THE current City Council in Cagayan de Oro is dominated by members of Padayon Pilipino, a local political party of which it is common knowledge that it is headed by its patriarch former mayor Vicente "Dongkoy" Emano, who is eyeing to be back on his old post as mayor after his grim defeat in 2013 by incumbent mayor Oscar 'Oca' Moreno.
Moreno may have the executive powers, but for three years he and his camp have been suffering because of the alleged blockade from the local legislature. Perhaps in almost everything, from council approvals of sorts to curtailing budget allocations for the different departments and projects by the City Hall.
Now comes the election season once again. And three political parties emerge, other than Oca's local Liberal Party (LP) and Dongkoy's Padayon, emerging between them is Rufus Rodriguez's Centrist Democratic Party (CDP).
All three have their own slates of potential council men and women. And to think, some of their candidates used to ally with Padayon. After all, Padayon was the mother of them all, until Oca decided to turncoat to LP, and Rufus to CDP.
Given the odds of whatever maybe the outcome of the May 9 elections, of the 16 seats in the council - what if Padayon has six members, and while LP and CDP both has five members?
Will their decisions for approval and disapproval brought before them by the executive office, especially in matters of fiscal year budget, be subjective on who sits as the new mayor?
The Padayon councilors headed by Vice Mayor Ian Acenas, for better or for worse, somehow did their job well for being consistent and for being loyal to their old master. If Rufus wins, and the Padayon councilors remain the majority, any acts that is the opposite of what they are doing under Moreno is a tell-tale sign.
Either they have favored Rufus, or will unmask Rufus' true allegiance, a puppet perhaps of the Dongkoy? Because as long as Dongkoy lives, he is Padayon Pilipino and the Padayon councilors are bound to fulfill only the Padayon political paradigm.
Or in another case, if Dongkoy will be back in power and assuming the city council is floored by majority of CDP councilors, will they also attempt to bar any proposals from the local executive office that are subject for the council's approval?
Because at the end of the day, LP will be LP and Padayon will be Padayon. CDP has yet to show its true colors beyond that orange facade.
But whatever the political colors of these people who will be sitting in the council, the welfare of the city's progress and its people should be their best interest and not the motives of their political lords and whims of their sponsors in the business sector.
However, an unsolicited advice, why choose a political party when there are candidates who are running as independent? Have time to research about them and you may find more deserving candidates (or may be not).
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Email: nefluczon@gmail.com