to forego another term.
From the looks of it too, Vice Mayor Halili might just be the wise and fitting alternative who will not be a bag of wind and who will not lead the city into the doldrums.